Her:
The cold is unbearable, biting through my skin and settling deep into my bones. I've never felt so small, so trapped, and every second in this cage feels like an eternity. My mind races, thoughts spinning wildly. Nico's words echo in my head—he'll always choose me. But should he?
I force myself to breathe through the rising panic, pushing down the dread clawing at my chest. I need to stay calm. I need to think.
Nico's father is dangerous. I know that. And I know the only way I'm going to make it out of here is by playing this carefully—appealing to his twisted sense of control, pretending to be someone I'm not, because that's the only chance I have.
I've been here for what feels like hours. My legs ache from sitting on the cold concrete floor, my body trembling from the chill. Then I hear the footsteps. Slow. Heavy.
I don't need to look up to know who it is. He's been watching me the whole time, enjoying my fear. His presence fills the room, oppressive and suffocating.
"Tell me, Maya," his voice is low, dripping with mockery. "How's the cage? Comfortable?" His chuckle is like gravel, the sound scraping at my nerves. "I've had many people in this cage over the years. It's funny how quickly they learn their place."
I'm not going to let him see how scared I am. I swallow, forcing myself to speak. "I'm not afraid of you," I say, my voice shaking only slightly. "You're not going to break me."
He stops in front of the cage, and I force myself to meet his cold, calculating eyes. There's no warmth in them, no hint of humanity—just emptiness.
He smiles, slow and dark, before crouching in front of me, his face inches from mine. "Not afraid?" he repeats, his voice so soft, it's almost like a whisper. "You're trembling, Maya. You're already broken. You just don't know it yet."
I grip the bars of the cage, holding onto the only thing that feels like safety. "I'm not broken," I mutter, trying to steady my voice.
His smirk widens, and for a moment, I think he might just leave. But instead, his hand shoots through the bars, grabbing a fistful of my hair and yanking my head back hard. I gasp, pain flaring in my head.
"Don't lie to me," he hisses, his breath hot against my skin. "You are mine now. You just don't want to admit it. But you will. You'll understand soon enough that there's no escaping me."
I can barely breathe, the pressure in my head intensifying as he yanks my hair again, forcing me to look up at him. "You think you're in control of anything? That your little act is fooling me?" He shakes his head, his voice low and cruel. "You're nothing but a plaything, a toy for my son. And now you're mine."
I try to pull away, but he keeps my head locked in place, his grip tightening. "Let go of me!" I cry out, my voice strained and desperate.
His response is a deranged laugh. "Oh, you think you can command me? Little girl, you'll learn your place soon enough. You have no power here, none. You're just a means to an end."
The harsh sting of his words hits me like a slap, but I try to fight the tears. I won't let him see me cry. He leans in, his lips brushing my ear as he whispers, "You should be grateful. Most women in your position beg to be in my favor. But not you. You're a stubborn little thing. I like that. I like it when they fight back, just before they break."
Suddenly, his hand moves down my neck, gripping the delicate skin there. I try to pull back, but I'm trapped. My pulse races under his touch.
"Look at you," he says, voice dripping with twisted amusement. "You can't even hide it. You're scared, aren't you? Deep down, you know you're nothing here. Just another pretty face for me to break."
Before I can respond, his hand moves lower, sliding down to my bare thigh. My body jerks in repulsion, but his grip tightens, his fingers digging into the soft flesh.
"You've got such soft skin," he muses, his voice sickeningly calm. "You should be grateful that I'm the one who gets to touch you. No one else. Just me." His fingers press harder, sending waves of nausea through me.
I try to pull away, but I can't. I can't even move.
"You think you're special? You think you're different from all the others?" His voice is dark, filled with venom. "You're just another distraction for my son. But I'm not like him. I know how to use a woman like you."
I try to focus, trying to figure out how I can twist this situation, how I can make him think I'm on his side. But with every second that passes, he's taking more from me. I can't fight it, not yet.
"Tell me," he continues, his hand sliding higher on my leg, sending another sickening wave of nausea through me. "What do you think my son will do when he finds you? Do you think he'll be able to save you?" He chuckles darkly, shaking his head.
"Please," I say, my voice shaky. "I'll help you. I'll do whatever you want. Just don't hurt me."
He smiles at my words, as if I've just confirmed everything he already knows. "That's more like it. See? You're learning. But it's too late for you, Maya."
His hand moves up, his fingers digging into my skin harder, and my breath hitches. "We're gonna have so much fun, little girl."
Before he leaves, he stands up, his eyes narrowing. "You think this cage is just for show?" His lips curl into a sickening grin. "It's special. More than you realize."
I swallow, dreading the answer. "Why?"
He walks over to a panel near the wall and presses a button. A sharp, electric crackle fills the air, and the metal bars of the cage hum ominously.
"See," he says, his voice filled with satisfaction, "this cage is fitted with electric currents. A small shock, just enough to remind the prey of their place."
He presses another button, and my whole body seizes with the jolt of electricity coursing through the bars. The shock is brief, but it burns like fire, spreading through my limbs and leaving me breathless with pain.
I gasp, body jerking as the pain rips through me. "Stop!" I cry, my voice a mix of fear and fury.
He smirks, completely unfazed. "You see? It's a simple button press away. A little zap when you get out of line." He turns away, walking to the door.
"You'll get used to it, eventually. Just remember, Maya, when I push that button, you're nothing more than an animal in a cage."
The door slams shut behind him, leaving me in stunned silence, trembling and seething with both fear and rage.
~Hey besties, I hope you hate this, I'm sorry, I love you. See you soon <3
