intrepidity

hehee again..

The world was a haze when Aurora regained consciousness. Her head throbbed with pain, the kind that made her want to curl into herself and never move again. She blinked, trying to clear the fog in her mind, but the world around her remained distorted—her vision blurry. Something cold pressed against her skin, and her body felt heavier than it ever had before.

Her breath hitched as she tried to move, but her wrists were bound tightly. Panic surged in her chest, making her heart race in terror. Where am I?

She tugged at the ropes, but they held firm. Her head swam with dizziness, and she couldn't make sense of the situation. The last thing she remembered was leaving school—everything before that was a blur.

A low voice broke through the confusion, but she couldn't focus on the words. The shadows in the room shifted, the figures moving too close for comfort. She strained her eyes to see, but the light was too dim. All she could make out were silhouettes, two men looming over her.

Her heart stopped as one of them reached down, his fingers brushing her cheek with unnerving gentleness. The touch felt wrong, like something about it was too soft, too intimate for the situation. She flinched, but his hand stayed there for a second longer than was necessary.

"You're awake," he said in a low, almost mocking tone.

Aurora's pulse quickened. She tried to move again, but her limbs were too heavy, too uncooperative. She wanted to scream, but no sound came out. Her throat was dry, and the only thing that escaped was a shaky breath.

One of the men kneeled down beside her, his eyes dark and cold. "Don't bother trying to escape," he said, his voice laced with malice. "You're not going anywhere."

She turned her face away, not wanting to look at him. Not wanting to see the cruelty in his eyes. But his fingers were already on her arm, dragging slowly down her skin in a way that made her skin crawl. His touch lingered far too long, as if he were savoring her discomfort.

"Don't worry, princess," the man cooed. His voice was too calm, too soothing, like a predator speaking to its prey. "We'll make you feel comfortable here. You'll get used to it."

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block him out, trying to block everything out. Her heart pounded in her chest, every beat a reminder that she was trapped, at the mercy of these men. Please, someone help me, she thought desperately.

His hand brushed her hair back, his fingers ghosting across her neck, making Aurora freeze in horror. His touch was too familiar, too invasive, like he was trying to claim her in some way she couldn't understand. Her stomach twisted with disgust, and she pulled her body into the corner as much as the ropes would allow.

"Such a beautiful girl," he murmured, the words a mockery. "You're in the wrong place at the wrong time, sweetheart."

Aurora's mind was racing, her pulse hammering in her ears. Every word, every touch felt like it was searing into her, carving a place of fear deep inside her. She wanted to scream, wanted to shout, but the terror had her frozen, trapped in her own body.

Another man stepped forward, his presence just as oppressive. "She knows, doesn't she?" he said with a sneer. "She knows what's coming."

The first man grinned, his fingers still grazing the edge of her collarbone. "I wonder how long until she begs," he mused aloud, as if discussing something casual, like it was all just a game to them.