"Liora, this is your father. I want you to cover up for your brother. He can not be found," the deep voice rung through the receiver, it echoed as a slim girl stood before a tall mirror, clutching scissors in her hands. "Help him, or they will kill him."
The girl, with long black hair, stared into the mirror with hollow eyes, reaching out to her locks and cutting off handfuls until only short hair remained.
"Make sure you keep the disguise, or he will not spare you. Keep safe," the voice whispered into Viviana's head until she opened her eyes once more, seeing the rapidly moving road outside the glass window. Her mouth was gagged, her limbs tied up.
"Oi boss, this one woke up!" announced the man sitting beside her in the jumpy vehicle.
"Make sure he stays awake. We're almost there. It's time we collect some solid money," said the man with the thick moustache, sitting in the driver's seat.
"Aye," the man replied, his grip on Viviana's neck firm as he forced her to sit upright in the seat.
Viviana's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding against her ribcage. Each nerve in her body seemed to quiver with fear, sending shivers down her spine. This couldn't be happening. It felt like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from.
"Hick!" She tried to speak, her voice muffled by the cloth gag, her words barely audible even to herself.
"He speaks, boss. What to do?" The man beside her mumbled through the cloth, his voice strained.
"What is he saying?" The boss in the front seat questioned, his tone impatient.
"I don't understand him, boss. Guess we will never find out," the man beside her chuckled, tightening his hold on her neck. Viviana's body tensed, her muscles coiling with tension as she fought back the urge to cry out in terror.
"He be trembling like a dog, boss! He is so funny, I want to keep him for ourselves," the man laughed, his voice sending chills down Viviana's spine.
"Shut up if you don't want to die at the hands of Master. If he finds out you've been eyeing his prize, he will eat you alive," the boss warned, his voice stern and menacing.
Viviana rubbed her wrists against the binds, her body agitated and trembling uncontrollably. Her head felt light and airy, a dizzying sensation taking over as panic surged through her veins. Her breaths came in rapid, shallow gasps, her chest tightening with each desperate inhale.
'Grandpa will definitely find me. He will save me,' she chanted inwardly, clinging to the thought like a lifeline. She repeated the words over and over, forcing herself to believe that this nightmare would end and everything would be alright.
"Okay now! Cover his head with something! We are about ot get close to the base." THe boss said and the man nodded instnaly grabbign onto a disty sack. Vivaian's eyes widend at the sight of the filthy sack and she pulled away and her protest was muffled byt he cloth in her mouth, In the end she lost to the man who grabbed her hari and pushied her head into he sack. "Ach!" Viviana only groaned in pain whiel her eeys wide open watching through the small spaces in the coarse sack as to where they were headed.
---
'Toooooot'
"Ah!!" A sharp noise broke in her ear, making her groan. Then, a vision appeared before her eyes.
Tall gray walls of a room. A wide wooden desk. A man sitting in the center, light falling on his back, his face shrouded in darkness.
"Tell me where the seal is! Tell me, or you will die here."
His voice was chilling. On the floor was the same boy from her previous vision, begging for mercy.
"You know I have other ways to make you speak." The man got to his feet, picking up a shiny, sharp knife from his table. Grabbing the boy by the arm, he pressed the knife into his skin. "I will take that for now."
"Aagh!!"
The vision ended with a scream, and Viviana felt a searing pain as if her own arm had been slashed. It was like a scene straight out of a horror movie. This couldn't be possible.
Her chest rose and fell dramatically. 'Everything else has already happened, so does that mean… does that mean this will happen too?' Viviana asked herself, anxiety creeping over her bones. She tried to get out of the binds in frustration. "Le…t me.e out." She screamed through the cloth, but it was useless.
The car came to a halt sooner than expected. The men got out and opened the door to Viviana's side, grabbing her by the back of her shirt and pulling her out like a bag of peanuts. She fell butt-first on the ground, her hands crushed under her body. Though she didn't weigh much, the impact on her wrists was still painful.
"Get ON YOUR FEET, BOY!" The boss grabbed her by the shoulder, standing her up.
'Huh?' For the first time, Viviana realized how these people had been talking about her since she woke up. It was as if they were referring to a man, at least a boy. The realization struck her brain hard, recalling a faint, vivid memory: a girl cutting her hair off, a voice telling her to save her brother. It was a mess. Viviana couldn't shake it off this time, deeply troubled by the bizarre visions and flashes of memories she couldn't even begin to explain to someone.
Viviana was dragged somewhere, her feet barely able to move freely because of the ropes binding them. Her head was still covered, making it impossible to see anything. The only thing she could feel was the burning pain in her arm from the vision she had seen. Her throat was dry, and she felt sick and disoriented in this unfamiliar environment.
'They mentioned a Master. I bet they kidnapped me for money. If I can offer them enough money, they will let me go. I just have to talk to them before they hurt me.'
"Kiera! My old friend." The boss's voice was distinct now; he could have been a friendly uncle if he wasn't a gangster. He greeted someone, but the other party didn't reply with the same excitement.
"You got him?" a cold voice asked. Viviana felt a pair of eyes on her, and though she couldn't see the man, she could tell he was intimidating as a chilly wave ran up her spine.
"Yeah! He was a real pain in the *ss, but we caught him. We will hand over the boy after you have paid us the price you set," the boss stated.
"Show me his face first. I want to see if you have the right guy or not." Kiera spoke, and then the sack over Viviana's head was pulled off. She felt the itchy fabric against her skin and wanted to scratch her face, but it was impossible with her hands tied.
Viviana blinked a few times to adjust to the light. Her eyes paused on a gloomy, stiff face with a scar running up his left brow to his forehead and a pair of serious, almost hollow eyes. Instinctively, she stepped back. This man emitted a threatening aura despite just standing there. He reached out to touch her chin, and though Viviana tried to avoid it, he was quick, pinching her chin and lifting it as if checking for something.
"Does look like him," he hissed.
"Hah! I am glad you are satisfied," the boss said, chuckling.
Kiera kept his gaze fixed on Viviana and then spoke to the boss. "You will receive your payment on your way out. Now leave," his tone strict.
"Of course. That's too generous of you. Until next time then, Kiera." The boss said and pushed Viviana forward like an animal towards Kiera and turned to leave. Viviana, not expecting the push, stumbled forward. Her legs, still tied up, couldn't take the impact, and she fell face-first into the man named Kiera. Her nose slammed into his chest, and she groaned, her heart racing wildly.