Badump, badump, badump…
Viviana was dragged forward by two men, one on each side. Her legs, recently untied, felt like jelly. Her heart pounded in her ears. Kiera led them to a heavy wooden door and stopped. "Master, we have found Lio," he announced.
SLAM! A loud crash from inside jolted Viviana. Her captors tightened their grip, mistaking her fear for an escape attempt. Her breath quickened, her chest heaving against the tight bindings.
Kiera's face hardened as he turned the knob and opened the door. Moments later, it swung open again. Two men stumbled out, dragging an unconscious body. Blood pooled around the knife lodged in the man's hand, and his head dripped a steady stream of crimson. It seemed that the sound from a while ago was his head being hit against the door.
Viviana's stomach flipped. "Uck!" She retched, the sight and smell overwhelming. The drumming in her ears intensified. 'What kind of people are these?' she screamed inwardly, panic clawing at her chest. The gag in her mouth was soaked with saliva, her throat dry and scratchy.
"Hey, stand up straight!" One of the men barked, yanking her hair. She tried to stand but her legs buckled. The metallic tang of blood filled her nose, making her gag harder. She collapsed to her knees, convulsing.
"Blech!" She felt like throwing up, head hanging low, unable to lift it.
"What's going on here?" Kiera's voice was sharp. He glared at her, frowning.
"This lad is soft! Just some blood and he's already down," one of the men mocked, laughing.
Viviana's body shook uncontrollably. Cold sweat dripped down her back. Her vision blurred with tears. The reality hit her—this wasn't just a nightmare; it was real. And it was deadly.
'Grandpa, please find me. Please save me,' she chanted inwardly, desperately clinging to hope. But as she stared at the blood-soaked floor, she wondered if she would survive long enough for rescue. 'I am gonna die here, Please find me!! Please!'
Kiera clicked his tongue in annoyance. Before he could react, another man appeared in the doorway. He was tall, over six feet, with thick brown eyebrows and long, straight hair tied back. His dusty green eyes, almost hazel, glinted coldly. A splatter of blood on his face gave him a sinister look. Viviana's eyes struggled to focus on him through her dizziness and dehydration. She had vomited nothing but clear water, her body weak and trembling.
'This guy… I saw him in the vision. He cut off the boy's arm. I know this face,' she thought, a wave of dread washing over her. 'I have seen him way before this, who is he?'
"Tsk." Magnus clicked his tongue and gave her a disgusted look. "I didn't expect Orion's son to be this weak. How old is he? Ten?" His sarcasm was palpable.
Kiera replied, "He is fifteen. According to our sources, he is not in the best health, so Orion didn't train him like his other men."
'Huh? What are they talking about?' she wondered, her vision dimming.
Magnus approached her, crouching down. He reached out and grabbed her hair, pulling her face up to his. "Ah!" Viviana groaned in pain.
"Tell me, do you want this pain to end?" he asked.
Viviana stared at him blankly. Kiera ripped the cloth from her mouth, finally allowing her to take a breath. "Cough, cough," she wheezed, her voice dry and hoarse.
"What do you want?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Magnus's lips curled into a cruel smile. "I like that you mean business." He yanked her hair harder, forcing her to sit up on her knees, their eyes level. "Where is the seal?"
Viviana looked at him, dumbfounded. "Are you playing dumb? Where is the seal that your father stole?" he growled.
"My father?" Viviana choked out, her voice trembling.
"Yes, your father."
"Hah! I don't have a father." She spat the words out with effort. "My parents have been dead for years."
Magnus's expression darkened. Kiera, who never seemed to have any expression, had his eyes narrowed at the statement.
"This b*st*rd, he is courageous enough to play sick jokes on me?" Magnus spat as he looked at Viviana once more.
"What? I am telling the truth! They are dead! I haven't seen them for over ten years now!" she protested, even though she had no energy left.
"Kiera!" Magnus called out in an irritated tone. "Did you get the right person?"
"Yes, boss, it is him. He is Orion's son. The men have been tracking his whereabouts since the airport accident and caught him today," Kiera reported, pulling out a picture on his phone and showing it to Magnus. "This—" He showed it to him, and he was right; the boy did look like the one from the picture. Magnus looked back at Viviana and showed her the picture.
"Are you saying this is not you?" His tone was cold.
Viviana looked at the picture of a boy with short black hair, a small pale face, and hollow black eyes. 'The boy from the airport! That is him!' Viviana s*ck*d in her breath. 'How can they mistake me for him? I don't look anything like him.'
"No! How can I be this? I look nothing like him." Viviana glanced back at Magnus, who was shocked.
"So, you're telling me you're not this boy, even though you look exactly like him? That your parents are dead, and you're not Orion's son—the Orion who stole my seal?" Magnus's eyes bore into her.
"Yes! Just let me go!" Viviana screamed, her voice cracking with desperation.
"Let you go? If you're not the person I want, why would I let you go? Wouldn't it be better if I killed you?" Magnus's voice was cold, a sinister edge to his words.
"No! Please, let me go. I have nothing to do with this," she pleaded, tears welling in her eyes.
"Tsk, I don't think I want to do that," Magnus replied, his hand moving behind his back, patting his belt as if searching for something. His brow furrowed. "D*mn it! My dagger!" He remembered using it earlier.
"Master!" Kiera intervened, seeing Magnus's intent. Magnus looked up, his eyes narrowing.
"What? Do you have a better plan?" Magnus spat, his patience wearing thin.
"A moment, please." Kiera gave him a meaningful look. Magnus gave Viviana one last menacing glance before rising to hear Kiera out. They stepped aside, Kiera whispering urgently.
"Master, I don't think the boy is lying."
"You're saying he's not Orion's son?" Magnus hissed.
"No! I'm not saying that. He might be suffering from trauma due to an accident. Killing him now will solve nothing. He's our only chance to get the seal back," Kiera reasoned.
"I don't believe this!" Magnus fumed, his anger palpable.
"If he is lying, he's bound to break character someday. We can find out Orion's whereabouts then, or at least use him to get to Orion somehow," Kiera explained.
Magnus, still seething from the morning's events, found a sliver of sense in Kiera's words.
"But the second he is useless, I will kill him with my own hands," Magnus said coldly thirsting after his blood.
"Yes, master," Kiera replied.
Magnus gave a brief look to Viviana, his eyes cold and calculating. "Take him to the Keep. I will deal with him later," he commanded, his tone brooking no argument.
"Yes, master," the men responded in unison. They grabbed Viviana roughly, yanking her to her feet and dragging her through the long, dimly lit hallway.
Viviana's mind raced. 'What just happened?' Bewildered and terrified, she felt paralyzed, her body moving only because of the forceful grip of her captors.
e