"W–what do you want? I can give you more, as long as you let her go." Claire tried to speak as calmly as possible, though her voice was shaking through her calm facade.
However, the man snorted. "Really?"
Claire felt her body freeze, while the thin air in the alley seemed to press on her lungs.
She couldn't move; her legs felt like they were bound by invisible weights, frozen on the sandy ground. Her gaze was locked on the gleaming knife, cold and threatening. Only a few centimeters from the skin of her neck. The metal tip seemed to send a burning threat to her skin even though there was no direct contact.
"Take off your clothes."
The man's voice was heavy and rough, as if stabbing straight into Claire's mind. His command was disgusting, almost making Claire's knees lose their strength.
"What?" she muttered barely audibly.
