"No! Don't come closer."
A young lady screamed as her voice rang in the cave only to be followed by the sound of a thunderous roar of laughter as her hair was gripped and tugged, making her shriek in pain.
"We are in The Shadow Forest, little girl. No one is coming to your rescue."
The cave was dimly lit, the flickering shadows playing tricks on the young woman's eyes as she struggled against the grip of the rough hands that held her. She squirmed and kicked, her heart racing in her chest, but the bandit laughed, a cruel sound that echoed ominously around the stone walls.
"Stop squirming! You'll just make it worse for yourself," he sneered, pulling her hair tighter, eliciting another cry of pain from her lips.
"Let me go! Please!" She gasped, her eyes darting around, searching for any sign of hope, any way out of this nightmare.
"Please?" The bandit mockingly echoed, his voice dripping with disdain. "What do you think this is, a tea party? You're in the Shadow Forest now, and you're our guest." He released her hair, and she fell forward onto her knees, panting, her heart racing.
Two other bandits watched, their expressions a mixture of amusement and impatience.
One, a burly man with a scar running down his cheek, leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "You should just give up. No one knows you're here, little lady. Your precious brother can't save you now."
The girl looked up, fear mixing with defiance. "Nico will find me! He'll come for me!" Her voice trembled, but she forced herself to sound strong. "You can't keep me here!"
"Sure he will," the other bandit scoffed, stepping closer, a cruel smile stretching across his lips. "Right after we collect our reward and send him a little... message. You know, a little sisterly love of your finger and your death notice."
Her stomach churned at his words, but she squared her shoulders, refusing to show weakness. "You're making a mistake. He won't stop until he finds me. He'll kill all of you!"
The scarred bandit chuckled, shaking his head. "You think so? There's no way he'll ever find out. We have higher power involved. Your death is sealed. Be glad you are dying for a great cause."
The young woman clenched her fists, anger fueling her. "You're nothing but cowards! Hiding in the dark like rats!"
"Rats?" The first bandit stepped closer, looming over her. "Oh, you're quite the feisty one, aren't you? But don't worry. You'll be quiet soon enough." He reached for her again, but she kicked out, her foot connecting with his shin.
"Get away from me!" she yelled, scrambling backward.
The bandit growled in annoyance and lunged for her, but she was quicker, darting to the side and scrambling toward the cave entrance, her heart pounding in her ears.
"Don't let her escape!" the scarred man barked, and the others surged forward, grabbing her arms and pulling her back into the darkness.
"Let me go!" she screamed, fighting against their grip, panic clawing at her throat. "Someone will come! You'll see! They will come and save me!"
The bandit with the scar sneered at her, his grip tightening around her wrists. "You're wasting your breath. No one is coming. You'll be our little secret, and soon enough, you won't be breathing anymore." He shoved her roughly against the cold stone wall, causing her to gasp in pain.
The first bandit leaned in close, a twisted smile on his face. "Just let us have some fun before you die."
"No!" she cried, her eyes wide with fear. "I won't let that happen!"
"Not much choice in the matter, sweetheart," he said with a chuckle, stepping back to allow the others to drag her further into the cave. "You should've thought about that before wandering into the woods."
As they pulled her deeper into the darkness, she fought with every ounce of strength, twisting and pulling against their hold. But the rough hands were unyielding, and the laughter of the bandits echoed around her, a sinister soundtrack to her plight.
"Stop squirming, or we'll really make you pay," the burly bandit warned, his voice low and threatening.
"Please, don't hurt me! I'll do whatever you want!" she begged, trying to sound desperate, hoping to buy herself some time.
"Too late for that," the scarred bandit said, smirking. "You're already in deep trouble."
They reached a small chamber within the cave, the walls damp and cold. It reeked of damp earth and something else-something rancid. A single flickering torch illuminated the space, casting long shadows.
"Sit," the burly bandit commanded, shoving her to the ground. She stumbled but managed to catch herself, landing on her knees.
"Let me go! You don't have to do this!" she pleaded, trying to keep her voice steady despite the fear rising within her.
The scarred bandit knelt down, getting close to her face. "We have a job to do, and you're the centerpiece. The Duke's son has plans for you. You just need to wait for him to arrive."
"Plans?" she echoed, the word hanging heavily in the air. "What plans?"
The bandit shrugged, an amused grin spreading across his face. "You'll find out soon enough. Just think of it as a surprise party-one you didn't want to be invited to."
"Get off me!" she screamed as the burly bandit moved to tie her hands with rope.
"Now, now, that's no way to treat your hosts," he said with a smirk. "We're only trying to make you comfortable."
She kicked out, connecting with his stomach, and he stumbled back, cursing. "You little-"
"Enough!" the scarred man snapped, his patience wearing thin. He stepped forward, grabbing her by the hair again and yanking her head back. "You're going to regret that. You're not in charge here."
Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away, refusing to show them any weakness. "You'll pay for this. You think you can just take me and get away with it?"
The bandit laughed, a cruel, mocking sound. "You really have no idea what you're in for, do you? We have the advantage here. No one knows where you are, and no one is coming for you."
As they bound her wrists, she took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of panic rising within her. She had to stay strong. She had to find a way out.
Suddenly, the burly bandit straightened, looking toward the cave entrance. "Someone's coming," he said, his voice low and tense.
"What? Are you sure?" the scarred man asked, his earlier confidence wavering.
"Yeah, I can hear footsteps. It's not just the wind," he replied, his eyes narrowing as he moved closer to the entrance.
"Maybe, it's one of our men. Damn! We couldn't have fun with her," the scarred man hissed, glancing at the girl. "What a waste. Get the key out. We cannot delay the mission."
"Yes."
The burly bandit glanced back at her, his grip tightening around her mouth as tears trailed down her cheeks. "If you even think about screaming, I swear I'll make you wish you hadn't. Just die quietly for the greater cau-"
BANG!
The wooden door fell to the ground leaving everyone in the room frozen.
"What do we have here?"