Redmoon: Blood of the Crown (Book 2)

The moment Aria realized something was wrong, it was already too late.

A vehicle was waiting nearby, its engine running. Before she could fully understand what was happening, someone grabbed her and pulled her toward it. She struggled against the hands holding her, trying to break free, but her efforts only made their grip tighter.

“Let me go!” Aria shouted.

No one answered.

She tried to pull herself away, but another person caught her before she could escape. Her heart pounded furiously against her chest. She looked around, searching for someone who might see what was happening, someone who could help her. But there was no one close enough to stop them.

“Help! Somebody, help me!”

Her voice echoed into the surroundings, but it did nothing to stop the people dragging her toward the vehicle.

The door was suddenly opened.

Aria tried to resist one last time, pushing against the person holding her arm. She twisted her body, desperately attempting to free herself, but they overpowered her. Before she could do anything else, she was forced inside.

“Get off me!” she screamed, struggling to keep herself from being pushed farther into the vehicle.

One of them shoved her hard.

Aria lost her balance and fell onto the back of the vehicle. Her body hit the floor, causing her to let out a painful gasp. She immediately tried to sit up, but before she could, the door slammed shut.

The sudden darkness startled her.

For a moment, she remained still, trying to process what had just happened. Her breathing was uneven, and her hands instinctively moved against the floor as she attempted to regain her balance.

“What...?” she whispered.

She looked toward the door.

It was closed.

Aria quickly pushed herself up and reached for the handle. She pulled it, hoping it would open, but it did not move. She tried again, harder this time.

Nothing.

“No. No, no, no...”

Her voice trembled.

She moved toward the opposite side, searching for another way out. But the vehicle offered her no easy escape. She could hear movements outside, followed by the sound of someone getting into the front seat.

“Please...” she called out, her voice growing weaker. “Let me out.”

There was no response.

A moment later, the engine grew louder.

The vehicle began to move.

Aria stumbled slightly as it accelerated. She grabbed onto the nearest surface to steady herself, her eyes fixed on the closed door. She could feel the vehicle turning, changing direction, and gradually moving farther away from where she had been taken.

“Where are you taking me?” she shouted.

Silence.

She tried to listen for any familiar sounds outside. Perhaps the noise of passing vehicles, the voices of people, or anything that could help her recognize where they were going.

But she couldn't tell.

Everything outside seemed unfamiliar.

The vehicle continued along the road, carrying her farther away. Aria shifted her position, trying to find a comfortable way to sit despite the limited space. Her body still hurt from the force of being thrown inside, but the fear of what might happen next was much stronger than the pain.

She looked down at her trembling hands.

She couldn't believe this was happening.

Just moments ago, she had been somewhere completely different. Now, she was trapped inside an unfamiliar vehicle, surrounded by people whose intentions she did not know.

“Please...” she whispered again.

Her voice was barely audible.

She pressed herself against the side of the vehicle, trying to calm her breathing. But every movement of the vehicle reminded her that she was being taken somewhere against her will.

She had no idea where they were going.

She didn't know who these people were.

And most importantly, she had no idea what they wanted from her.

The journey continued.

Outside, the surroundings gradually changed, but Aria couldn't identify any of them. She tried to look for clues, anything that might tell her their destination, but there was too little she could see from where she was.

She closed her eyes briefly, hoping that when she opened them, everything would somehow turn out to be a terrible misunderstanding.

But the sound of the engine remained.

The movement of the vehicle remained.

And the reality of her situation became harder to ignore.

She was being taken somewhere she had never been.

Somewhere she didn't know.

Somewhere she had never chosen to go.

Aria slowly opened her eyes and stared at the closed door once more. Her breathing remained unsteady as she listened to the unfamiliar sounds surrounding her.

She wanted to escape.

She wanted to go back.

She wanted someone to find her.

But there was nothing she could do at that moment.

The vehicle continued driving until, eventually, it began to slow down.

Aria immediately lifted her head.

She listened carefully as the engine changed its sound. The vehicle turned once more before finally coming to a stop.

For a few seconds, everything was quiet.

Aria remained on the floor, staring at the door. Her heart began beating faster again as she heard movement coming from outside.

Someone was approaching.

Then came the sound of footsteps.

She slowly moved backward, putting as much distance as she could between herself and the door.

A moment later, the lock clicked.

Aria froze.

The door began to open.

Light slowly entered the dark interior, illuminating the space where she had been kept throughout the journey.

She looked toward the opening, her eyes filled with fear and uncertainty.

She didn't recognize the place.

She didn't know where she was.

And as the people outside prepared to take her out of the vehicle, Aria finally understood that there was no guarantee she would be going home anytime soon.

She had been taken.

And now, she was their prisoner.

Aria was officially a captive.