HAZELThe cold stone floor is my only comfort. Days blend into nights, and pain blurs into more pain. I drift in and out of sleep, my dreams filled with memories of freedom, only to wake up to this nightmare. I hear the door creak open and my body tenses, bracing for another round of beatings. I don’t bother to open my eyes. I know what’s coming, it’s going to be the same thing. “Get up!” The leader’s voice cuts through the silence, and I hear footsteps approaching. I’m ready for the kick, the punch, the usual routine of pain. The silver around my neck, and maybe the injections might come again today. But nothing happens. Instead, I hear murmurs and soft voices that I’ve never heard before. I force my eyes open and see three women standing in front of me. One of them is the maid who showed me kindness before. “What’s going on?” I manage to whisper, my throat dry and sore. The leader steps forward, his eyes cold and cruel. “You’re going to be cleaned up. Our king wants to
HAZELI say nothing, my eyes fixed on the ground. I can’t bring myself to look at him. “Answer me!” He snaps, his voice sharp. I lift my head, meeting his eyes. “I’ve been better.” I say, my voice steady and sharp in spite of how scared I currently am. He chuckles, and it is a disgusting, low, menacing sound. “I see you haven’t lost your spirit. Good. I like a challenge.” He leans forward, his eyes boring into mine. “Tell me, have you learned some manners yet?” I swallow hard, my heart pounding. “Why are you doing this, Hunter? What do you want from me?” He laughs again, a cruel, mocking laugh. “You really don’t get it, do you? This isn’t about what I want. This is about showing everyone that no one defies me. Not even you. And I told you that I would get you eventually, and here you are.” I feel a surge of anger. “I rejected you, Hunter. You’re the one who tried to force yourself on me!” His face darkens, and he stands up, walking towards me. “Rejected?
ARNOLD The air in the Kingdom of the South feels thick with tension and anger. My heart pounds in my chest, and my fists clench at my sides as I think about Hazel. She’s out there somewhere, and she needs us. She needs me. Ethan and I exchange a glance, and I can see the same fury in his eyes. Hunter. The name burns like acid in my mind. He’s the one who took her. He’s the one who’s making her suffer. “We have to find her, Arnold.” Ethan says, his voice tight with rage. “I know!” I reply, my jaw clenched. “And we will. I swear it.” We push our way through the crowded marketplace, our eyes scanning for any sign of Hunter’s men. The Kingdom of the South is a maze of narrow streets and bustling activity, but we don’t have time to be distracted. Every second counts. Suddenly, a group of women rush towards us, their faces filled with grins as they try to sell things to us. One of them, a young woman with dark hair, holds something out to me. “Wait!” she calls. “You need to see
ETHAN It is obvious that Hunter has kidnapped Hazel now, but Arnold and I literally had to break into his palace, but we couldn’t even do anything. Hunter was nowhere to be found, and there was no sight of Hazel. “And if he kidnapped Hazel, where do you think they would be?” Arnold asks, and I feel a chill down my spine. Hunter could be tormenting Hazel by now, and there was nothing we could do about it. I punched the wall and the skin on my fists split painfully, but that was not even enough to mask what I was feeling inside. The pain is nothing compared to the torment of imagining what Hazel might be enduring. “How could he not be in the palace? Then where is he?” Arnold mutters, sighing. We have stormed through every room, overturned furniture, and questioned every guard we encountered, but there was no sign of Hunter or Hazel. Arnold mutters, pacing back and forth. “Then where is he?” “We have to think, Arnold,” I say, trying to calm myself. “Hunter must have a pla
ETHAN“Well, well, well.” He says, his voice dripping with malice. “If it isn’t the mighty kings come to rescue their precious queen.” I grit my teeth as my grip tightens around my sword. “Where is she, Hunter? We know you have her.” I demand, my voice steady in spite of the anger burning inside me. Hunter laughs, a cold, mocking sound that sends shivers down my spine. “Oh, she’s here.” He says, gesturing to a door at the far end of the chamber. “But whether you’ll ever see her again depends on how cooperative you are.” I exchange a glance with Arnold, a silent understanding passing between us. We’re in this together, no matter what. And we’ll do whatever it takes to save Hazel. There is a lot of bad blood in the room as Hunter's guards surround us, their weapons drawn and ready for a fight. Arnold and I exchange a nod, silently communicating our readiness to take on whatever they send our way. They have no idea who they’re dealing with. Without hesitation, the guards charg
ARNOLDI can feel the anger burning inside me as Ethan and I storm back to our motel room. We're both fuming, and our minds are racing with thoughts of how to rescue Hazel from Hunter's clutches. How did he think to pull that trick on us? And we went through all that stress for a random person. "We can't let him get away with this. I will end him!" Ethan mutters, pacing back and forth. "We have to find a way to get her back." I nod in agreement, my fists clenched at my sides. "That was the main goal from the beginning. But how?" I ask, frustration lacing my voice. "We don't even know where to start looking." Ethan stops pacing and turns to me, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Wait a minute." He says, his eyes narrowing in concentration. "I think I might have an idea." I raise an eyebrow, curious to hear what he's thinking. "What is it?" I ask, leaning in closer. "Remember that piece of land behind Hunter's palace?" Ethan says, excitement creeping into his voice
HUNTERI'm pacing back and forth in my office, my fists clenched so tight I can feel my nails digging into my palms. The humiliation from last night still burns in my veins. Hazel, that infuriating woman, dared to embarrass me in front of everyone. No one disrespects me like that. No one. I need to teach her a lesson she won't forget. "Find Queen Hazel!" I snap at my beta, Ryan. He nods, eyes wide with a mix of fear and respect, and rushes out of the room. Good. I need her brought to me as soon as possible. The more I think about it, the more my anger grows, twisting into a dark desire for revenge. And just as it felt good, my spies had reported to me that Hazel was being taken away to a safe house. More like being delivered to me, because Ryan would make sure that they are intercepted regardless of what might happen next. Days feel like years, but finally, Ethan returns, dragging Hazel with him. She looks angry, her chin raised in that infuriating way she always does, even thou
HAZELPain. That's all I feel as I lie on the cold, unforgiving floor of my cell. Every inch of my body aches, a relentless reminder of Hunter's brutality. The darkness of unconsciousness envelops me as soon as my head hits the ground. In the world of shadows and the darkness, I’m still in the fog of my unconsciousness, and I start having more dreams. More like visions, actually, more vivid than reality, and they sweep me into a place filled with light, and where hope clashes with despair. A faceless figure comes out from the mist, and its presence is both ominous and comforting. "Hazel," The voice says, and the vibration is resonating within me like a distant thunder. "You have strength within you, untapped potential waiting to be unleashed." Of course, this has been happening for a while, and all I do is dig and listen. Confusion mingles with the pain as I struggle to grasp the significance of these visions. Yet, with each passing moment, clarity dawns upon me like the first