The man lifted her chin with the blade, his voice cold and deliberate: "Strip."
Emerald's face turned ashen with fear, her body stiff and lifeless, like a corpse. She quickly ran through a series of plans in her mind to kill him, her fists clenched in determination.
The man's breath drew closer, and his low laughter filled the air, breaking the eerie silence of the surroundings. Emerald could barely hear him through the tension.
"Just kidding, little one. Don't get caught next time. You won't always be this lucky."
Emerald didn't quite grasp the meaning behind his words. After the man spoke, there was a prolonged silence. Emerald didn't dare to make a move, remaining frozen in place.
A few minutes passed before she broke the silence.
"Are you still there?"
No reply came, only the echo of her voice bouncing off the empty warehouse.
"Can you please take off the blindfold?" she asked again, but still, there was no answer.
