"What the fuck happened?!
Who the fuck snitched on us?!
How the fuck did they even know there would be a trade at that time?!"
Cardwick's voice thundered through the room, thick with rage.
"Gather every single person in this clan here. Right now!"
The men froze.
"I want answers," he continued coldly. "Go out there. Search. Find whoever leaked my trading plan. And if you come back empty-handed…" His eyes darkened. "I promise every one of you will meet your grave."
"Zarf," Cardwick said sharply.
"Yes, Sir Cardwick."
"Take me to that bitch."
------
One eye opened.
Then the other.
Everything was blurry. Her head throbbed, and a sharp pain shot through her arm.
"Ouch…"
Where am I?
How did I get here?
Why does my arm hurt so badly?
Lyra's mind raced as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.
"There she is, Sir Cardwick," a voice said.
Lyra swallowed. "Who are you?" she asked weakly. "And where am I?"
Cardwick stepped forward, his presence heavy, suffocating.
"Oh… so you're faking innocence now?" he sneered. "By the time I'm done with you, you'll tell me who you are, who your clan is, and who the fuck snitched on my trade."
"Who are you, and why am I in this trashy place?" Lyra demanded.
"Wait… did you kidnap me?" she burst into laughter. "Did you mistake me for someone else? And why does my arm hurt so damn much, motherfucker?"
A sharp slap landed across her face.
"Are you crazy?!" Cardwick shouted. "Where the fuck is your clan, and who leaked our information—"
Before he could finish, Lyra spat on him.
"You disgust me," she fired back. "Thank your stars I feel weak right now, or I'd have kicked those dangling balls of yours out of your trousers."
"What the hell!" Cardwick roared. "Zarf, torture this bitch until she speaks! You've messed with the wrong person!"
"What the hell is going on here? Who are you people?" Lyra demanded, turning to Zarf.
"This is Cardwick's clan," Zarf said. "An unknown clan—your clan, obviously...interrupted our trading with gunfire. We fired back, and unluckily for you, Sir Cardwick shot you in the arm. We know you'll have no choice but to talk."
Lyra's eyes widened. "Did you hit your head? Are you kidding me? One minute I'm at my friend's house, the next I'm in an unknown place full of mad people and a crazy jerk!"
"Shut it," Zarf snapped. He pressed an iron rod against her cheek.
"Arghhhh!" Lyra cried out, tears streaming down her face. Darkness consumed her again.
When she awoke an hour later, she felt thirsty and lost in thought. Am I in another world? Am I dead? Is this hell? A flood of questions rushed through her mind.
"Oh God… Father in heaven, I'm so sorry," Lyra whispered through trembling lips. "Is this a punishment? What crime did I commit?"
Her chest tightened. My dad… Elina… my bitch-ass stepmother...
Her eyes widened in horror. "Wait… did she do this to me?" Tears streamed down her face.
-------
"What do you mean my daughter didn't spend the night in the house?" Greg barked into the phone.
"I've been calling" her stepmother replied calmly.
"She stormed out. I don't know where she went."
"Listen carefully," Greg said, his voice shaking with restrained rage. "Before I return this weekend, my daughter must be in that house. If she isn't—"
He ended the call abruptly.
------
"Zarf," Cardwick growled, "call every single person who knew about this trade. Right now."
"Yes, sir."
They assembled within minutes. Silence filled the room—thick, suffocating.
Without warning, Cardwick raised his gun and fired.
A body dropped to the floor. Blood splattered.
Everyone froze.
He turned to Lyra, shoving the gun into her trembling hands. "Listen carefully, bitch. After the count of five, if nobody talks, you shoot."
"I—I can't," she cried. "I don't know how to shoot!'
A slap landed across her face.
"I said take the gun!" he roared.
She shook her head violently. "No!"
Cardwick cocked the gun and aimed it directly at her forehead.
"Who snitched on us?"
"One…"
"Two…"
"Three…"
"Four—"
"Sir Cardwick!" Zarf shouted suddenly.
Cardwick paused. "What is it?"
"She's not the one," Zarf said firmly.
Cardwick's eyes darkened. "What do you mean she's not the one?"
"The lady," Zarf continued. "She doesn't belong to any clan."
Silence crashed into the room.
"What?!"