Audience

Celine POV

The journey is long, and I drift in and out of sleep, my body too exhausted to stay alert. The truck shudders to a halt, jolting me awake. My body aches from hours of being confined in the cold, metal cage, the bars still burning faintly where they’ve grazed my skin.

I brace myself, ready to fight, but the cage burns me when I try to push against it. The back of the truck creaks open, and pale moonlight filters in, casting sharp shadows across the cramped space.  

“Celine,” a familiar voice whispers. My heart leaps as I see Dolton standing by the cage, his face shadowed in the dim light.

“Shh… I’ll get you out. Don’t run. There are too many people. Stay close, and I’ll guide you,” he says, his voice soft but urgent.

“Thank you,” I whisper, confusion clouding my mind as he unlocks the cage. The door swings open, and I jump out, collapsing into his arms. His warmth is a fleeting comfort, and I rest my head against his chest, feeling a glimmer of hope.

“No!” Chains suddenly snap around my wrists, yanking me back. My eyes dart up, and my heart sinks as Wes steps forward, a cold smirk on his face, as the mask of Dolton slips free. He tricked me, I honestly thought Dolton was here.

“Sorry, but we can’t have you fighting,” he says, his tone mocking. He’s not sorry. He used Dolton to trick me.

I thrash against the chains, but it’s futile. They drag me into a towering building of dark stone, its jagged edges and narrow windows giving it an ominous, fortress-like appearance. 

“Get her in now!” someone shouts. Alex steps forward, and I'm shoved into a cage. The sound of the door slamming shut rings in my ears, and I press my back against the bars, wincing as they burn my skin.

“Don’t try to escape, Celine. It won’t work,” Alex says coolly before leaving. My heart pounds as I hear muffled voices outside, their tones brisk and commanding. Fear settles heavily in my chest.

Two men step forward, their faces obscured by masks, their muscular frames towering over me. Without a word, they grab the sides of the cage, their gloved hands moving effortlessly despite the cage’s weight. The metal groans as they lift it, carrying me out like cargo.

I press myself into the corner, my wrists still bound, trying to make myself invisible. The air outside is icy, biting against my exposed skin, and the cold seeps into my bones as they maneuver the cage onto a large, reinforced dolly.

Ahead looms the building—a darkness radiating from within it. The massive wooden doors creak open, revealing a dimly lit interior. Inside, the air is cold and stale, the halls dimly lit by flickering sconces. The space is cavernous, its high ceilings supported by thick beams of blackened wood. The scent of damp stone and decay clings to the air, making it hard to breathe.