The earthy Scent

Each cage was polished, decorated as if to mask the brutality of what they held inside. 

Every cage was filled with an omega, some young, some barely awake, their eyes red and swollen from crying. Their faces etched with terror and defeat. 

Some girls were still crying, muffled sobs echoing off the cold stone walls of the massive space. Others sat curled up, their bodies trembling.

Claire’s heart dropped as she took in the sight. She could feel the hopelessness pressing in from all sides

She was surrounded by strangers, every one of them just as terrified and helpless as she was. Every one of them waiting, praying for a miracle that might never come.

A rush of questions flooded her mind. Where was she? Who had taken her? What were they planning to do with her—and all these other girls?

But one answer, one horrific truth, began to solidify in her mind… she had become one of the vanished, just another name to add to the town’s whispered stories.

The memory of her parents’ grave came back to her, her bitter words echoing in her mind. Her mother’s stories about love, happiness and belonging, about a world where there was safety and warmth. 

One thing for sure she will never get to experience any of that.

She tried to scream, but the sound died against the cloth gagging her. Her chest tightened with fear. Was this really how it would end? After everything she’d been through, all the struggles, all the fights to survive—was this how she die die?

Tears streamed down her face, but she barely registered them. 

She didn’t want to die like this, to be lost and forgotten, taken by people who saw her as nothing more than a prize to be displayed. 

As her breathing grew shallower, her mind spiraled, searching for some hope, some way out. But there was nothing, just the walls of the cage and the other omegas, just as helpless as she was.

Just then, the large, gilded doors at the end of the hall swung open. Claire tensed, her body going rigid as she watched the figures who entered, their clothes shining in the light. 

Men and women drifted into the hall in elegant gowns and sleek suits, each looking like they belonged to a different world, a world that thrived on power and privilege. 

They were wealthy, their faces impassive and cold, yet their eyes were sharp, scanning the cages with predatory interest.

Some of them wore sleek, dark colors, blending into the shadows with an almost dangerous allure. Others glimmered in vibrant fabrics and jewels, as if they had dressed for a grand celebration rather than… whatever nightmare this was.

She felt her stomach turn as their gazes swept over the caged omegas, lingering on some, inspecting them like livestock. 

Every look made her skin crawl, and she tried to shrink back in her seat, wishing she could disappear. She didn’t want to be seen by these people. She didn’t want to think about what any of this meant. But she couldn’t escape it. She was here, a part of this twisted world whether she wanted it or not.

Her gaze drifted to the polished floor, the way it reflected the cruel excitement in their eyes. 

She felt hollow, her hope crumbling, leaving nothing but a sick dread in its place.

Just as if everything was a huge joke and prank….

It hit her, a scent, raw and earthy, like rain soaked ground and fresh green grass.

It filled her senses in an instant, overwhelming every other smell in the room. She froze, her breath catching as the scent washed over her, powerful and unmistakable.

Oh god!