A sudden scream tore through the compound without warning, and it shook the women’s cage. The raw and agonizing wail carried through the trees and across the cages until every woman inside them froze. Maera’s breath caught in her throat as her eyes immediately lifted towards the direction of the sound, her body going rigid when another scream followed, this one even more desperate than the first. It was accompanied by frantic pleadings, words too distant to make out clearly, but the terror in the voice needed no explanation. Around her, the women had already begun to react. Some pressed themselves against the bars, their eyes wide and listless with fear, while others immediately lowered their heads, shoulders trembling as though even looking towards the source of the screams might somehow draw attention to them. A few exchanged frightened glances, their faces paling as another cry ripped through the trees. It was almost as though they knew what was happening, and not just that, th
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