Bonds

Chapter Izo

-Maya’s POV-

My head felt like a hollow shell, devoid of any thoughts or memories. The very concept of death, something I’d always pushed to the back of my mind, was now a terrifying reality I couldn’t escape.

Would it be like this?

My soul leaving my body, a helpless observer as my physical form grew cold and lifeless?

The inside of my skull was a vast emptiness, yet a searing pain pulsed through my body, so intense it threatened to consume me whole.

Was this it?

Was this what death felt like?

Had I finally received the answer to a question I hadn’t dared to ask myself before?

Then, a noxious stench, sharp and acrid, invaded my senses, snapping me back to a semblance of awareness. It filled the void in my mind, forcing reality back into focus. The hospital. The drive to the airport. The sickening crunch of metal as our car collided with another. The concrete wall looming impossibly close… and then, darkness.

My eyes flew open, a scream tearing from my throat. “Ivy! Nate!

Panic surged through me as I tried to sit up, but my body wouldn’t obey. I was strapped tightly to a rickety wooden chair, my arms and legs secured with rough rope that bit into my skin. Fear, cold and primal, clawed at my throat.

Where was I?

What was happening?

I renewed my struggles, desperate to break free. But with each strained movement, a wave of weakness washed over me. My breath hitched in my throat, and I screamed again, my voice hoarse and raw. “Ivy! Nate! Someone please! Who’s there? Where are my children? Let me go!”

was in a cramped,dimly lit room, the air thick with the stench of sewage and decay. Rough, damp stone formed the walls, and the floor was slick with a layer of grime. A single, flickering bulb cast an eerie orange glow, illuminating the scene

from the low ceiling, and fat, moisture–laden spiders scuttled across them, their movements jerky and unsettling. Exposed pipes snaked along the walls, dripping with condensation that pattered onto the floor

hooks embedded in the walls, some dangling ominously empty, others bearing the weight of heavy shackles.

desperate for answers. Where was I? Who had taken me? Most importantly, where were the twins? The thought of them alone, lost and frightened, sent a fresh

get out of here, I reached out with my mind. But the familiar presence was numb. She was there, trapped within my own head, unable to respond, just like she had been

echoing off the stone walls, a pathetic sound swallowed by the oppressive silence that

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Chapter 128

no sound except for the dripping water and the frantic hammering of

through the oppressive silence, making me jump. “Will

flickering light and I saw

eclipsing the fear that had me paralyzed. “You fucking bastard! Let me go right now! Where are my children? I swear on the Moon Goddess, if you’ve laid a finger on them, I’ll rip you apart

my threats with a dismissive wave of his

Whatever twisted game this is to get

face. “Ah, there it is. The good old Alex finally gets a mention. How’s my dear old friend doing these days? Public

flickered to life in my mind. “It was you! You sent

aren’t we?” he mocked. “I told you I’d expose Alex to the world. You were too busy chasing

jab, I pressed on, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear

for me to blackmail. Alex is the one I want to see

Why kidnap me? Where are the twins?” My mind raced, desperately searching for an escape

a moment, his eyes fixed on me as if he was studying some fascinating specimen. “I can’t believe you still love him. After

go! If you have some sick

I’m just here to

“Screw you and screw whatever

It wasn’t a friendly smile, it was a smile filled with a chilling amusement, a promise of something dark and twisted. He held my