CHAPTER 2

“That is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.”

The tiny pink hair clip rested beneath the Christmas lights like a forgotten memory.

Andrew picked it up with trembling hands.

And in that moment—

something inside him shattered.

“No…” Isabel whispered breathlessly, looking around the empty lakeside in panic. “No, no, no—”

The cold air suddenly felt unbearable.

“Evie?” Andrew shouted loudly. “Aurora!”

Only silence answered him.

The beautiful lake from earlier now looked horrifyingly empty, the moonlight stretching across the dark water like something ghostly. The same Christmas lights that had once looked magical now flickered like warnings.

Isabel snatched the clip from Andrew’s hand instantly.

“This is Aurora’s.”

Her voice broke apart.

Andrew’s chest tightened violently as realization crashed into him.

Something had happened.

Something terrible.

Meanwhile—

Aurora slowly opened her eyes.

Pain exploded through her head immediately.

The room smelled rotten. Damp walls surrounded them, cracked and stained with mold. A single dim bulb hung from the ceiling, flickering every few seconds like it was struggling to survive.

Evie sat beside her, crying uncontrollably.

“Aurora…”

Aurora forced herself upright despite the dizziness. Her wrists burned from the ropes tied around them.

“Hey, hey—look at me,” she whispered shakily. “It’s okay. Mom and Dad are gonna find us.”

But even she could hear the fear hidden inside her own voice.

She tried pulling against the ropes again.

Useless.

Then—

footsteps.

Heavy footsteps.

Coming closer.

Aurora’s breathing stopped.

The sound of metal keys rattling outside the door made terror crawl violently through her body. Instantly, she lowered herself back down and shut her eyes tightly, pretending to still be unconscious.

The door creaked open.

A laugh echoed through the room.

Deep.

Wrong.

Disgusting.

“Rich little brats,” one of the men muttered, amused. “Do you know how much money we’re getting for these two?”

Another laugh followed.

Aurora felt sick.

Back at home, everything had collapsed into chaos.

Police officers moved rapidly through the house while flashing blue and red lights painted the walls outside. Isabel stood near the living room table, shaking violently as tears streamed down her face.

“This is your fault!” she screamed suddenly at Andrew.

The room fell silent.

“You put our lives everywhere!” she cried hysterically. “Television interviews, business magazines, social events—everyone knows who you are!”

Andrew looked completely broken.

“I didn’t know—”

“And why did you let them go alone at night?!”

His eyes filled instantly.

Because she was right.

If he had just said no…

If he had gone with them…

If he had protected them—

Maybe none of this would have happened.

Suddenly—

Andrew’s phone rang.

Every officer froze.

Unknown number.

The kidnapper.

Andrew answered immediately. “Hello?!”

A distorted laugh echoed from the other side.

“If you want your daughters alive,” the man said casually, “you’ll give us ten billion for each girl.”

Andrew’s face turned pale.

“Please…” his voice cracked. “Please don’t hurt them. We’ll give you anything. Just let me talk to them—”

Beside him, the officers desperately traced the call location.

Almost there.

A few more seconds.

Andrew kept talking rapidly, trying to stretch the conversation longer. “You’ll get the money. I swear. Just tell me if they’re okay—”

The officer suddenly looked up.

Almost traced.

Almost—

Then the line went dead.

“No!” one officer cursed.

Andrew stood frozen with the phone still against his ear.

Gone.

“They ended it at the last second,” the officer said grimly.

Isabel broke down completely.

Another officer stepped forward carefully. “We’ll find them. I promise you—we’ll get your daughters back within twenty-four hours.”

But miles away from that promise—

the nightmare had only begun.

The kidnappers returned hours later.

And this time, something about them felt different.

More unstable.

More dangerous.

Aurora immediately moved protectively in front of Evie despite her shaking body.

The taller man crouched down slowly in front of them, smiling in a way that made her stomach twist violently.

He enjoyed fear.

Aurora realized it instantly.

He loved watching them panic. Loved the sound of crying. Loved pain itself like it was entertainment.

Evie sobbed quietly beside her while Aurora kept whispering over and over:

“They’ll save us.”

“They’re coming.”

“You just have to stay strong.”

The kidnapper suddenly grabbed Aurora harshly by the hair.

She screamed.

Pain shot through her scalp so violently tears filled her eyes immediately.

Evie cried out in terror. “STOP! PLEASE STOP!”

The man only laughed louder.

Aurora could see pure sickness inside his eyes.

Evie wanted to help her sister so badly.

Aurora could see it.

But she was frozen by fear, small hands trembling helplessly while tears rolled endlessly down her cheeks.

The kidnapper finally threw Aurora back violently before dragging both girls toward another room.

Dark.

Freezing.

And scattered across the floor—

rusted nails.

The door slammed shut behind them.

And for the first time that night—

Aurora truly understood that some nightmares did not end when you woke up.

The darkness inside the room felt alive.

Cold air crept through the broken walls while the weak bulb above them flickered endlessly, throwing trembling shadows across the floor.

Aurora tried to move—

and immediately felt something sharp tear into her foot.

A gasp escaped her lips.

Pain shot violently through her leg.

A nail.

Rusty.

Buried deep into the floorboards.

Evie cried softly beside her, terrified and exhausted, her small body shaking uncontrollably in the darkness.

Aurora’s heartbeat quickened.

The floor was covered with them.

“N-no…” Evie whispered weakly.

Aurora looked around desperately, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dark. Dozens of rusted nails were scattered across the floor like traps waiting for them to move.

Instantly, she wrapped her arms around Evie and lifted her carefully against her chest.

“It’s okay,” Aurora whispered quickly, forcing calmness into her voice. “Don’t look down.”

Another step.

Another sharp stab of pain tore through her foot.

Aurora bit down hard on her lip to stop herself from screaming.

Then another.

And another.

The nails pierced through the thin soles of her shoes, cutting into her skin with every movement.

Warm blood dripped slowly onto the floor beneath her.

But she kept walking.

Because Evie was trembling against her shoulder, clinging to her like she was the only safe thing left in the world.

Aurora refused to let her feel that fear any more than she already did.

Finally, she reached a small corner near the wall and slowly lowered Evie down beside her.

“You’re okay,” Aurora whispered softly, brushing tears away from Evie’s face with shaking fingers. “I’m right here.”

Evie looked at her sister’s feet.

Blood.

Too much blood.

Her lips trembled instantly. “Aurora…”

“I said I’m okay.”

But even speaking hurt now.

Aurora leaned back against the wall, trying to steady her breathing when suddenly—

something sharp sliced against her arm.

She flinched violently.

A burning pain spread across her skin immediately.

“What—”

Her fingers brushed against a cold metallic object beside her.

Aurora froze.

Carefully, she picked it up.

A knife.

Small.

Rusty.

But sharp enough.

For the first time since being kidnapped—

hope appeared.

Tiny.

Fragile.

But real.

Aurora quickly hid the knife inside her coat pocket before anyone could notice if they entered the room.

Her breathing became uneven from pain and exhaustion, but she forced herself to look at Evie.

“This…” she whispered weakly, “…could be our only chance to escape.”

Evie stared at her silently, eyes filled with fear and desperate trust.

Aurora tried to stay awake.

She really did.

But the pain in her feet, the cut on her arm, the exhaustion, the terror—

it all became too much.

Her vision blurred slowly.

The room spun around her.

And moments later—

Aurora collapsed unconscious beside her little sister while blood continued dripping silently onto the floor beneath her.

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