5. The dragon kingdom

The man roughly unshackled her, his grip tight on her arm as he yanked her to her feet. Her mind raced, recognizing this might be her only chance to escape, despite not knowing where she could run to in this strange place. Without hesitation, she kicked at his legs and threw a punch at his nose. He groaned, momentarily disoriented, but quickly retaliated, throwing her hard against the wall. Her back hit the floor with a sickening thud.

"You bitch! What makes you think you can fight me?" he roared, seizing her by the hair and yanking her head up, forcing her to meet his gaze.

She swung her fist again, but this time, he didn't even flinch. The realization hit her with dread—he wasn't human. How could she have missed that?

"Let's try things my way," he sneered, punching her squarely in the face. Pain exploded in her mouth, and she feared her teeth might scatter across the floor.

Weak and trembling, she felt her willpower slipping away, her body unable to muster the strength to resist. Reluctantly, she nodded to his threats, allowing him to lead her out of the room.

Outside, the environment was starkly different. The space was brighter, though the light was harsh and foreign. It was nothing like her island. Around her, other slaves shuffled, and she realized they were on a ship, the unmistakable sound of water slapping against the hull echoing in her ears.

She scanned the crowd, searching desperately for Elna, and finally spotted her, blood trickling down her cheek as she stood beside a man.

"Elna!" she cried out, but her call was met with a brutal blow to her stomach from another man, silencing her.

"Load them into the van," the woman's cold voice ordered.

Doubled over in pain, she tried to catch another glimpse of Elna, who was silently weeping as they were all pushed forward.

"Maria," a voice called, making the middle-aged woman halt in her tracks.

The newcomer was different—strikingly beautiful, with a presence that demanded attention. He was accompanied by three other men, all of whom exuded an air of expensive, dangerous sophistication. They didn't smell quite human either. Perhaps they were wolves or witch hunters. They wore sleek black suits, their hair tied back in ponytails, and their ears adorned with multiple earrings. Rings glittered on their fingers. The man in front, who seemed to lead them, wore a gray suit that stood out against the black of the others.

"We're buying the Glazonian slaves. The Dragons need them," the man explained, his tone brooking no argument.

Maria crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "I'll need payment."

"Ten million," the man stated, his voice calm but firm.

Maria's eyes gleamed with greed. "Twenty million."

The man didn't hesitate. "Deal, Fallon." He snapped his fingers, and one of his companions handed over a bag, presumably filled with whatever 'millions' were.

She watched in disbelief. What is a million? she wondered. Is it some kind of currency? The numbers meant nothing to her, but it was clear that whatever it was, it was valuable. This woman, Maria, was clearly driven by avarice.

"Why would Dragons need slaves from the Glazon?" Maria asked, her curiosity momentarily getting the better of her.

"That's not your concern. Stay out of it," Fallon replied sharply, his tone carrying an authority that made Maria flinch. He motioned to his men, and they moved forward, taking her from the rough hands of her previous captor.

They led her and the other slaves out of the ship onto solid concrete ground. She stared around in awe as they approached a series of strange, black vehicles. Falon opened the door of one, and she hesitated, her heart sinking. She had never seen a car before, except in the forbidden books locked away in the library. Her father never allowed her to read them, but her mother had, sharing a love of knowledge and an unspoken desire to know what lay beyond their island. She had always dreamed of leaving the Amazon, of seeing the world—but not like this.

Her heart ached with a deep, relentless sorrow as tears welled up in her eyes. This all seemed like a terrible dream, one she desperately needed to wake from. She wanted to see her family again, to return to the life she had known.

Physically and emotionally exhausted, she allowed herself to be guided into the tall, black car.

Elna hesitated at the door, her voice trembling. "What is this?"

The men exchanged puzzled glances, clearly unsure how to respond to her innocence.

"It's a car," she said softly, forcing a smile to reassure her friend. Despite everything, she felt a deep responsibility to protect Elna, to be strong for her. "It will be fine."

But Elna remained unconvinced, her eyes wide with confusion. Clearly, the concept of a car was as foreign to her as it had been to her.

A man behind them grew impatient and shoved Elna into the vehicle. "We don't have time for theatrics, girl."

Once inside, Elna looked around in bewilderment. "What's a car? Why does it look like a house?"

She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the question but felt too hollow inside. They were being sold into slavery, and Elna was curious about cars. It was a tragic testament to how much their world had changed in such a short time.

"Their lifestyle here is different," she explained softly. "Cars are for transportation. The rich ones use cars to get around instead of walking. My mum told me about them."

"How do you know what a car is?" one of the men asked, his tone more curious than accusatory.

"It's none of your business," she snapped back, her voice laced with defiance. He chuckled, clearly amused by her spirit.

"You're a quick learner. That's good," he said with a scoff, turning his attention away as the vehicle began to move.

Elna turned to her, her voice shaking with fear. "Alita, what's going to happen to us?"

Her heart sank at the question, knowing she couldn't shield Elna from the truth forever. Before she could respond, the man from earlier answered, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.

"You're now slaves, sold to the Dragons. You'll do as they say, or you'll be burned alive. The royal Dragons have searched long and hard for your lost island, and now that they've found it, this alliance will make me the greatest Alpha the world has ever known."

The vehicle suddenly came to a stop, causing her heart to lurch in her chest. The door was thrown open, and the man who had spoken earlier stepped out, holding the door open for them to exit. She climbed out first, followed by Elna, her legs trembling.