Trapped!

Sylvia's head pounded in pain as if someone was hammering a nail in her skull. Her eyes were heavy, and her body felt wet. She stirred in sleep, her brows scrunching in discomfort.

She tried to move the duvet from her body, but her moments were restricted. She couldn't move her limbs freely, and the surface she was laying on didn't feel soft and comfortable.

How could it be possible?

With great effort, Sylvia pried her eyes open, yet she couldn't see anything clearly. She blinked her eyes several times. Slowly, her vision cleared, and she found herself caged under something.

The four walls around her smelled of wood and dung. Her heart leapt in her throat when she realised that she was not in Nadia's house anymore but was caged in a large wooden barrel coated with dung.

Weren't those things used for storing grains? Since when they became useful for caging humans?

Sylvia looked up to see that the barrel's mouth was closed with a lid. She tried to push the lid only to realise that her hands were tied behind her.

Panic coiled around her heart like a deadly snake, and she hyperventilated. The compact space was suffocating, and the lack of air made her body sweat profusely.

"Help! Somebody please help me. Nadia? Nadia where are you? Somebody help please!" Sylvia screamed at the top of her lungs.

Her words halted when she felt her body jerking.

Oh no! She was in a vehicle!

Sylvia began breathing heavily, and her panicked state didn't help her situation at all. She tried to reach for her wand which she had hidden under her dress, but she couldn't reach it with her hands tied behind her.

That was why she hated who she was. Being a witch people would assume she could just chant a spell and use her magic with her hands. But no!

It didn't work that way. All witches and wizards had to rely on their wands to do that.

And that was the main reason for Sylvia's quest for more power. She wanted to be so powerful that she wouldn't need her wand to use her magic.

It was only a sweet dream for Larnwick, but she believed in its realness. She had set her mind on making it her reality. And now she had found a way to do it.

But her fate had again wronged her and landed her into this trouble where her spells were useless until she get her wand.

Sylvia kept calling for help until her throat turned sore, but nobody heard her pleas. She was suffocating inside that barrel. The air was warm and less inside. She had already strained herself and exhausted much of the oxygen.

She couldn't do that anymore. She fell silent and waited until someone came to take her out of there.

After about what felt like a year, Sylvia felt the vehicle coming to a stop. Her heart raced in anticipation as she heard some sounds coming from outside. They were indecipherable but were loud enough to assure human presence around her.

Not long after, she heard clearer sounds as if someone was unloading those barrels from the vehicle. She waited until her barrel moved.

"Help! Help! Somebody please help me!" Sylvia began screaming immediately, not wanting to miss her chance.

"SHUT UP!!"

Her words died in her throat at that aggravated voice of a man. She didn't recognise that voice, but she couldn't bring herself to say more against it.

Five minutes later, someone opened the lid of that barrel. As soon as fresh air entered inside the barrel, Sylvia gasped for it, sucking it as much as she could.

A stranger's face came into her view before he pulled her up with force.

"Who are you? Let me go!" Sylvia tried to struggle but to no avail.

The man pulled her out of the barrel before he began dragging her into an old building. Sylvia didn't know where she was.

The sun was about to set. But the place was deserted, and she didn't think anyone would come for her help.

She located a few people around, but they were either dealing with similar barrels as to the one she was in or busy taking a drag from their cigars.

"Where are you taking me? Tell me!"

The man didn't answer, but what Sylvia saw on her way made her blood run cold. She saw many young and beautiful women getting out of similar barrels.

Some were still unconscious, while some were fighting, only to receive hard slaps in the face.

Sylvia didn't understand what this place was and how she ended up getting there. But one thing she knew was she had to get out of there before her troubles get worse.

She tried to put up a fight, cursing at the burly man who was dragging her up the flight of stairs.

"Leave me! Nadia? Nadia, where are you? What I am doing here? Why have you brought me here? Just let me go!"

The man stopped in front of one of the many closed doors on the first floor. He pushed that door open before pushing Sylvia inside. She caught her balance and tried to run out again, but he blocked her way.

She crashed into his large chest before falling back on the floor. Tears streamed down her eyes as that alarming panic slowly began to transform into cold fear.

That man didn't say a word and took a rope from nearby. He began tying her legs together without sparing her another glance.

Sylvia's head felt lighter as she blinked rapidly. Her eyes stung with tears.

"Why are you doing this to me? Wh-where is Nadia?" She asked again but in a more composed way.

The man finally looked up. Meeting her eyes, he smirked.

"Nadia! How naive you can be to not understand the obvious, Sylvia?"

He knew her name!

No sound came out of her lips as she waited for him to continue.

"You shouldn't wait for Nadia to come and save you."

Sylvia's chin trembled as a low whimper stuck in her throat.

"Wh-why?"

"Because she is the one who have thrown you in this hell for the sake of some money!"

Sylvia felt like someone had punched her right in her pit, knocking out all the air from her body.

"N-no. No! This can't be true! Nadia... she promised to help me. She cannot do this to me. No!"

After tying her legs tightly, the man stood up. Towering over her, he looked at her unsympathetically.

"Nadia never helps anyone for free, Sylvia. She was looking for prey, and you walked into her trap willingly.

She must be counting the money she has received after selling you while sitting in the comfort of her house. Now behave!"

He turned to leave but staggered forward when Sylvia kicked him from behind with both of her legs.

She was furious at Nadia and more at herself for believing that woman. She took out her anger on that man, but it was a great mistake on her part.

He swung around before landing a slap on her right cheek. Her head flew to the left, and sharp pain stung her skin.

Her pale cheek instantly turned red as the handprints became visible on it.

That man crouched down before grabbing a handful of Sylvia's hair. He yanked hard and brought her face close to his.

Glaring deep into her eyes, he said through a clenched jaw.

"There is no escape for you, woman! It's better if you get that in your head as soon as possible.

If you dare to try another such stunt or try to run from here, trust me when I say I wouldn't be so tolerant then!

If you have even a little wish of staying alive, then BEHAVE!"

He pushed her back on the floor before he stormed out of the room.

Sylvia remained on the floor, cursing her fate and herself as tears streamed down freely from her eyes.