AT THE SHIP
Oceana's heart raced as the familiar, terrifying sound of boots echoing down the corridor reached her ears. Her head snapped toward the door, which was flung open with such force that the hinges groaned in protest.
Men in familiar suits stormed into the room, their expressions tense and focused, followed by more men, heavily armed and moving with an urgency that made her nervous, recalling what had happened the last time they barged in.
The sight of them made her stomach twist in dread, but it was the black cage they wheeled in behind them that sent a chill down her spine. She had seen it before—it was the one that transported her to this place—and now, as they approached it, her breath caught in her throat, and a desperate, primal fear surged through her.
"Not again," sh
