THE OTHER WORLD
1659 Words
CHAPTER TWO
The street was louder than usual.
Cars honked impatiently, students clustered near the bus stop, laughter mixing with complaints about lectures and deadlines. Velvela walked beside Crystal, her hoodie pulled low, headphones resting around her neck.
Everything felt… wrong.
This part of town was always quiet. Too quiet. They lived on the outskirts of the city, where dust ruled the roads and strangers rarely passed through. Velvela had always wanted to explore the city, but her mother never allowed it, always watching, always refusing, as if she were hiding her from something.
Now, the once dry street buzzed with life.
Velvela slowed.
“Do you feel that?” she asked.
“Feel what?” Crystal replied.
Velvela couldn’t explain it. The air felt heavy, thick, pressing against her chest like the moment before rain. Somewhere nearby, dogs began barking wildly, sharp and frantic, as if warning the world.
Then a scream tore through the street.
Heads turned.
Chaos followed instantly.
A man stumbled backward as though shoved by an unseen force, crashing into a fruit stand. Oranges scattered across the road. Another scream rang out then another. People began running without knowing why.
“Crystal…” Velvela reached for her.
The crowd surged.
Bodies slammed into her from all sides. She was pushed backward, then forward, losing her balance as panic spread like fire. Men moved through the chaos, wrong somehow. Too fast. Too smooth.
One of them turned.
For a split second, Velvela saw his eyes.
Gold.
Fear punched the breath from her lungs.
“Run!” Crystal shouted.
Someone slammed into Velvela’s shoulder. She fell hard, the ground knocking the air from her chest as feet rushed past her. She scrambled up, calling Crystal’s name, her voice swallowed by screams and noise.
Smoke or dust burned her eyes.
A hand grabbed her wrist.
Not gentle.
Not human.
The world tilted and darkness swallowed her whole.
DARK HALLOW PARK
Inside a vast park, ancient and grand, hidden from the eyes of humans. Massive stone walls surrounded the land, carved with symbols older than language itself. Ivy climbed their surfaces, blending ancient ruin with signs of civilization. Towering structures stood proudly beyond, built with purpose and power.
This was no ordinary place.
This was Dark Hallow Park, the largest of its kind.
Inside a grand hall, the atmosphere was heavy with authority. The space was crowded. Alphas sat in high seats, their Lunas beside them in elegant, commanding silence. Betas stood behind their leaders, broad-shouldered and alert.
High ranking wolves filled the hall.
At the edges, Omegas moved quietly, serving drinks, lowering their eyes, grateful merely to be present. Slaves, those deemed lower than Omegas, were not allowed such privilege.
This was the season.
The season when slaves were sold.
Each slave an Alpha owned increased his rank within the park. These gatherings were never taken lightly.
The slaves were always the same.
Lowly wolves who had fled to the human world.
Velvela’s eyes snapped open.
Pain pulsed at the back of her head. She groaned softly, lifting her face.
“f**k,” she muttered.
Her vision swam, then cleared.
She blinked.
Once.
Twice.
“…Okay,” she said slowly. “Wow.”
She lay inside the massive hall that looked like it had been ripped straight out of a fantasy movie. Towering stone pillars stretched upward, carved with strange symbols. Massive walls glowed faintly, ancient yet polished, as if civilization had grown carefully around old power.
People filled the hall.
Men and women dressed in rich robes, dark, royal colors, shimmering fabrics, jewels catching the light. Some sat proudly on raised seats, others stood behind them, rigid and alert.
Velvela frowned.
“…This is either a dream,” she murmured, “or someone spent a ridiculous amount of money on set design.”
She tried to move.
Chains clinked.
Her head snapped down.
“…Method acting?” she muttered. “Bold choice.”
She noticed the girls beside her, bruised, trembling, eyes wet with fear.
Her excitement dimmed slightly.
“Okay,” she whispered to herself, scanning the room. “Extras didn’t sign up for this level of realism.”
She leaned toward the girl beside her. “Hey… do you know which production this is? Because if it’s low budget, they’re doing too much.”
The girl said nothing. She only lowered her head.
Velvela frowned harder.
The blood on her face looked… real.
“Huh,” Velvela murmured. “That makeup artist deserves an award.”
Silence swept through the hall suddenly.
Velvela straightened instinctively.
A woman stepped forward.
Her gown flowed like liquid moonlight, silver and deep blue, embroidered with jewels that shimmered with every step. She moved with calm authority, her presence commanding attention without effort.
“Oh,” Velvela breathed. “She’s definitely the villain.”
The woman sat upon a raised throne. Other ladies whispered, their eyes filled with envy and longing.
Velvela nodded slowly. “Yeah. Main character energy.”
Then the doors opened again.
Cold slammed into the room.
A man entered.
Velvela forgot how to breathe.
He was unfairly handsome. The kind of face casting directors would kill for. Dark robe. Crown. Presence that silenced everyone instantly.
Heads bowed as he passed.
“Okay,” Velvela whispered faintly. “That’s illegal. You can’t just walk in looking like that.”
He sat on a throne.
Only then did Velvela notice another man standing behind him, broad, sharp eyed, dangerous.
“Right,” Velvela nodded. “Alpha king. Trusted right hand man. Classic.”
A voice rang out. “Let the deliberation begin.”
Guards shoved the chained girls forward.
“Five hundred grand.”
“Six hundred.”
Velvela blinked.
“…Are they…” she paused. “No way.”
“One thousand grand.”
Silence.
“Sold to Moonlight Park.”
Velvela let out a soft laugh of disbelief.
“Wow,” she muttered. “Okay, whoever wrote this deserves an award. This plot twist? Bold.”
She was still smiling when the guards dragged the next girl forward.
And that was when the laughter started to die.
Velvela’s smile faded slowly.
The next girl was dragged forward roughly, her feet scraping against the stone floor. She was shaking so badly her chains rattled. Her clothes were torn, her face swollen, eyes red and hollow.
Velvela swallowed.
“…Okay,” she whispered. “She’s really committed to the role.”
Someone in the crowd scoffed.
“She’s ugly.”
Laughter followed.
Another voice chimed in lazily, “Strip her. Let’s see if that filthy Omega is of any use.”
Velvela’s head snapped up.
“…Wait. What?”
The guards didn’t hesitate.
They grabbed the girl’s clothes and tore them apart. Fabric ripped loudly in the silence. The girl screamed, thrashing wildly, her sobs sharp and desperate.
Velvela’s heart slammed hard against her ribs.
“No—no, stop,” she said at first, unsure, her voice shaky. “Cut. This isn’t funny anymore.”
The girl’s scream didn’t stop.
“This is crossing a line,” Velvela snapped, louder now. “Hey! HEY!”
Every head turned toward her.
“What the hell is wrong with you people?” she yelled, adrenaline surging. “This is sick! She didn’t agree to this, can’t you see she’s terrified?”
The hall went eerily quiet.
Then whispers spread like poison.
“She’s human…”
“How did a human get here?”
Velvela blinked. “Human?”
A man suddenly dropped to his knees in front of the thrones. “I’m sorry, Beta—I didn’t know she was one..”
“Remove him,” a cold voice commanded.
Before Velvela could process it, armored guards rushed in and dragged the man away. His screams echoed briefly before the doors slammed shut.
Her stomach twisted.
“…Okay,” she muttered, forcing a laugh. “That’s dedication. But this is officially illegal.”
She strained against her chains. “Untie me right now. I don’t care who your director is…I didn’t sign up for this.”
Laughter erupted across the hall.
Not playful.
Mocking.
“Can any of you hear me?” Velvela shouted. “I’m calling the cops the moment I get out of here!”
A high, elegant voice cut through the noise.
“Get rid of that thing.”
Velvela’s head snapped toward the woman on the throne.
“Thing?” Velvela scoffed. “Listen, Lady Sparkle Dress, you need therapy—”
Hands grabbed her violently.
She struggled, kicking, twisting.
“Let go of me!”
Her hoodie slipped off.
White hair spilled down her shoulders.
The room froze.
“She has white hair…”
“She’s doomed.”
Velvela’s breath hitched.
“…Why is everyone staring like that?” she asked, unease finally sinking deep.
The laughter was gone.
The crowned man stood.
And suddenly…he was in front of her.
Too fast.
The guard holding her collapsed to the floor with a dull thud.
Velvela barely noticed.
Her eyes were locked on him.
Up close, he was terrifyingly beautiful. His gaze was cold, empty, ancient. Not human.
For the first time, real fear gripped her. Sweat cascaded down her temple.
“H-hey,” she tried, forcing her voice steady. “Okay… joke’s over.”
His nails elongated with a sharp, sickening sound.
Her heart slammed wildly. Body vibrated.
“Who are you—” she whispered.
His hand closed around her neck.
Air vanished.
Her eyes widened as she clawed at his wrist, panic exploding inside her chest.
She couldn’t breath, her legs hanging off the floor.
“Lowly witch,” he said calmly, his voice freezing the room. “You will be my slave.”
Her vision blurred.
“And you will bleed daily,” he continued, unmoved, “until you take your last breath.”
The hall spun.
Where am I?
Who are they?
They’re not human…
Darkness crashed over her.
- Writer
