𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙚 | 𝐓𝐨𝐣𝐢 𝐅𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐨

- Chapter 13 -

Helia's heart races, and her mind desperately searches for any possible way out of this situation.

One of the masked men speaks first and steps forward, his voice cold and intimidating.

"Well, well, what do we have here? Two little birds trying to escape the nest, hm?"

He looks at Helia and Anna with a menacing gaze, his expression unreadable behind the mask.

Helia holds her knife in front of her, trying to look as serious as possible while she threatens them.

"Stay back!!"

Her attempt to intimidate the men falls short, and it only elicits a mocking chuckle from the one who spoke earlier. He smirks at Helia, and his tone drips with disdain.

"Oh, how cute. Playing tough, huh? You think that little knife is gonna keep us away?"

Her attempts at defiance fall on deaf ears as the men's mocking laughter fills the air. Her grip on the knife tightens as she feels a mix of anger and fear rushing through her.

"It would be wise to lower that knife, sweetie. You don't stand a chance against us, and resistance is only bound to make things more painful."

Helia is trying her best not to show that she's scared, but her hands won't stop shaking as she maintains the knife up, towards the men.

The man who spoke notices her trembling hands. A sly smile forms on his face as he senses her fear, his voice becoming smug and condescending.

"Look at that, you're shaking like a leaf. How adorable. You might as well put that knife down, sweetie. It's pointless."

It's Anna's turn to scream a threat this time, not wanting to let her friend be the only one to act. She moves the knife in direction of the men who are getting closer.

"Stay away!!"

The men cast a brief glance at Anna as she follows Helia's lead and brandishes her knife, her voice filled with defiance.

"Ooooh, two feisty birds. How cute. But let me make something clear. You're outnumbered and outmatched. Lower those knives, and things might go more smoothly for you."

The men continue to advance, their steps slow and deliberate, closing the distance between the girls and them.

The sound of their heavy footsteps echoes through the air, creating a sense of increasing danger and confinement.

Helia can feel her heartbeat speed up at each step they take. She's not even sure she knows how to defend herself with a knife.

Suddenly, one of the men steps forward, seizes Anna and yanks her away from Helia with a swift motion. Helia turns in direction of the man but it's too late.

He holds his sword to Anna's throat, the cold blade pressed against her skin. Helia's heart sinks as she watches helplessly, panic and anger welling up inside her.

"Let her go!!" Her voice filled with desperation and anger. The man holding Anna grins coldly as he responds to her demand.

"Or what, sweetheart? You'll wave that kitchen knife around again? You're in no position to make demands. You should've lowered your weapon when you had the chance."

As one of the men moves forward to approach Helia, her reflexes kick in, and she wields her knife defensively, waving it in his direction.

The man hesitates for a moment, taken aback by her determined yet desperate gesture, and takes a step back, wary of the sharp blade in her hand.