MIA
As they say, the more you fear something, the more likely it is that it will happen.
My paws hit water inside a shallow puddle. My fur soaked instantly.
And just like that, my body betrayed me. Beyond my own control, my tongue dragged across the damp patch, rough and uncontrollable, instincts kicking in like a switch I couldn't turn off.
No—stop—
"Boss! It's Seven! She's here!"
Shit.
The moment I snapped out of it and tried to bolt, darkness crashed over me. It was a sack.
Rough fabric swallowed me whole as it tightened around my body. I slashed my claws wildly, tearing at the material, twisting and biting.
"She's resisting!"
"It seems the outside world has gotten to her," the boss said. "Put her back in her place."
Before I could process his words, a sharp sting pierced through the sack. A needle pierced into my skin and something cold flooded into my body.
And suddenly, all I could feel was a fire spreading through my veins like liquid glass, burning, tearing, locking every muscle in place.
My body went limp and my senses blurred.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
…
When I forced my eyes open again, everything felt distant.
A faint streak of light cut through the sack, right where the needle had gone in, right where my claws had torn the fabric slightly.
"…bring her back to the usual place," a voice said, "And be careful. Don't get noticed."
I tried to move but my limbs barely responded.
A hand closed around my throat through the sack, pinning me down. Air hitched in my chest.
"Stay put," they warned me.
My vision blurred again—
And then something outside caught my attention. It was a wide open space and there were movements and loud voices. This was clearly a public place…
…An airport?
My eyes widened. No.
No, no, no—
I hated Killian. But right now?
My instincts screamed something else. These people are worse and I couldn't let them take me away.
Panic surged through me, cutting through the numbness. I twisted, clawed, forced my body to move despite the pain and then I lunged.
The sack shifted as I threw myself towards the car window.
I almost escaped but then something grazed my body. A violent electric jolt shot through me.
"I asked you to stay put," the man in the driver's seat pulled back the electric taser.
My entire body seized as pain exploded through my nerves. A broken sound escaped me, raw and helpless.
Fuck…this hurts!
Tears burned my eyes as my body trembled uncontrollably.
And along with it, the realization settled in. If they took me onto that plane… Escaping them would be far, far harder than ever escaping Killian Volkov.
I lost all hope.
My body lay limp inside the suffocating darkness, every ounce of strength drained out of me as if it had never belonged to me in the first place. Even breathing felt like a chore now.
Why…?
What had I done wrong to end up like this?
When I left for the Capital City, I had promised myself I would make things better for everyone in Hope Orphanage. For Little Doe. For all of them.
I had walked in with anger, with purpose, with this stubborn belief that I could get justice.
And now—
I couldn't even save myself. A weak, bitter laugh echoed inside my head.
Really, Mia? This is how it ends? Stuffed in a sack, half-dead, dragged around like trash?
My chest tightened.
Am I… really going to die like this?
"Stop the car."
The voice cut through the air like a sharp blade.
Everything inside the vehicle stilled.
I couldn't see him, the so-called boss seated behind, but the shift was immediate. The men in the front seats straightened and grabbed me tighter in the sack, their earlier ease replaced by alert tension.
"Boss… it's the police," one of them muttered.
"Stop. Don't act suspicious," Their 'Boss' replied.
My ears twitched. Police?
For a second, I thought I had imagined it. But then the car slowed and stopped.
Voices filtered in from outside, muffled but clear enough, "The entire city is under temporary lockdown. You'll have to halt here."
Lockdown?
My dazed thoughts struggled to catch up.
"What do you mean by that, officer?" one of the men asked, forcing a casual tone that didn't quite hide the edge beneath it, "Has something happened?"
"It's an order from above," the officer replied firmly, "Follow it. For now, wait."
Order from above…
Something flickered inside me. Very slowly, my heart filled with hope again.
I forced my eyes open wider, ignoring the heaviness dragging them down, and focused on the faint tear in the sack.
Through that tiny gap, I caught glimpses of movement, uniforms, flashing lights, rows and rows of cars stretching endlessly across the road.
Perfect.
My pulse quickened.
This… this is my chance.
I stilled my body completely, letting it go limp again, as if the earlier struggle had finally worn me out. The person holding me loosened his grip slightly, probably sensing my defenseless stance.
Every muscle screamed in protest, but I ignored it, gathering what little strength I had left, piece by piece.
The officer stepped closer to the car.
Before my mind could overthink it, I moved.
I threw my entire body forward in one desperate swing, claws tearing through the weakened part of the sack as I forced myself out—
"Ahh—!"
The fabric ripped. Cold air rushed in.
"Wait!"
"She's out—!"
"Stop her!"
Their voices exploded behind me, but I didn't stop.
I couldn't stop.