His Possession To Claim

The three hefty men turned toward the sound, their heads snapping in unison.

"What is that?" two of them asked simultaneously, glaring at the third man, who was squinting at an empty space nearby.

"I thought I heard something... or was I wrong?" the third man muttered defensively, scratching his head.

His answer earned him a pair of resounding smacks. "Amigo, we're on a serious mission," the first man, Australian growled, rubbing his knuckles. "There's nothing there. We better head back before that cunning frog gets his way without us."

"Mmmm... me o—!" A muffled cry escaped from Aria's lips as a large, calloused hand clamped over her mouth. Her heart leaped to her throat as a strong arm had just pulled her into the shadows. She thrashed against the grip, wiggling like a fish caught in a net, but the hold was unyielding.

"Do not move if you want to live," a deep, hoarse voice whispered into her ear, the heat of his breath sending shivers down her spine. The warning carried a sharp edge that made her freeze. Her captor had dragged her into one of the many dark, musty rooms before the men could glance her way.

Her mind raced. Who was this? Was it Scar,but he didn't sound like Scar, or the lanky looking one but how could she be sure? Maybe he was another backup kept somewhere in-store for her, waiting to get her incase if their plan didn't work out,which obviously didn't. She was sure it wasn't any of her classmates, because none of them knew where she went, only Daphne. But Daphne was her prime suspect behind these shenanigans.

Aria's resolve flared,she knew she was all alone and had to survive, with that. She raised her boot and stomped on her captor's foot with all her might.

It seemed that really got him as a sharp hiss escaped him, but instead of letting her go, his thigh locked her body in place like an iron vice, pinning her against the wall.

"Shhh," he commanded, his voice now harsher.

Aria opened her mouth to protest, but his tone carried the weight of steel. Reluctantly, she obeyed, her ears straining to catch the voices of the men outside.

The three hefty men, ready to return, froze when five cloaked figures emerged from the misty fog, their dark robes blending into the eerie landscape. These newcomers weren't burly, but something about their presence screamed danger.

"Yo, whatchu y'all doing here?" the first man, a dark skinned American, called out, swaggering toward them.

The cloaked figures said nothing, their steps slow and deliberate.

"Yeah, whatever you're up to, we got here first. So, amigo, you know the exit," the Australian chimed in, crossing his arms.

Still, the cloaked men ignored them, walking as though they hadn't spoken. As their footstep edged closer, Aria held her breath helping the hand which had shut her up in steadying it further, holding her breath.

The dark skinned American, losing patience, lunged forward and grabbed the shoulder of one cloaked figure "Homie,I don't think you know who you messin with. Am not gonna say this again but gee,you better be takin your leave "

Before he could finish, the cloaked man turned. His eyes glowed a fierce crimson, burning with an otherworldly rage. The air around him crackled as if the storm itself bent to his will. This simple yet powerful act got them rooted in one spot, shaking in their boots. Those cloaked men could be holding a gun something more,why didn't they think of it? Aria's chasers calculatively took steps backwards, ready to back off,they weren't ready to lose their lives.

The Australian staggered back, his bravado evaporating. "Amigo, we were just joking around! The farm is all yours to... to... uh... play hide and seek!"

The third man raised his hands in surrender, his voice quaking. "We'll leave, okay? No trouble. Just—". But the cloaked men's demeanor never changed a bit.

Aria's chasers took to their heels,each of them could sense that those men were no ordinary men as their aura were too powerful to withstand.

But they were cut short as three cloaked men moved with unnatural speed surrounding them in full circle. In a blink, they were upon the hefty men, gripping their throats and lifting them off the ground as though they weighed nothing.

"What the—?! Lemme go!" the dark skinned American choked, clawing at the hand that held him.

But the cloaked men's grip only tightened. The men gasped and sputtered as blood vessels burst in their eyes, staining the whites crimson. The third man,who barely spoke screamed, "What's happening to my eyes?! I... I can't see!"

The cloaked figures remained silent, their auras oppressive, suffocating. The dark skinned American began to ripple unnaturally, as though something inside him was twisting and breaking. His screams filled the air as his body contorted, his limbs snapping into grotesque angles.

Desperation flared in the Australian eyes on seeing the deformities of his colleague. With a burst of adrenaline, he swung a heavy foot at the cloaked man holding him. The blow connected with a dull thud, but the cloaked figure didn't even flinch. Instead, the attacker's arm twisted backward with a sickening crack, drawing a blood-curdling scream.

I don't want to die, I have my little girl waiting for me" he pleaded with much vulnerability but his pleas fell on deaf ears, as they added much pressure with each second. With each strangle,the cloud thickened further with the rumbling of thunder. He had tears stung in his eyes as he begged for mercy,with all hope lost he closed his eyes yielding,but – he was dropped, making a thud sound. He almost couldn't believe it as He scrambled to his feet, running off like his life depended on it, though in his blinded state, every step was uncertain, driven only by pure instinct and fear. He barely spared a thought at his colleagues, now twisted into something barely recognizable. His vision, stolen by the cloaked men, left him blind to the horrors behind him."

Aria, hidden in the shadows, listened in horror. Her breath hitched as she tried to stay silent. She felt the hand over her mouth press harder, as though her captor feared she'd make a sound and draw attention.

The sky darkened further, and thunder rumbled ominously. Aria looked up as a heavy rain dropped on her eyelid,it was quite heavy she had to blink to take it off, but more of the drops were coming down. Where they more dangerous men out there ? Where they after her or someone else? She couldn't quite tell. She could still hear the groans of what seemed like her chasers struggling to free themselves, The men's screams reached a crescendo before they went silent.

Then—stillness. Everywhere went dead-still almost like a graveyard.

Just as she was about to make out what the sudden silence meant,blurred figures passed by the room,it was too swift, almost invisible as a strong breeze flew by, knocking out breath from her lungs. For once she was too scared to even stand properly as her legs wobbled. When she eventually broke out of her reverie,she noticed that the man's hold on her had loosened quite a lot, almost freeing her,so she took the liberty and broke free. After Aria escaped from the grip,she turned around to see who her captor was ,ready to give him a piece of her mind or even hit the person,if the case requires such but she held her breath as she stared at the otherworldly figure.