chapter two

(Nikolas's POV)

I kept my mouth shut throughout the ride. The two men in the front seat kept talking, but I didn't care about their idle chatter. It was all noise distant and meaningless. I could hardly focus on anything other than my thoughts, swirling with anger and confusion.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to escape, hoping sleep would take me far from this situation. But it didn't.

The car lurched forward, jolting me awake. I glanced out the window and realized we were no longer on familiar roads. We were deep in the woods now, the trees thickening around us, blocking out the sunlight. The path grew narrow and winding, and a shiver ran down my spine.

Where the hell were these people taking me?

I swallowed hard, trying to quell the rising panic that started to claw at me. My instincts screamed that something wasn't right, that I was heading into a place I had no business being.

I looked at the two men in the front, my voice a low growl. "Are we there yet? Or almost there?"

One of them turned his head and smiled, that smile too calm, too practiced. "We'll be there soon."

That only unsettled me further. I stared out the window again, watching the endless stretch of trees, thick bushes, and shadows. It felt like we were going deeper into the heart of something... dark. Something that I wasn't supposed to understand.

Minutes maybe hours passed, and I was starting to lose track of time when the car slowed down. My gaze snapped to the front, and there it was: a massive gate. Not a small, welcoming fence, but a huge, imposing barrier, a wall of iron and stone that seemed to separate us from the outside world.

My heart skipped a beat. What the hell were these people protecting? What was on the other side of that gate?

The car moved through it without hesitation, the gates groaning as they opened wide. But that was just the beginning.

We drove deeper, the path winding further into the woods, until we came to another enormous fence, even bigger than the last one. The gate was massive, reinforced—like a fortress. My hands gripped the seat beneath me as I stared at the imposing structure, a sense of unease building up inside me.

What the hell was this place?

The car passed through the second gate, and my mind raced. Every inch of this place felt wrong. It felt like we were moving farther away from civilization, further into something... dangerous.

We kept going, and I thought for a moment that we were getting closer to some sort of hidden compound, but the next sight was even more unsettling: a smaller gate, a less imposing structure, but something about it still felt off. There were small houses behind it houses that looked like they had been built with the intent of being hidden away, far from prying eyes.

Finally, the car came to a stop.

I wasn't sure what I expected, but it wasn't this.

The door opened, and I stepped out, my legs stiff from the long ride. My eyes darted around, scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. It was too quiet. The silence felt oppressive, like the air itself was holding its breath.

And then, I saw him.

My uncle.

He was standing near the entrance of a building, his uniform looking like something out of a military camp dark, utilitarian, with a sharp, almost militant look. He wasn't the same man I had left behind at the house. He was different here. Hardened.

"Nikolas," he called, his voice commanding, but there was a trace of something else in it—a force, a pull that I wasn't ready for. He moved toward me, his hand outstretched, as though he expected me to take it.

I didn't.

I stood my ground, glaring at him, my jaw clenched tight. He reached out to me, but I stepped back, refusing to take his arm. The anger surged again, hotter now than before.

I didn't care that he was my uncle.

I didn't care that he had brought me here.

I wasn't going to let him control me. Not now, not ever.

He paused, his hand still outstretched, and I could see the flicker of disappointment in his eyes. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered but getting out of this place. And I was going to find a way to do it.

My uncle didn't seem the least bit fazed by my refusal to take his arm. He simply dropped his hand and gave me a stiff nod, his eyes betraying a flicker of something amusement, maybe? I couldn't tell. All I knew was that I was here, and there was nothing I could do about it.

"You'll like it here," he said, his voice calm, almost reassuring. But I could hear the undertones of control beneath the words, like he was trying to sell me a lie he wanted me to believe. "Don't worry. Get settled in, and we'll take you around tomorrow."

I didn't respond. There was nothing to say. Nothing that would change this situation. He was right about one thing he'd gotten me here, and there was no going back now.

I looked around again, but there wasn't much to see. The buildings were sparse, tucked away behind fences and trees that loomed like silent watchers. The place felt more like a compound than a home, and the weight of the unfamiliarity pressed down on me. The air was thick with tension, as if something just beneath the surface was waiting to emerge.

I felt my stomach churn.

"Follow me," my uncle said, his tone finally shifting to something more commanding. He turned and started walking toward one of the smaller buildings. I hesitated for a moment, but then I followed, my feet moving reluctantly, like they knew this place wasn't meant for me.

We entered the building, and I was met with cold, stark walls, the kind that made everything feel clinical, impersonal. It was a stark contrast to the warmth and familiarity I'd left behind in my grandmother's home.

He showed me to a small room bare, with nothing but a bed, a dresser, and a small desk. "This will be your room for now," he said. "I'll have someone bring your things later. Get comfortable."

Comfort.

I scoffed inwardly, though I didn't voice it. There was nothing about this place that felt comfortable. But I didn't argue. Arguing wouldn't change anything.

"You'll have time to get used to it," my uncle said, noticing the way I looked around the room, inspecting every corner as though it might hold some clue to why I was here. "The work will keep you busy. And once you settle in, we'll show you around."

I said nothing, merely nodding in acknowledgment.

He paused in the doorway before leaving. "Get some rest. I'll be back in the morning. There's much to explain, but all in good time."

I didn't respond, not trusting myself to speak. My anger had started to simmer beneath the surface again.

When the door clicked shut behind him, I was left in silence. The kind of silence that made my skin crawl.

I dropped my bag on the bed, then stood by the window, staring out at the unfamiliar landscape. There was no escaping the fact that I was here and the questions that filled my mind only grew darker. What was this place? What was my uncle's real purpose for bringing me here? And why did it feel like I was standing on the edge of something I didn't understand?

I sighed, sitting on the bed, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle on my shoulders. Sleep was a distant hope, but it didn't seem to be in the cards tonight.

I closed my eyes, trying to block out the uncertainty that gnawed at me. But even as I drifted off to sleep, I knew this was only the beginning. Tomorrow would bring more questions, and I couldn't ignore the unsettling feeling that had settled deep inside me.