She meandered through the room, her eyes darting to every corner. Her fingers lightly brushed her

  cherry-red lips, and a devious smile stretched across her face. Those bright red eyes scanned the

  room again.

  "Come out... old man," she murmured, her voice dripping with honey yet laced with a hint of danger.

  The room remained eerily silent, amplifying the tension. Her smile widened, almost reaching her

  ears. Each clank of her footsteps echoed ominously.

  The trembling man hid beneath a concealed door, his eyes wide with fear. He could hear the girl's

  footsteps above, making him shiver even more.

  "Don't worry, I won't hurt you... as long as you cooperate," she said nonchalantly, her voice as

  smooth as ice. She glanced out the window into the darkness, her expression hardening. "I just

  want to know where my friends are. That's all."

  The man's fear surged. The wrong move had been made. The girl smiled wickedly, tapping her heel

  against the floor directly above him, creating a small hole. She peered through it.

  "Found you!" she exclaimed, breaking through the wood and grabbing the man by his collar.

  "P-please. Leave me alone," the man stammered, struggling to break free. But the girl was focused,

  her eyes narrowing to a blood-red hue. She pulled him closer.

  "Where are they?" she demanded, her tone sharp. "I told you people... no one hurts them. NO

  ONE!" she hissed, making the entire building quake. The man's terrified expression was

  unmistakable.

  "They... they're downstairs. Under the stairs, there's a hidden door," he confessed.

  "The combination to the lock?" she asked coldly. The man gulped. "The street number. 5123."

  She gave him a satisfied smile, less menacing this time. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" The

  man nodded fearfully in agreement. She nodded back. "But... bad boys are always punished." Her

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  grin turned sinister, and the air filled with red sparkles. Her eyes glowed a bright red, and her hair

  floated with the magic she summoned. She grinned maliciously.

  "This should be enough, right?" she muttered, releasing a burst of energy that sent the man

  crashing into the wall.

  She walked past him, mumbling to herself. Descending the stairs, she placed her hands on the

  hidden door, and a magical window appeared, displaying digits and a keyboard. She entered the

  password, and the door clicked open. She sighed and opened it.

  "Diana? Leo?" she called. "Are you guys here?" There was no answer. She rolled her eyes and

  snapped her fingers. Before she could do anything, two figures leaped at her, one of them crying.

  The one who wasn’t crying looked at her. "What took you so long, Lora?" he asked.

  Lora rolled her eyes. "Couldn't you wait, Leo?" she grinned. Leo looked away. The girl who had been

  crying wiped her tears with her sleeve.

  Lora looked at Diana. Diana smiled and then, in a flash, grabbed Lora’s ear, pinching it hard.

  "Yes, Lora. Why were you late?" Diana asked. Lora laughed awkwardly.

  She glanced upstairs. "Sorry, guys," she said. "I think I told those guys you were with me. I don't

  know why this happened."

  Diana let go of her ear and crossed her arms, thinking. "Maybe this time they knew." Lora and Leo

  looked at her. Leo tilted his head. "You mean they did it to bring us here? But why? Who?" Diana

  shook her head. "I don't know. Lora?"

  Lora pondered. "Maybe... it's..." Suddenly, the whole building shook. The ground cracked open

  under their feet. The trio jumped up, and Lora floated them with her magic. She looked around, and

  suddenly a strange figure approached them. Before Lora could even react, the world went blank.