The night outside was heavy and endless, the kind that seemed to swallow every bit of light. The SUV sped through the darkness, headlights flashing past the occasional streetlamp before everything fell back into shadow again. Eliana sat in the backseat, her hands behind her back, were pulled tight in the zip ties until her slender wrists burned. Her chest ached with every wild beat of her heart, disbelief crashing over her like waves she couldn't escape.