Chapter 124

Zarha's POV

I blink up at the harsh fluorescent lights overhead. My head feels heavy, like it isn’t fully attached anymore. My vision swims in and out of focus. Somewhere nearby, water drips, the sound slowly seeping into my awareness.

Then the memory hits me like a ton of fucking bricks.

Hands holding me down. The cloth shoved over my face. The water. Too much water.

I whimper.

‘Stay strong,’ Zanthe says immediately, her voice cutting through the fog. The steadiness of her presence anchors me.

‘How long was I out?’ I ask her.

‘Only about five minutes this time. They left a minute later for a break. They’ll be back soon. I’ve already repaired your nose and fingers.’

‘Thank you.’

Now that she mentions it, I realise the pain I’d been drowning in before is gone.

Today has not been fun.

Between the waterboarding, the beatings, and the shock therapy, I fucking hate Phase Three. But I haven’t broken.

The scrap of paper they handed me at the start flashes through my mind.

The dog has eaten t