Chapter 25

Anna

The experience of awakening in an unfamiliar place can be quite terrifying. For me, it was a filthy and malodorous room. As I looked around, I noted the old mattress on which I lay. I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in my head caused me to halt my motion. Reaching for my head, I discovered a small bump. Grimacing with pain, I endeavored to recollect what had happened to me.

As I struggled to summon my memories, the door to my cell swung open, and a rugged-looking man entered. "At last, Sleeping Beauty has awoken," he quipped.

I glared at him, my gaze slowly drifting towards the door. I wondered how many guards were stationed outside and how far I could go if I managed to flee.

The scruffy man, seemingly able to read my thoughts, countered, "You had best dismiss such notions if you hope to survive. There are roughly twenty guards stationed outside who have been instructed to shoot on sight if you attempt to leave this room."

In order to increase my odds of survival or escape, it