Pain drags me back to consciousness—sharp and insistent, radiating through every nerve ending in my body.I try to move my hands, but they won't budge. Metal bites into my wrists when I pull, the clink of chains echoing in the darkness around me. I force my eyes open and look down—heavy shackles circle both wrists, bolted to the floor with thick iron links. My ankles are bound the same way.Where am I?The space around me is pitch black—no windows, no light source, just suffocating darkness pressing in from all sides. The air smells wrong. Damp stone, rust, and something metallic that makes my stomach turn.Then I hear it—a low groan from somewhere to my left.My heart lurches. I drag myself toward the sound, chains scraping against stone as I move on my knees. My fingers find warm skin in the darkness, and I trace upward until I recognize the shape of a shoulder, a jaw."Anton, is it you?" I mouth, even though I know he can't see my lips in this darkness."Eveline." His voice is roug
Last Updated : 2026-01-20 Read more