Bella’s POVThe panic was a live thing in my chest, sharp-clawed and desperate, raking from the inside out.I forced it down. Forced myself to breathe shallow and steady, to keep the sound of air moving in and out of me quieter than the rattling of the chains. Fear, if I let it rule me, would turn me into exactly what Lilith wanted—a trembling little human waiting to be broken.So I studied.So I listened.The dungeon had its own language if I stayed still enough to hear it.A steady drip of water echoed from somewhere far away, slow and rhythmic: one, two, three, pause, repeat. If I ever lost the thread of time, I could count by the drops. To my left, boots scuffed the stone at intervals. The guard there dragged his foot slightly on the third step each time—an old injury, maybe, or just habit. To my right, another man cleared his throat every so often, a phlegmy sound that spoke of boredom. He cracked his knuckles between stretches of silence.Two of them, then. At least two I could
Last Updated : 2025-09-22
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