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They push me inside, unfastening my wrists from their metal cuffs only to clamp them together in front. The chain from my collar loops through the ring in the floor, limiting my range to a few steps. Then they slam the door, the clang echoing like a death knell.

I collapse onto the cold stones, the gag still in place. My entire body trembles. The chain rattles in the hush.Back where I started.Darkness seeps into my soul, suffocating.Korrin… I can’t sense you. Are you alive?

I rock, hugging my cuffed arms to my chest. Memories swirl: Korrin’s protective stance, his fierce kisses, how he soared above me in the forest. Now, he might be rotting under a pile of rubble in that ambush site. Grief and guilt crash like waves.If I’d fought harder, if I’d—Useless regrets. I bury my head against my knees, silent tears coursing.I am alone again.

Time loses meaning in the cell’s darkness. My captors rarely come, aside from a guard who brings stale water or scraps of food, shoving them under the door. They remove my gag only to let me sip water, then force it back, presumably to keep me from shouting or using any potential purna power. I remain chained like a hound, forced to sleep on cold stone, every muscle aching.

I slip into a haze of painful memories, drifting between nightmares and half-waking illusions.Korrin’s face,contorted in pain, the moment the crossbow bolt struck him.The fortress courtyard,where I once scrubbed bloodstains. My mind cycles, searching for hope but finding only gloom.He’s gone,a voice taunts.And even if he lived, how could he infiltrate this place alone?

A stubborn flicker remains, a memory of his unstoppable resolve, how he once tore through elves to rescue me.Could he do it again?My chest tightens. The fortress is heavily guarded;the dark elves likely anticipate a rescue attempt. But I cling to that scrap of faith like a drowning soul clutches driftwood.

After what might be days or weeks, time blurs in the quiet cell—the guard who brings my food one morning hesitates. He’s a younger elf with uncertain eyes. Setting down the meager bowl, he lifts the gag from my mouth to let me eat. I manage a few painful swallows, then croak, “Please… Korrin. The gargoyle. Did he survive?”

He frowns, glancing warily at the door. “Shut up,” he hisses, but there’s a flicker of sympathy on his face. “No one speaks of a gargoyle. We left him for dead.”

My heart lurches. The guard lowers his gaze. “That’s all I know,” he mutters, then re-gags me, leaving before I can ask more.Left him for dead.The words hammer in my skull.That means they didn’t see a body, or confirm…A faint ember of hope flares. They didn’t confirm his death.He could still be out there.

In the solitude that follows, I wrap trembling arms around myself. If he’s alive, he’s out there alone, wounded. If he’s not… My chest aches so fiercely I fear I’ll break. But I won’t let go of the possibility that he survived.He’s unstoppable,I remind myself.He defied the Alpha for me. He can defy death too—he must.

That evening, a commotion echoes through the fortress corridors—a faint clamor of shouts, metal striking stone. My eyes snap open from a fitful doze.Could it be him?My heart gallops. The chain tugs as I scramble upright, listening. But after a flurry of noise, silence returns. My mind latches onto the idea that Korrin might be staging a rescue, though the hush that follows chills me.If so, he’s been thwarted… or never made it this far.

Tears sting my eyes. I sink to the floor, pressed against the cold wall, letting the chain coil in my lap. The fortress’s gloomseeps into my bones.All is lost,a voice inside me wails, echoing the finality of that ambush.Without Korrin, I am truly alone in this place.

Outside, thunder rolls ominously, as if the sky weeps with me. My entire world has shrunk to a cell, a chain, and the searing memory of what I’ve lost. I hug the collar’s edge, remembering how he used to promise to remove it one day.He never got the chance.Sobs wrack my body until exhaustion claims me.

In the darkness, I slip into a haze of dreams. Flickering visions of Korrin’s face, battered but alive, calling my name across a battlefield. My mother’s voice, half-forgotten, urging me to fight. The swirl of purna magic that might awaken in my blood. I wake panting, tears drying on my cheeks. A trace of determination flickers in my chest.I can’t surrender. If Korrin’s out there, if he’s alive, I owe it to both of us to keep fighting.

Chains or no, I start testing every link, every ring in the floor. Each tug sends vibrations up my arms, but the iron is set solidly. My wrists remain bound in front, giving me limited reach. No lock picks, no tools.Still, I can’t give up.Grunting, I strain against the ring, ignoring the collar biting my neck. The metal creaks but doesn’t budge.

My heart plunges again, but the flicker of resolve remains. If Korrin taught me anything, it’s that adversity can be defied. Even if I’m alone now, I must keep searching for a means to escape.I refuse to die here, a chained prisoner.

In that moment, footsteps approach. I freeze, chain taut. The door scrapes open, torchlight flooding the cell. Two burly elves stride in, the younger guard trailing behind them. The older one, presumably an officer, sneers at my trembling form.

“Time to move you,” he says. “The mistress wants to see her prized purna.”

My gut twists.Mistress?Possibly some higher-ranked dark elf or a fortress official. They unfasten the chain from the floorring but keep the collar and wrist bindings in place. Then they haul me to my feet, ignoring my muffled protests through the gag.

The younger guard glances away, guilt flickering in his eyes. I cling to that small crack of empathy, but he offers no help. Instead, the officer yanks me forward. My ankles stumble, the chain tangling. They half-drag me from the cell, along a corridor that smells of rot and stale air. My heart rattles with renewed fear.Where are they taking me?

They lead me up winding stairs, into torchlit passages where the stone floors gleam with fresh moisture. I recall these corridors, or ones like them, from my time as a slave—dim, foreboding, patrolled by merciless overseers. My pulse pounds. If I can’t find a chance to break free soon, I’ll be at the mercy of whoever “the mistress” is.

At a final landing, the officer knocks on a reinforced door. A muffled voice grants entry. The door swings open, revealing a small antechamber draped in black fabric, reeking of incense. My stomach churns at the cloying scent. Another dark elf stands within, tall and robed in dark crimson. Her eyes flick over me with cold interest.

“So this is the infamous purna,” she says, voice silken with danger. She gestures dismissively, and the officer shoves me forward. “Gag off,” she commands, arching a brow. “I want to hear her voice.”

The officer obeys. My gag is pulled away, leaving me coughing in the thick incense-laden air. Tears prickle. I glare at the robed elf, though the chain and wrist bindings betray my helplessness.

She smiles, predatory. “You gave us quite the chase, dear.” Her gaze slides to my collar. “But fate brings you back. The fortress is thrilled by your return. The mistress has many questions.”

Fear thrums, but I force my voice not to shake. “Where’s Korrin?” I demand, throat hoarse.

Her lips curve in a cruel smirk. “The gargoyle? Perhaps rotting somewhere. I hear he left quite a few of my comrades in pieces. If he’s alive, not for long.”

Anguish stabs my heart. My breath stutters.They’re lying, or… oh gods, what if he truly fell?A sob threatens to rise, but I quell it, refusing to show weakness. “You’ll regret this,” I manage through clenched teeth. “He’ll come for me if he’s alive.”

She laughs softly, as if savoring my despair. “I look forward to seeing that. For now, we’ll keep you safe in our custody.” She gestures to the guards. “Return her to a holding cell, but a more… specialized one. The mistress will see her soon enough.”

I recoil, but they seize me again, ignoring my frantic struggles. “Korrin!” I scream one last time, voice echoing in the corridor. The robed elf’s laughter follows me as they drag me away.