Page 38 of A Fate in Flames

Something was pulling me deeper.

My thoughts slowed.My heartbeat faltered.

And then—nothing.

I was being moved—pulled to who knows where.My consciousness slowly started to claw its way back to me like something rising from deep water, but along with it came fear, coursing through my veins like liquid fire.

Through the ringing in my ear came the unmistakable sound of chains.The sharp, grating clatter of metal links rattling against iron rings, echoing like a cruel symphony.Whispers slithered around me, too low to comprehend but laced with enough venom that my skin prickled.The smell of ash, damp earth, and something ancient coated my tongue.

My spine scraped against uneven ground, each jagged protrusion biting into my exposed skin as I was hauled forward.Whoever gripped me beneath my arms did so with crushing strength, fingers biting deep into my flesh.

My vision slowly returned in blurry patches, a haze of shapes and shifting colours.Torches lined the walls, their flames throwing eerie shadows across the rough stone.Water dripped a steady rhythm somewhere in the darkness—a countdown to something I didn’t dare name.

Everything was wrong.

A rusted metallic groan split the air.The loud creak of hinges sent bile rising in my throat.Before I could think—before I could beg or fight, I was thrown with unforgiving force.

I collided with solid stone, agony tearing through me like white-hot lightning.The impact knocked the air from my lungs, leaving me broken and gasping on the ground.My palms and knees scraped against the rough surface as I struggled to move—to make sense of my surroundings.

CLANG.

A gate slammed behind me, the reverberation rattling through my bones.

No.No.No.

I managed to lift my head, vision swimming, just in time to see a figure lingering beyond the bars, watching silently before disappearing into the darkness like they never existed.A sob tore from my throat, equal parts pain and pure terror.

Theo.Tavrik.

Where were they?What happened to them?Were they even alive?

The thought of losing Theo, of not knowing his fate, was worse than any physical misery.

I forced myself to breathe through the panic threatening to drown me and did the only thing I could think of.

I called for her, my voice trembling.

“Zaheera.”

Nothing.

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and tried again, pouring every drop of will into her name.

“Zaheera.”

A brush of warmth swept over me.The hairs on my arms stood on end as her smooth voice whispered gently into my mind.

“Do not panic.”

I dragged my hand over my face.How could I not panic?What a stupid thing to say.

“Where am I?Where is Theo?Tavrik?”

A heartbeat of silence stretched between us.

“You are beyond the Veil.They caught you all, right as you entered.You are within their prison.”

Prison.