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Esmyra

E smyra’s blindfold had turned the world dark, and every sound seemed to come alive, echoing through the silence.

Once set back on the ground, she stumbled over uneven stone beneath her feet as the grip of their captors was unyielding, pulling both her and Draevyn along with every step.

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears like a distant drum as the burning sensation radiated through her flesh where they cut her.

They moved in silence—the natives giving no clue as to their intentions, making her feel helpless in a world hidden beneath their own.

The air felt damp and cool against her skin, and the scent of salt filled her nose—the unmistakable mark of the sea seemed to cling to everything.

A soft whooshing sound reverberated in the distance, reminding her of waves rolling against a shoreline.

She wondered if they were still underwater or if this strange labyrinth wound through some secret part of Maerinys that had somehow survived the collapse.

She fought to keep herself calm and sensed Draevyn next to her, his scent of cedarwood and leather mingling with the brine. They were forced to walk for what felt like miles, hearing the murmurs of the folk that had captured them. The sensation of countless twists and turns disoriented her .

“Any idea how to get out of this?” Draevyn mumbled.

“Clearly, I’m walking blindly, just as you are, so I would say you know the answer. And you’re welcome for saving your life, by the way. Consider us even.”

“No speak!” a voice boomed from behind them before someone shoved at her back, making her stumble forward.

The rough cloth of the blindfold scraped against her skin, its tight knot biting into her temples. She couldn’t see any looming shadows around them or make sense of the sounds—just echoes and whispers, the clatter of their boots against stone.

Her throat tightened as each second passed. Who were they being brought to? Would they be immediately put to death? Eaten?!

Gods , the last thought had her nearly gagging.

They could be walking into anything, and the unknown of it all threatened to suffocate her. Her thoughts churned, a relentless stream of questions and fears, imagining rows of sharp-toothed warriors or monstrous sea creatures lurking in the shadows, just waiting for a chance at a meal.

The sea serpent guarding the trench came to mind, and she audibly swallowed.

“If you’re scared, I think it’s safe to assume we’re fucked.” Draevyn’s words almost forced a nervous laugh out of her, but she couldn’t even manage that.

Because he was right.

“Separate them,” the leader’s voice called.

Esmyra’s head whipped in all directions, though she still couldn’t see anything through her blindfold.

“Get the fuck off of me.” Draevyn’s voice carried to her as she sensed him being pulled further away. His words were followed by a grunt and the sudden dragging of feet.

“To the cells with him,” someone said.

“Draevyn?!” Esmyra squealed, desperation clear in her voice as she remained blind while her only ally was dragged away from her.

She halted her steps and shoved out of the hold of the creature, lashing out in any direction she could, but then an embrace wrapped around her chest and lifted her from the ground. What at first resembled a hug, quickly grew tighter and tighter until air refused to fill her lungs.

“Release me!” she bellowed, her tone filled with nothing but fury.

“We cannot do that,” the voice of her captor struggled to say as he worked to keep her steady.

“Fuck you!” Esmyra screamed as her feet violently kicked and swung through the air. Her legs were captured within another’s grasp, forcing her body to go limp. She hung in the air as if she were hanging from a spit roast.

Her body went tight, on edge as she sensed someone’s lips directly next to her ear. The warm breath of the leader brushed against her cool, damp skin. “Easy . If he behaves, he will not be put to death.”

“Release us immediately,” she spat, chest heaving in rapid breaths as she bared her teeth. “And perhaps I will spare your pathetic lives.”

The feeling of his proximity lessened and his voice sounded as if he were marching away when he spoke once more. “You’ll need to get through her first.”

“What?!” she rushed out, but her voice was nothing but a confused whisper as she continued to struggle against their hold.

“Don’t fight them,” Draevyn’s voice called a moment later, but he sounded so far away.

Esmyra didn’t give a damn about the man aside from his worth, but she knew she would rather have an ally than face this alone, no matter how unlikely that ally might be.

Who in all gods were these people and creatures? Were they even still in the cave?

The natives placed her feet on the ground once more but held her arms in a powerful grip, guiding her forward.

She tried to focus on the surrounding sounds, to piece together where they might be leading her.

The air felt thick, almost heavy, and she could hear the distant, muffled roar of water pressing against unseen barriers.

Everything felt alive in a strange, otherworldly way, as if the world itself was breathing beneath a crushing weight.

Suddenly, the stone beneath her feet gave way to something smoother—tiles, perhaps, or a path worn down by countless footsteps.

Voices whispered around her, soft but insistent. She tried to make sense of them, tried to pick up a tone or a phrase that might help her understand, but the words slipped past her.

Her senses heightened in the absence of sight—every sound, every shift in the air, seemed magnified. Somewhere nearby, a strange clicking caught her ears—a rapid sequence that reminded her of crabs scuttling along rocks.

The tugging on her arms guided her upward, feeling stairs with the tip of her boots, and then the sound of heavy doors opening echoed as their metal hinges strained. The temperature changed, the chilly dampness shifting to a more oppressive warmth.

The sounds of their footsteps echoed, mimicking the sound of an empty, grand hall.

How was this beneath the realm? Within a cave at that? It wasn’t possible.

Had Maerinys survived?

She felt the natives shift around her, their hands loosening but not letting go. There was a pause, a moment of stillness, and the sound of another heavy door creaking open.

They pulled her to a halt, and then there was a tug at the back of her head as the blindfold was untied, and the rope binding her hands was cut, freeing her.

The fabric fell away from her face, and she blinked rapidly, her eyes adjusting to the sudden light—light she certainly wasn’t expecting so deep within the earth.

Esmyra’s lips parted as she stood at the center of an elaborate throne room.

Its ceiling seemed impossibly high, covered in aquatic murals that danced with colors of the sea.

Light filtered through what appeared to be glass or crystal, casting everything in a shimmering glow.

Pillars resembling the ones in the crumbled temple lined the walls, and the floor was made of the same pale, polished stone that reflected the blue light.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw Draevyn being dragged elsewhere through the open slit of the grand doors, right before they closed.

The natives stood around her, their faces unreadable as their gazes were fixed ahead. When Esmyra’s eyes followed theirs, a voice sounded, making her throat go bone dry.

“Welcome home… Esmyra .”