Chapter 63 Captured

• Alessia
• The air felt cold and damp against my skin as I opened my eyes, my head pounding in time with the flickering bulb above me. I blinked a few times, trying to clear my vision, and realized I was in some kind of basement. The concrete walls were stained with years of neglect, and the faint smell of mildew made my stomach churn. My wrists burned as I tried to move—ropes cut into my skin, binding me to a rickety wooden chair. My legs were tied too, leaving me completely at the mercy of whoever brought me here.
• Panic gripped my chest as I struggled to breathe. Where am I? How did I get here? My mind raced as fragments of the last few hours tried to piece themselves together. And then, a voice cut through the silence, sharp and venomous.