Chapter 98

• Pain coiled within my body, each twist a new note in a symphony of agony. It sang through me, echoing until even my thoughts were dissonant cries. Everything blurred as my eyes struggled to focus. Was I asleep? Was I dying? The air itself pressed down, and I gasped at its strangeness. Searing images fought through the haze, branding themselves onto my mind. Lyle. His fading heartbeat. I had lost consciousness. But now I was awake, blinking into the darkness.
• “You’ve finally woken up.” The voice stabbed at me with its smug sharpness. Her. Fucking Ivy. I winced and opened my eyes to her face, gleaming and cruel. I felt a growl tearing up my throat, but the world came into focus before I could let it loose. Mossy walls loomed, dark and damp, a haunting green glow surrounding me. I had no idea where I was, but glowing green moss couldn’t be a coincidence. What did this mean? Was Ivy connected with the brainwashing? If she was, how and why?
• “Lyle,” I muttered, looking around.