Chapter 26 Aria

• I awaken with a strong headache, a throbbing pressure that seems to resonate within my skull, and my vision is blurred. Slowly, blinking with effort, I try to adjust my eyes to the dim light of the environment, but the process is slow and painful, as if I were swimming through fog. The smell of dust and mold assaults my nostrils brutally, an odor so dense that it feels like I’m inhaling years of neglect and decay. My throat tightens briefly, and I fight against the urge to vomit.
• I realize that my wrists are bound behind my back, tightly tied with ropes that dig painfully into my skin. I’m sitting in an uncomfortable chair, the hard and torturous backrest pressing my spine at an angle that only intensifies the pain. My hands are numb from lack of circulation, and the discomfort spreads through my back, radiating in waves of agony that increase with each passing second.
• My mind is a fog of broken memories, disjointed fragments that I can barely organize. I try to remember how I got here, the moment the black van appeared, but darkness engulfs my memories, and all that remains is the distant echo of fear and confusion. My thoughts are interrupted by the throbbing pain in my head.