The dim glow of a single bulb flickered erratically, casting shadows across the barren, cold room. Mira groaned softly as her consciousness stirred, her eyelids heavy and her mind sluggish. As her vision cleared, the realization of where she was hit her like a thunderbolt.
Her breath quickened, and her chest heaved as she looked around. Bare walls, scattered tools, and a damp, musty smell surrounded her. Panic surged through her veins as fragmented memories began to return—the quiet alley, the sudden grip of an unseen hand, and those eyes. Cold, calculating, and merciless.
She gasped loudly, her cry echoing through the room. Her body jolted forward, only to be yanked back by the cold, unyielding chains binding her wrists and ankles to the chair. The metal links bit into her skin as she s
