Lorcan's heart pounded in his chest, the rhythmic drumming a stark contrast to the oppressive silence of the dark room.
Chains clinked as he shifted uncomfortably, his wrists raw and chafed beneath the cold, unforgiving metal of the handcuffs that held him against the stone wall.
The dim light flickered, casting grotesque shadows that danced mockingly around him. His breaths came in ragged gasps, the taste of iron and fear bitter on his tongue.
"You will go fetch her. Bring her to me. Go to the kingdom of Samai and all other kingdoms and small villages; bring her to me." The voice was deep, resonant, filling the room with a chilling command. It echoed in the void, a disembodied threat that seemed to seep into the very stones around them.
The man who had been addressed bowed low, his silhouette barely discernible in the gloom, and then he left without a word, the door closing behind him with a final, ominous thud.
