Islinda slowly regained consciousness, only to find herself surrounded by utter darkness, disoriented and unsure of her surroundings. Confusion clouded her mind as she tried to piece together where she was and how she got there. As if some forces were at work, the thick darkness receded and gradually, her senses sharpened, the details of her environment emerging from the shadows.
As her vision adjusted to the dim light, Islinda's eyes widened in realization. She wasn't in a familiar place at all. Instead, she found herself standing outside a prison cell, the cold metal bars casting eerie shadows in the darkness. Inside the cell, a figure sat hunched over, barely visible in the dim light.
