This time when Day gained consciousness the ropes binding him had turned to chains. That was not ideal. Every inch of his body ached, from the sharp sting of the metal that held his hands above his head, to the dull ache of his mangled leg.
Immediately, he squinted and tried to clear his blurry vision. There was a way out of every situation-always-he just needed to find this one. This was not a time to panic, although he could feel the repressed worry continually churning in his mind. Now was not the time for that. He would freak out about this definitely, but later.
He was pinned to the wall by chains that pulled his body upright, while his feet were held with chains from the floor. The darkness of the space meant he couldn't see much, but that didn't matter; he knew where he was. The smell of the damp stone, the frankly tacky sconces fixed to the wall. It was a shit recreation of a medieval dungeon, and Day had never cared for it.
Without warning, a light burst from the previously unlit wall, and a figure from the shadows stepped into view. Her thin silhouette was accented by the sharpness of her features, all the way to the severe scowl she wore.
Instantly, Day's back straightened. "Madam." He acknowledged her without thinking, not meeting her gaze. That was probably a bad decision, he thought, after the word had already left his mouth. In situations like these, captives held very little power. Whatever ounce he had, he was already giving away on reflex.
"Huh," the woman sneered, "so at least you still have some manners. Surprising."
Day waited for a quick response to pop into his mind, or to bypass his mind entirely and go straight to his mouth as was common, but none came. Instead, his breathing began to tighten. It had been a long time since he had genuinely felt fear. It was almost a foreign sensation at this point, but still impossible to not recognize.
"I'm sure you've already guessed," the woman continued, after a long pause, "but this next bit is going to be very painful for you."
At that, Day glanced up. "It always is with you."
The woman lunged forward and grabbed Day's face, her long nails digging into the sides of his cheeks. "You ungrateful child! You have no loyalty, no honor! Any pain you have been given is well deserved!" Her nails dug in deeper until Day could feel drops of blood slide to his chin.
She pulled her nails out and slapped Day across the face, sending bits of blood to the floor.
Taking a step back, she seemed to regain her calm composure. "What?" She asked, "no smart response to that?"
"I am loyal," Day said quickly, surprising himself by how deeply the insinuation that he wasn't had cut into him, "you just don't get to decide to who. I do."
"Tell that to the children you left!"
Day froze.
The woman smiled, her upturned lips even more menacing than her scowl. "You don't know the meaning of loyalty." She sighed dramatically, before stepping closer. "The fault is always on the parent though, isn't it? I raised you, so I will handle your punishment personally."
She paused before turning her back and stepping into the darkness, "You will be a warning. No one will dare do what you have done ever again."
At once she was gone, and Day was engulfed in complete darkness.