Dahlia's eyes fluttered open, wincing as a sharp pain pulsed from her neck. She groaned, attempting to lift her hands, but they wouldn't budge. Bound tightly to a cold metal chair, her wrists and ankles were wrapped in rough ropes, digging into her skin.
Her heart raced as she glanced around, realizing she was locked in a pitch-black room with no windows, just the faint sound of water dripping somewhere in the shadows.
"Help!" she screamed, straining against the restraints, her voice echoing off the unseen walls. She twisted her wrists, but the ropes only tightened, biting deeper into her skin.
Suddenly, the door creaked open, casting a thin line of light across the floor. Two men stepped inside, their faces obscured in the darkness. "Shut up," one of them commanded, his tone cold and unyielding. "Unless you want us to silence you for good."
