Cassie slowly awakened, feeling a bone-chilling cold biting at her surroundings. Her eyes struggled to focus in the dim light that filled the room. The slow clinking of chains made her chest feel even heavier. Her hands were bound to an iron post, restricting her every movement. Her head still throbbed from the illness that had stricken her, and her body felt weak. But more than her bound body, it was her heart that was truly shattered.
In the corner of the room stood a familiar figure. Lucca. He stood motionless, his back turned to Cassie, while two others stood nearby—Delvin and Isabelle—seemingly unaffected by Cassie's increasing despair. Isabelle's face was filled with arrogance, while Delvin wore a thin smile, clearly enjoying Cassie's suffering.
"Lucca..." Cassie's voice trembled, barely audible. "Please, don't do this..."
