The sound of Ava's ragged breathing filled the dark, narrow corridor as she darted from shadow to shadow, every muscle in her body screaming in protest. Her feet pounded against the cold, uneven stone floor, and her heart thundered in her chest like a war drum. Each step was a calculated risk, a desperate gamble against the unforgiving odds that seemed determined to crush her spirit.
She had no time to dwell on the pain in her side where a fresh wound throbbed, or the dizziness threatening to pull her under. There was only the instinct to survive, to escape the clutches of those who wanted her broken and defeated. Her body moved on autopilot, her mind focused on one thing: getting out of this hellhole alive.
