Waking up in this new environment was scary of course but may I dare say that it wasn't as bad as what I had just gone through. I couldn't even scream out of shock because my voice felt so weak and I'd screamed more than enough, I was also so glad that I was no longer in that desolate void my mind was still not fully functional and I was not thinking clearly, my mind was still fixated on the memories I have of that place
"After getting hit by the dark energy orb Natalie attacked me with and hearing my father's desperate shout the last thing I remember was darkness, he was then enveloped in a cold, void of emptiness where nothing existed but utter silence to give him company, his desperate shouts remained unanswered leaving him with a crushing sense of isolation for what felt like an eternity.
Lucian was finally brought back to earth by a sharp, throbbing pain that coursed through his entire body. His head pounded, his muscles ached, and his skin felt raw and bruised. Blinking away the darkness, he tried to push himself up, only to fall back onto the cold, grimy floor of the prison cell. The stench of mold and decay filled his nostrils making him puke but he didn't even care as he looked up and saw a flickering light bulb which was dimly lit hanging on the ceiling
Lucian groaned and tried to sit up slowly.
His vision was blurred and he had to steady himself against the wall. The rough stone bit into his palm, grounding him in the harsh reality of his situation. He was alone, battered, and imprisoned. His heart ached not just from physical pain but from the emotional toll of the betrays of his own mother even though he doesn't see her as his mother anymore it still hurt him but what took over all his being and heart was the most dangerous thing of all it was fear as he whispered to himself "Stay strong," but it sounded like false hope nonetheless. The kind of thing you say when you have nothing else to cling to
I looked down at my hands, noticing the whip marks for the first time. Where did these come from? My fingers traced the whipping marks and a shiver ran through me. They looked old, like they'd been there for weeks. But that didn't make sense. Hadn't it just been moments since I was hit by that orb? Time felt slippery, impossible to grasp.
"I wonder why my body has all these whipping marks" I asked with confusion but the question didn't matter to me for long as I soon found a new thing to worry about which was this new strange place. Lucian then looks around, trying to assess his surroundings. The cell was small, with a single barred window high up on one wall, too high for him to reach. A rusted metal door stood at the opposite end, with a small, barred opening through which he could see a dimly lit corridor. The oppressive silence was punctuated only by the occasional drip of water and the distant clanging of metal
"Where am I?" he muttered, his voice hoarse and weak.
Lucian struggled to his feet, every movement sending waves of pain through his body. He limped to the door and peered through the bars, trying to see if anyone was nearby but seeing no one he felt defeated and sat back down out of the pain that vibrated through his back but still didn't give up and yelled "Is anyone here?
There was no response. Lucian felt a surge of anger and frustration. How had he ended up here? Why was he being treated like this? Why was he here? And most importantly, how was he going to get out?
He banged on the door with his fist, ignoring the pain that flared in his knuckles. "Hey! Let me out! I didn't do anything! Why am I here?
Footsteps echoed down the corridor, and Lucian's heart leaped. He backed away from the door as a shadow appeared outside. The small barred opening in the door was filled with a face he didn't recognize—a guard with a cold, disgusted and indifferent expression
Without a word, the guard sneered and then turned, walking away, leaving Lucian alone once more. The reality of his situation hit him like a ton of bricks. He was trapped in a dungeon, at the mercy of someone who had already shown she had no qualms about hurting him.
Lucian sank back down to the floor, leaning against the wall. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he blinked them away. He couldn't afford to break down now. He needed to stay strong, to find a way out. His thoughts drifted to his father and Marie Anne. Were they okay? Did they know where he was?
"Stay strong," he whispered to himself, clenching his fists despite the pain.
As the hours passed, Lucian tried to come up with a plan. He examined every inch of the cell, looking for any weakness or hidden escape route. His mind raced with thoughts of his family, of Natalie's cruel smile, and of the unknown dangers that lay ahead.
Despite the overwhelming fear and despair, a spark of determination burned within him. He wouldn't give up. He couldn't. For his father, for Marie Anne, and for himself, he would find a way out of this hellish place.
And when he did, he would make sure Natalie paid for what she had done. After finally relaxing a bit another guard passes his cell by
"Don't tell me you puked you useless Jelly Belly"
Lucian thinks to himself
"Jelly Belly?" I echoed, confused. What is that? Was he calling me fat? I touched my face, my cheeks felt... different, fuller may I add before looking at my arms which I just noticed gained rolls of fat. Panic spiked through me. What had happened to me? What had she done?
"Who am I?" The words slipped out before I could stop them, a whisper I never thought I would ask in all my years of existence. The world spun, darkness creeping in at the edges of my vision. I didn't fight it. I was just too tired and my eyes genuinely couldn't open any longer as I fell unconscious
*End of Chapter *