Chapter 41: Chains of Fate
The world around Lyra spun as darkness closed in. She couldn't tell how long she was unconscious, only that when she awoke, the air was colder, harsher. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the dim light, the weight of the situation pressing down on her like a lead blanket.
Her wrists were bound. Thick, iron chains wrapped around them, securing her to a stone wall in a dimly lit cavern. The cold seeped into her skin, the stone behind her unyielding, its rough surface biting into her back.
She shivered, fear creeping into every fiber of her being as the reality of her situation sank in. Marcus had her. Kael wasn't here. She was alone.
Her heart pounded in her chest, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she struggled against the chains, the metal biting into her skin. The power inside her was restless, stirring beneath the surface, but it wasn't enough to break free.
"Struggling won't help you, Lyra."
