It felt as though a hammer had been plunged down hard against Soleia's skull by the time she woke up. Her eyelids felt heavy as she struggled to peel them open, and when she did, Soleia wondered for a second to herself if she even opened her eyes at all.
For one thing, her surroundings were immensely dark, and for another, everything smelt like the horrible sewage water that trickled under the town's stone paths.
She strained her ears. In the distance, Soleia could hear the sound of water dripping. However, there was nothing much else she could catch― not even the squeaks of rats or mice.
Soleia's lips parted, prepared to call out for help, but she paused. The word remained choked in her throat as she furrowed her eyebrow.
Perhaps it would be best to stay quiet. She wasn't sure what the old storekeeper wanted with her, and if she knew that Soleia was awake, she might be served yet another cup of lavender tea to send her off to sleep.
