She had spent what felt like countless days exploring every corner of the bunker. The structure was a labyrinth of cold, damp corridors and small, cluttered rooms. Every step was taken with care, as she mapped the twists and turns in her mind, hoping to discover an exit. But each passage led only to more darkness, more dead ends.
Her memory remained a frustrating blank, offering nothing but the handkerchief, which she clung to as her only link to her identity. The bunker was devoid of any personal items, no belongings that might offer a clue to her past. The isolation was suffocating, and with each passing day, the weight of her amnesia pressed down harder, making her feel more lost than ever.
It was during one of these explorations that she stumbled upon a small, dust-covered library. The room was cramped, the shelves lined with old, forgotten books, their pages yellowed with age. The ceiling above had a small crack through which a sliver of light seeped in—a weak, but precious source of illumination. It was here, under that faint light, that she began to read.
To her surprise, she could read fluently, the words flowing easily in her mind. It was a revelation that suggested she had been well-educated before, but where or how remained a mystery. The books she found were not just any books; they were histories, detailing the Five Kingdoms of Azalia—Drachenwelt, Mermaia, Ambrosia, Wolfstadt, and Arcana.
Each kingdom was described in detail, from the fiery landscapes of Drachenwelt, home to dragonkind, to the enchanted waters of Mermaia, ruled by the elusive merfolk. Ambrosia was depicted as a land of plenty, a kingdom bathed in eternal twilight, ruled by vampires. Wolfstadt was wild and rugged, its people fierce and loyal, while Arcana was the mysterious realm of healer elves, shrouded in secrecy and magic.
Intriguing, she thought to herself. So she lives in a world full of magic and mythical beings. But that also made her wonder—was she one of them too? If she hadn't lost her memory, which kingdom would she have belonged to? Every kingdom was captivating, and the thought of seeing them all made her eager to leave the bunker. She could hardly wait to get out of there.
She absorbed every detail, the names and places sparking a faint sense of familiarity within her. But no matter how much she read, nothing triggered any memory. The kingdoms remained as distant as her own past, tantalising yet unreachable. Still, the knowledge gave her comfort, a small piece of the world outside her prison that she could hold onto. She continued reading until she fell asleep from exhaustion.
❛ ━━━━━━･❪ 🎕 ❫ ･━━━━━━ ❜
It's been three days…
She'd never thought she would encounter such a dilemma, three days had passed, and the dumbwaiter remained silent. Each day, she waited with growing anxiety, her eyes fixed on the spot where the food had always arrived. At first, she tried to reassure herself, thinking that perhaps her captor had simply forgotten their specific schedule. After all, the routine had been so precise, almost mechanical. Surely, they wouldn't just stop without reason. Who is she trying to fool? She doesn't know these people. They definitely have a reason why they stopped giving her food.
As the hours and days dragged on and the dumbwaiter stayed still, her hope began to wither. She counted the moments, her nerves fraying as her remaining food supply dwindled. Each meal she took from the carefully rationed leftovers felt like a step closer to an abyss. The bread, once warm and fragrant, had become stale; the meat, once juicy and savoury, was now dry and unappealing. She had already eaten the last of the fruit, the sweetness now a distant memory.
The silence of the bunker pressed in on her, heavier than ever. What if something had happened? Or worse, what if they had decided to leave her here to die? The thought chilled her, more than the cold, unyielding walls ever could.
Her mind raced with possibilities. Had she been forgotten, left to starve in this forsaken place? The uncertainty gnawed at her, as relentless as her growing hunger. She knew she couldn't last much longer like this. The food she had left wouldn't sustain her for more than another day or two.
And so, she waited still, every passing second a cruel reminder of her helplessness, the silence only broken by the echo of her own despair…