"Haaa... Haaa..."
Alaric's chest heaved. Air dragged through his nose in sharp pulls.
Where?
His arms wouldn't move. He tried again, harder. Something cold and metallic dug into his wrists. They're wrapped tight around his wrists, biting into skin.
"Where am I?"
The words died in his throat. As something filled his mouth. A gag. Tied so tight his jaw ached.
He forced his eyes open wider. Blinked. Tried to see.
But he couldn't.
Just darkness. No shapes, no light at all.
Nothing at all.
The chair beneath him creaked when he shifted weight.
What happened? How did I get here?
His heart slammed against his ribs. Sweat ran down his temples despite the cold. The air smelled stale. Then the darkness moved.
Not slowly. All at once, like fabric ripping apart.
Golden light flooded in. Alaric's eyes burned, he squeezed them shut, then cracked them open again.
And saw, high ceilings stretched above him. Marble pillars. Chandeliers. Silk tapestries embroidered with gold thread.
