I don't know how long I sat there after he left, but the silence eventually became unbearable.
My wrists were free—he had untied me before leaving—but the heavy metal door of my cell was still locked. There was nowhere to go. No way to step outside. All I could do was move toward the iron bars and press my palms against the cold metal, trying to understand where I was.
The dim bulb above me flickered, making the shadows crawl and stretch across the corridor.
I wrapped my fingers around the bars and leaned forward.
That was when I noticed them.
A long line of identical doors facing each other… each one with a rusted number plate screwed above the latch. The corridor extended farther than I'd realized—vanishing into a thick, unmoving darkness that swallowed everything beyond it.
My breath trembled as I began counting them—quietly, barely mouthing the numbers.
One…
Two…
Three…
My eyes followed the numbers on the far wall. Each cell door was sealed shut. No windows. No cracks. Just metal and silence.
Four…
Five…
Six…
Not a single voice.
Not a single shuffle.
Not even breathing.
Only the low hum of a tired ventilation system somewhere above me, pushing stale, metallic-smelling air through the basement.
My grip on the bars tightened.
Seven…
Eight…
Nine…
Ten…
Then my gaze froze on the door directly across from mine.
Number 11.
My number.
A cold pressure gathered at the back of my throat.
Was I alone here?
Or were there others… simply choosing to stay silent?
I pressed my forehead lightly against the bars, my fingertips shaking.
"Is anyone here?" I whispered. I didn't really expect an answer—but I hoped for one.
Silence devoured my voice instantly.
I didn't try again.
I didn't even breathe too loudly.
I just stood there, clinging to the metal, my heart pounding against my ribs, trying to understand where I'd been brought…
And wondering whether I was truly alone in this suffocating corridor—
—or if someone else was holding their breath in the darkness right along with me.
In a basement this old..
This deep..
There had to be a passage.
I followed the faint breeze of my cell, scanning the walls.
And then I saw it.
A small square opening above my bathroom — a rusted grate in the wall, high, dusty, old. A forgotten chimney-like ventilation shaft. My heart pounded so loudly I feared someone would hear.
"That's it…" I whispered.
But it was far above my reach.
My eyes darted around until I found a wooden stool beside the bathroom. It scraped the floor loudly as I dragged it, and each sound made my stomach twist, but I didn't stop.
On the grate,I placed the chair which he had bound me earlier,then placed the stool on it,then placed my chair and climbed on.
The chair wobbled.
My knees nearly gave out from fear.
I reached up — my fingertips touched the cold metal.
I stretched higher, pushing onto my toes, grabbing the screws. They groaned, old and loose.
I twisted.
Creaaak…
One screw fell.
Then another.
I froze—listened—no footsteps.
I kept going until the last screw dropped to the ground.
Dust rained over me when I pulled the grate free. I covered my mouth, coughing silently.
Behind it stretched a narrow, dark passage. Cramped. Dusty. But open.
And full of the air I'd been following.
There was no time to think.
I pushed myself up, scraping my elbows on the stone. My feet found leverage. My hands gripped the old bricks. Inch by inch, I pulled myself inside, crawling deeper.
The basement faded behind me.
The darkness changed around me.
And for the first time since I woke here…
I felt hope.
Even if it was small.
Even if it might break.
I kept crawling toward it.
__________________
The moment I crawled out of the narrow shaft, cold air hit my face. I didn't stop to breathe. I didn't stop to think. I ran.
My feet slapped the ground, slipping on wet grass as the night swallowed me whole. Behind me, an alarm blared—shrill, sharp, echoing across the estate.
They knew.
They knew I was gone.
The guards' shouts tore through the silence.
"There! She's out—stop her!"
My lungs burned. My legs ached. But adrenaline kept me moving. I sprinted across the wide field, eyes fixed on the shadowy line of the forest.
If I reached the trees, I'd have a chance.
A car engine roared to life behind me. Headlights flashed over my back. I threw myself to the left as the vehicle sped forward, trying to cut me off.
"No—no, please—" I gasped through my teeth, forcing my legs to move faster.
Branches brushed my arms as I reached the forest edge and plunged inside. Darkness swallowed everything. The car couldn't follow between the trees, but the men could. And they did.
Their footsteps pounded the earth, getting closer.
I ducked into a thick bush, pushing myself low, holding my breath until my chest screamed. Leaves scratched my skin. My heart thrashed so loudly I feared they would hear it.
Their voices drew nearer.
"Spread out!"
"She couldn't have gone far!"
"Check the bushes!"
I covered my mouth with my shaking hand.
For a second—just a second—I thought I might be safe.
Then I saw them.
A pair of polished, expensive shoes stopped right in front of me.
My blood turned to ice.
A hand reached down slowly, brushing aside vines and leaves like he already knew I was there—like he enjoyed uncovering me.
His fingers curled around the greenery, lifting it.
My breath hitched.
Chestnut hair.
Unblinking brown eyes.
Face too calm for the chaos around us.
He stared at me, and I felt everything inside me collapse.
He didn't speak.
Didn't ask why I ran.
He just grabbed my wrist and yanked me out of the bushes with terrifying ease.
I stumbled, dirt streaking my knees, but he didn't loosen his grip.
Not even a little.