EMILIA’S POV

A low groan slipped from my lips as I forced my eyes open. My head throbbed violently, like someone had cracked it open with a hammer. The air was cold and thick, heavy with dust and the faint smell of iron.

My wrists burned.

When I tried to move, I realized I couldn’t.

Ropes. Tight, rough, cutting into my skin. I was tied to a chair—arms bound behind me, ankles strapped to the legs. Panic hit me like a wave. My heart slammed against my ribs as I pulled hard, but the ropes didn’t budge.

“Finally awake?”

The voice froze me. Familiar. Sharp. Venomous.

I lifted my head...