Elsie’s POV

I should’ve felt relieved as I took the last step down into the basement, but instead, every nerve in my body screamed at me to run. The air was suffocating, thick with the stench of mold, blood, and something metallic I didn’t want to name. My chest felt heavy, like I’d been carrying this weight for days, but I couldn’t let it show. Not now. Not in front of her.

Behind me, Mia’s figure floated, her wrists and ankles bound with glowing chains that shimmered faintly in the dim light. She wasn’t struggling as much as I thought she would. Maybe she was trying to save her strength,...