Before Amelia could utter another word, the first crack of the whip sliced through the air and struck her back.

A raw, piercing scream tore from her throat, the sound echoing off the cold, stone walls. The pain was sharp, blinding, and immediate, pulling tears from her eyes with just the first lash. But it was only the beginning.

The second blow landed harder, and Amelia’s body jolted violently. Her cries grew louder, a mix of agony and fury spilling from her lips as the whip kept tearing into her flesh. The strikes came without mercy, each one igniting fresh waves of unbearable pain.

Nadia, who was held tightly by...