Maelis POV

I jerked awake with a loud gasp, my body instinctively trying to bolt upright. But a harsh force yanked me back, slamming my spine against hard wood. The impact rattled my teeth, and I nearly tipped over, chair and all.

I was tied up?

“You're awake.”

A male voice drifted beside me. My neck was stiff, but I forced my head to turn. There sat Viktor. He was in the same position as me, bound tightly to a heavy wooden chair.

“Viktor?” I gasped, my throat dry and scratchy. “What are you… why are we…”

The words died in my throat as memory crashed over me like a...