The moment my eyes fluttered open, the pain hit all at once — every inch of my body screaming in protest. If I had been standing, I would’ve hit the floor by now.
My first instinct was to reach out to Ria — to feel her presence, her strength — but she was gone. Silent.
I couldn’t sense her at all.
Panic surged in my chest.
What have I done?
She warned me about pushing too far… about her taking over… and now? I didn’t even know if she was still alive in me. Maybe the drug they used — whatever the hell it was had suppressed her. I could only pray that was all it did.
I took a moment to really look around and the change hit me immediately.
This wasn’t the same cell.
They’d moved me.
Not just to another room — to a completely different dungeon. The air was colder here, heavier. This w
