Esmeralda groaned as she stirred, her head throbbing with sharp pain. She blinked slowly, her vision blurry and distorted. A dim light flickered above her, casting faint shadows in the room.
It took a moment for her to realize that she wasn’t at home. The faint smell of dampness and the cold, hard surface beneath her hands and feet sent a jolt of fear through her.
She tried to move but found herself restrained. Her arms and legs were bound tightly to a wooden chair, and a rough cloth gag was tied around her mouth. Panic surged through her chest as her breathing quickened.
Her eyes darted around, taking in her surroundings. The room was small and sparsely furnished, with bare walls and a single flickering bulb overhead. A table sat in the corner, cluttered with items she couldn’t make
