The first thing Ember noticed wasn’t the room.
It was the quiet.
Not the peaceful kind.
Not forest-quiet. Not pack-quiet.
This was insulated.
Sealed.
Like sound itself had weight.
Vespera stirred beneath her skin, disoriented.
This isn’t earth.
Ember pushed herself upright slowly.
The room was circular. Stone walls etched with faint silver lines. No visible doors. No windows.
Soft, ambient light pulsed from the markings.
Containment.
But not iron.
Not cages.
No restraints on her wrists.
No chains.
Her flames flickered instinctively along her palms.
Nothing reacted.
No suppression.
No burn feedback.
She could still ignite.
Which meant…
“They want me functional.”
Her voice didn’t echo.
It absorbed.
Vespera’s tone was low, wary.
They want you willing.
Ember stood s
