Evaline:
The silence stretched long enough for it to start feeling alive.
Like it was watching me.
Waiting.
I didn't know how much time I had before Damian returned. And waiting blindly for him to return didn't seem like a good plan. That was surrender. And I wasn't about to do that.
My fingers curled slightly against the cold ground as I forced myself to focus. My body still felt weak, heavy in that unnatural way that told me the drug hadn't fully worn off, but I needed to know just how bad it was.
Could I stand? Could I run? Or would I collapse the moment I tried?
There was only one way to find out.
I took a slow breath, bracing myself as I planted my feet more firmly against the ground. The chains shifted faintly around my ankles, making the sound echo too loudly in the silence.
"Okay…" I whispered to myself before I pushed. And the moment I tried to stand, my body betrayed me.
