The room felt heavier with every passing second, as if the air itself had thickened and settled onto my shoulders, pressing down until it became hard to breathe.
The stone walls seemed closer than they had a moment ago, their cold presence closing in on me slowly and deliberately, like a predator savoring the fear of its prey.
I forced myself to inhale deeply, then exhale, over and over again, even though my chest burned with every breath I took. The silver chains bit into my wrists, the dull ache pulsing steadily and reminding me that struggling would only make things worse.
Panic rose instinctively, sharp and overwhelming, but I pushed it down with sheer will. Panic would not save me. It never had. I had survived worse than this, and I clung to that thought even as my body betrayed me with a faint tremor.
