Jelo woke up slowly, his consciousness clawing its way back through layers of darkness and confusion. His head throbbed with a dull, persistent ache, and his face felt swollen where the punch had connected. For a moment, he couldn't remember where he was or what had happened.
Then awareness came flooding back, along with the realization that something was very wrong.
He tried to move his arms and found them completely immobilized. His eyes snapped open, and he discovered he was tied to a pillar, thick ropes wrapped around his torso and arms, binding him securely to the vertical support structure. His feet were still on the ground, but his upper body was completely restrained, leaving him unable to defend himself or escape.
As his vision cleared and adjusted to the bright lights, Jelo took in his surroundings with growing understanding and a strange sense of dark anticipation.
