Chapter 22 — The Beginning of Pain
The chains were cold. Metallic. Unyielding. Every movement Seren made sent a shiver through her bones—not from chill, but from the reality of her situation. Her wrists ached from the unnatural angles, her ankles burned with the pressure of restraint. Every breath she took was shallow, tense, weighted with fear. Ren didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. His presence alone was enough to anchor terror in her chest. He circled the room slowly, eyes scanning her as if she were a specimen under observation, noting every twitch, every flicker of fear, every breath she drew. “You’re shaking,” he said finally. Flat. Calm. A statement, not a question. Seren’s lips quivered. She swallowed hard. Her throat was dry. “I… I’m cold,” she whispered, though she knew he wouldn’t believe her. The cold wasn’t
- Writer
