The corridor was dark, but not silent. Sienna’s heart beat in her throat as she moved through the shadows, the air thick with the oppressive scent of stone and age. She could hear her own breath, shallow, ragged, each exhale a testament to the growing anxiety that had become her constant companion since she had learned of Ryder’s imprisonment. She could feel the weight of the dungeon pressing down on her, the cold stone walls wrapping her in a prison of their own.
Her hands trembled slightly as she ran her fingers over the smooth stone of the wall, her thoughts circling back to Ryder. His last words echoed in her mind: “You shouldn’t have come. You’re only making it worse.” He hadn’t wanted her here. He had begged her to stay away, to leave him to his fate, to escape the dangers of the Co
