Her head lolled to the side, and a laugh spilled free—soft at first, then growing, curling around the walls like a mocking chant.
Sergius froze mid-sob, bloodied hands shaking and clawing at the stone. Haspan’s whip halted mid-air, his chest heaving as his gaze snapped toward the bed.
Ariya was laughing—eyes still closed, body limp in her unnatural sleep, yet her voice carried a chilling, mirthless sound that cut through the chamber sharper than any whip.
Haspan’s fury faltered for the first time.
Sergius, still cowering in agony, turned wide eyes toward her.
The laugh didn’t stop. It only grew louder, as though she heard everything, as though her slumber was no prison at all.
Haspan’s nostrils flared, his jaw snapping tight as Ariya’s laughter rippled through the chamber.
“You dare
