The darkness was absolute.
Alex woke with a gasp, his body screaming in protest. His hands were bound above his head, chains cutting into his wrists. The air was cold and damp. The smell of mold and decay filled his nostrils.
He was in a cell. A prison. The Ancients' prison.
The last thing he remembered was the ambush. The explosion. His team being scattered. Elena's scream.
He had to get out. He had to find them.
"Hello, Alexander."
The voice came from the shadows. Cold. Familiar. The leader of the Ancients.
Alex strained against his chains. "Where are my people? What did you do to them?"
"They're alive. For now." The figure stepped into the light. A woman. Tall. Regal. Her eyes burning with ancient power. "I'm impressed. You survived the ambush. Most would have died."
"I'm not m
