Illyana's POV
My head throbbed, a dull, persistent ache that pulsed in time with the distant banging that echoed from somewhere above. As I came to, more pains starting seeping into my awareness. My wrists and ankles, raw and chafed from the ropes, screamed in protest with every small movement, every involuntary twitch. A dull ache pulsed between my legs, a sickening reminder of… something I didn’t want to remember. My cheek stung, hot and swollen, the ghost of his hand a searing brand on my skin.
I blinked, my eyes struggling to focus in the dim light of the basement, the flickering bulb casting long, distorted shadows that danced menacingly on the damp concrete walls. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood and decay, a suffocating miasma that clung to the back of my throat,
