The room smelled of damp stone and fear, but Selene refused to let it touch her. She had been quiet, restrained, cautious, but far from powerless. Every second alone, every interaction with her captor, every careful observation she stored it all. Memorized every movement. Every weakness. Every predictable gesture.
He returned again, as always, calm and measured. “You should give in,” he said softly, circling her like a predator assessing its prey. Selene shifted slightly, testing her restraints. “I don’t,” she said, her voice steady. A pause. “Interesting,” he murmured. Selene smirked faintly, feeling a flicker of control. Because control, she realized, was mental first.
She began planting seeds small acts of defiance. Shifting her gaze in ways meant to unsettle. Answering questions in r
