Chapter 10: Bound by Shadows
595 Words
Alina’s pulse pounded like a war drum in her chest.
The cold metal of the handcuffs bit into her skin, a stark reminder of the reality she was trapped in. She tugged at them again, hoping—praying—that maybe they were looser than before.
They weren’t.
Viktor stood a few feet away, watching her struggle with an expression of amusement. He hadn’t moved since locking her in this windowless, soulless room.
“This is pointless,” she spat, yanking harder. “You can’t keep me like this!”
He tilted his head, his gaze unreadable. “Can’t I?”
Alina clenched her jaw. “You’re insane.”
Viktor let out a low chuckle, stepping closer. His presence filled the space, suffocating.
“You say that a lot.”
“Because it’s true,” she shot back.
He crouched in front of her, his fingers brushing over the cuffs. “Maybe,” he mused. “But you’re still here.”
Alina yanked her wrists back, glaring at him. “Because you chained me here.”
Viktor’s lips curled. “And yet, part of you still thinks you can fight me.”
Her breathing quickened.
He was enjoying this. The power. The control.
“You should rest,” Viktor said, standing up. “You’ll need your strength.”
Alina’s stomach twisted. “For what?”
Viktor turned toward the door but didn’t answer.
She lurched forward, the cuffs digging into her skin. “Viktor!”
He paused.
Then, without another word, he walked out, the heavy door locking behind him.
She was alone.
Alina exhaled shakily, her body sinking back against the chair.
Her mind was a storm of thoughts. How long would he keep her here? What was he planning?
She needed to get out.
No matter what it took.
---
A Game of Control
Time passed.
Minutes. Hours. Maybe more.
Alina’s wrists ached. She had tried everything—twisting, pulling, even attempting to slip her hand free—but the cuffs held tight.
The air in the room was stale, pressing down on her like an invisible weight.
Then—
The door creaked open.
Alina’s head snapped up as Viktor stepped inside, a tray in his hands. The scent of warm food filled the air, making her stomach clench painfully.
He set the tray on a small table near the wall.
“I assume you’re hungry.”
Alina swallowed hard, her pride warring with her hunger.
She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of asking.
Viktor sighed, pulling up a chair across from her. He reached for the plate and—to her horror—began cutting a piece of the meal.
Then he lifted the fork to her lips.
“Eat.”
Alina stiffened.
She wasn’t a child. She wasn’t his pet.
She turned her face away.
Viktor’s gaze darkened. “Alina.”
Silence.
Then—a test.
Slowly, deliberately, Viktor took a bite of the food himself.
He chewed, swallowed, and then tried again, lifting the fork to her mouth.
“I won’t ask again.”
Alina’s heart hammered.
Every fiber of her being told her to resist—to deny him this victory.
But hunger gnawed at her, ruthless and unrelenting.
She hesitated—just for a second.
And that was enough.
Viktor smirked.
She hated him for it.
But she parted her lips, taking the bite.
It was humiliating.
And Viktor knew it.
“Good girl,” he murmured.
Alina’s hands curled into fists.
She had lost this round.
But the war was far from over.
To be continued…
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- Writer
