NINA'S POV
The first thing that welcomed me was a sharp pain in my head, like I had been shot at point blank range. My whole body ached in places I didn't know was possible. I couldn't hear anything, the place was dead silent, my breath was the only sound, shallow and hesitant, echoing faintly against unseen stone walls.
I willed myself to open my eyes but my lids were heavy. I let out a groan, my hands blindly searching for something, anything. The ground beneath me was rough and uneven, small rocks biting into my skin.
The air smelled of damp earth and minerals, cold and raw, like the breath of something ancient. A shiver crawled down my spine, I couldn't tell if it was from the chill or the weight of the darkness pressing down on me. I took deep shallow breaths, grounding myself.
