The darkness pressed against me like a physical thing, stealing my breath and clouding my mind with panic. I couldn't tell how many hours had passed since Julian locked me in this cellar. My prison. My nightmare.
Another scurrying sound from the corner sent a fresh wave of terror through me. I pressed myself harder against the cold wall, drawing my knees to my chest.
"Please," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Please let me out."
The silence that answered crushed what little hope remained in my chest. As my eyes adjusted slightly to the darkness, shadows took shape—moving, darting, circling. Rats. Just like when I was a child.
The memory crashed over me with stunning clarity.
I was eight years old again, being brought to the Valois Estate for the first time after the orphanage decided to transfer me. Standing small and terrified in the grand entrance hall, clutching a worn teddy bear—my only possession.
