Bounded by shadows

attered body screamed in protest, but the searing mark on her skin drowned out all other pain. She wanted

ess beyond the square. No one dared move. No one dared speak. Even the executioners-thos

away from the torches and the hungry eyes. Then, without warning, it stopped. A heavy wooden door creaked open, the scent of damp stone and bu

ankets. The contrast was jarring. Her vision blurred, and for a moment, she could only focus on her own bre

lickering lanterns, their glow barely reaching the high ceiling. Shelves lined the walls, filled with ancient texts, glass v

ws, its form shifting, unreadable.

te everything, she didn't flinch. The mark on her skin pulsed. It reached out, not to strike

e curling around her, neither cruel nor kin

One tilted its head, as though considering her question. Then, slowly,

be m