The cold stone floor of the cage felt like ice against Bella’s skin, a constant reminder of her captivity. Every inch of her body screamed in pain, bruised and battered from the days of abuse. She had lost track of how long she had been here, trapped in the darkness, separated from everything she once knew. But the worst part wasn’t the physical torment—it was the emptiness, the gnawing feeling that she had been forgotten, abandoned by the very people who had once loved her.
Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor, drawing Bella’s attention. The door to her cage creaked open, and a guard, one she had seen before, stepped inside. His eyes gleamed with malice as he reached for her, his grip rough as he yanked her to her feet.
“You’ve been a thorn in our side for far too long,” the guard growled, his fingers digging into Bella’s arms as he dragged her out of the cage. “Time to remind you of your place.”
Bella’s head swam as he shoved her to the cold ground. Her limbs ached from the abuse, her body refusing to cooperate as she tried to push herself up. She was weak, too weak to defend herself, but the fire inside her refused to die. She fought back with every ounce of strength she had left, kicking, scratching, trying to claw her way free. But he was too strong, and soon he had her pinned beneath him, his weight pressing down on her, suffocating her.
The guard grinned wickedly, his hand reaching for her, his intentions clear. Bella’s heart raced, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she struggled beneath him. Fear clawed at her chest, but she refused to give in. She wouldn’t let him have control over her, not again. She would fight until her last breath.
But just as he was about to carry out his brutal intentions, a voice rang out from the shadows, cutting through the silence.
“Enough.”
Esmera stepped into view, her eyes cold and calculating as she regarded the scene. She looked down at Bella, her lips curling into a cruel smile. “You’re pathetic,” Esmera sneered, her gaze flicking back to the guard. “You’re not the one who gets to break her. She’s mine to destroy, not yours.”
The guard hesitated, clearly taken aback by Esmera’s interruption. Bella could feel the weight of her words, the way they twisted in her mind. She was Esmera’s target. She was the one Esmera wanted to break. The thought sent a cold shiver through Bella’s spine.
Esmera stepped forward, her heels clicking sharply against the floor as she approached Bella. She crouched down, her fingers brushing Bella’s cheek in a mockingly gentle gesture. “You thought you could escape your fate, didn’t you?” Esmera whispered, her voice dripping with disdain. “You thought Kael would come for you. But he won’t. You’re nothing to him, nothing but a broken, worthless rogue.”
Bella’s heart skipped painfully in her chest. Esmera’s words were like poison, twisting inside her, but she refused to let them take root. She refused to let Esmera see her crumble. No matter how much she had been broken, no matter how much she had been humiliated, she wasn’t going to give Esmera the satisfaction of seeing her defeated.
Esmera’s smile faded as she stood, turning away with a flick of her wrist. “Make her disappear,” she ordered, her voice low and threatening. “If Kael comes close, you know what to do.”
Bella’s breath caught in her throat at the chilling command. Her mind raced, a cold wave of fear crashing over her as she realized what Esmera was truly capable of. She had been so focused on surviving, on keeping her hope alive, that she hadn’t fully understood the extent of Esmera’s malice. Esmera wanted to destroy her, and she was willing to do anything to ensure Bella never saw the light of day again.
The guard moved toward Bella, his cruel smile returning. “Don’t worry,” he muttered, as he reached for her again. “We’ll make sure you never get the chance to escape.”
As he closed in on her, Bella’s vision blurred, her body weakening with every passing second. She could barely stay conscious, the weight of exhaustion dragging her under. But through the haze of pain and fear, one thought remained clear: Kael. She had to hold on. She had to survive.