A Distant Reverie

Chapter 33

All she could see was darkness. There was a layer of thick cloth covering her eyes, squeezing tightly against her skull. Her wrists were bound by rope. A pair of large hands firmly grasped her shoulders, prodding her forward. It was eerily quiet. Sometime during this ordeal, Suisei could no longer hear the discordant drumming of rain. The only constant noise were the footsteps of her captors, rhythmically echoing from the darkness.

Suddenly, the hand on her shoulder squeezed tight. Suisei froze, standing still in place. There was a faint shuffling around her, and then the rusty creak of something metallic moving. The rope on her wrist was suddenly cut.

Without warning, her captors shoved her forward.

"Ugh!"

With her eyes still blindfolded, Suisei fell to the ground, her face blasted with a mouthful of dirt. The impact sent a sharp pain reverberating from the side of her ribs, where she was struck during her earlier attempt to escape the black-cloaks. The metallic creak echoed behind her, ending with a resounding thump as if something was slammed close.

I'm in a prison, aren't I?

Suisei spat out the disgusting taste of earth and picked herself up. The journey here was hardly pleasant, but it could have gone much, much worse, considering she was a helpless girl captured by a bunch of violent freaks. The fact that she only suffered a bruised rib, a pair of sore wrists, and a mouthful of dirt was a blessing.

Well, for now, anyway. Who knows what they'll do to me now that I'm at their mercy?

With her hands freed, she removed her blindfolds. Her eyes took a brief moment to adjust to the darkness. She was in a small, empty cell, surrounded by stone. Barred doors blocked the exit. A torch affixed on the corridor outside dimly illuminated the space. The air was damp and cold.

Either I'm in a cave or somewhere deep underground.

Suisei sat still. Water dripped from her drenched water, creating puddle around her. The harrowing realization of her predicament slowly sunk in. The weight of despair suddenly pressed down on her shoulders. Overwhelmed, she wanted to break down—if not for the fact that she wasn't alone.

A pair of green eyes had been staring at her.

Her cellmate was seated across from her, leaning back against the stone wall, their legs crossed, hands rested on their chin. An air of nonchalance that didn't seem appropriate with their current situation.

They were dressed in clothes that Suisei assumed were typical of commoners in this world—long trousers, a white undershirt stained in murk, and a pair of faded overalls strapped over their shoulders.

Typical for a man of living in medieval Europe, maybe.

Except her cellmate was definitely a woman. A young lady to be exact, presumably a bit older than Suisei. She had a plain visage that was easy to look at. Hair at shoulder length, neatly cut with two braids dangling at the side of her face, and a pair of large, round eyes, glistening with an ethereal opulence, like emeralds glowing amongst bedrock.

Suisei was unnerved. The young lady's eyes bored into her intently, as if they were peering directly at her soul—daring to uncover whatever secrets Suisei was harboring. It was unsetting, and yet the girl made no efforts to relieve Suisei of her discomfort. Whether she was oblivious or simply rude, Suisei couldn't tell.

She couldn't take it anymore.

"Umm, yes?" Suisei said, shooting a glare at her cellmate. The girl, however, remained silent, unmoving. Her eyes never wavered.