I'M THE HERO

Chapter 8: Deal

RYAZANIA POV:

I woke up with a throbbing headache, pain shooting through my skull as my eyes opened to a blurry, hazy view. 

My thoughts were muddled, and I struggled to remember what had happened before I lost consciousness. 

The last thing I recalled was fighting a shadowy figure and then being struck down, the memory ending with a jarring impact.

Now I found myself in a dimly lit room. 

My arms and feet were shackled to the ground, forcing me into a kneeling position. 

The air was thick and foul, filled with the stench of rot and decay.

 It was nauseating, and I could barely keep my stomach from turning over.

 I glanced around, my vision gradually clearing, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

 My head throbbed with each heartbeat, and it was hard to focus through the pain.

I needed to find a way out, but first, I had to get a handle on where I was and what was happening to me.

 The chains were heavy, and the dim lighting made it hard to see beyond a few feet in any direction.

 Who captured me, and why? More importantly, was there a way to escape? I thought to myself

As my vision cleared, I saw that the room was made of stone, the walls damp and moss-covered. Water dripped from the ceiling, forming small puddles on the uneven ground. The floor around me was stained with who-knows-what, but I didn't want to think too much about it. The chains holding me were thick and heavy, looped through large iron rings embedded in the stone. 

They wouldn't be easy to break or slip out of.

The only light in the room came from a dim lantern hanging on the far wall, casting long shadows that seemed to shift and twist as I moved my head.

 I tried to move my arms and legs, but the chains kept me firmly in place, allowing only a slight degree of motion.

 I had to think, to figure out a way to loosen or break the chains, but with my head pounding, clear thoughts were hard to come by.

As I tried to assess my surroundings, I heard faint sounds coming from outside the room. Footsteps, slow and deliberate, grew louder as they approached the door.

 It was a heavy wooden door, reinforced with iron bands. I heard the distinct sound of a key turning in the lock, and the door creaked open.

A figure entered, tall and shrouded in a long cloak. 

The hood obscured their face, and they carried a staff with a glowing orb at its tip, casting eerie blue light throughout the room. 

The light revealed intricate runes carved into the walls, patterns that I couldn't recognize.

The figure moved slowly toward me, each step echoing in the chamber. "So, you're awake," they said, their voice low and gravelly. "I was wondering how long it would take."

I tried to speak, but my throat was dry and sore, and all I could manage was a croak.

 I had questions, so many questions, but I knew I had to be careful. I didn't know who this person was or what they wanted with me, but I had to stay calm and not show fear.

The figure stopped a few feet away, their gaze fixed on me. "You have something I want," they said, their voice sending shivers down my spine. "And you're going to tell me where to find it."