Bound by Shadows

Chapter 15

### Chapter 15: The Eve of the Auction

The sound of footsteps echoed down the long, narrow hallway. Adira’s heart thudded in her chest, her nerves on edge as the guards approached her cell. She had been moved twice in the last few days, each location more suffocating than the last. The walls around her felt like they were closing in, the air heavy with a sense of impending doom. She knew the auction was close. She had heard whispers, caught fragments of conversations between the guards. It was just a matter of time before her fate was sealed.

The door to her cell creaked open, and two men stepped inside, their faces hard and impassive. Without a word, they unshackled her from the wall, but her hands were still bound tightly in front of her. She stumbled as they pulled her to her feet, her body weak from the lack of food and the constant torment.

"Move," one of them grunted, his grip tight on her arm.

Adira complied, too drained to fight. Every step sent a jolt of pain through her aching muscles, her legs barely able to hold her weight. They dragged her down the hall and into a dimly lit room where Ronan was waiting. His presence made her skin crawl. He leaned casually against the wall, watching her with that same smug expression she had come to loathe.

“Look at you,” Ronan drawled, his eyes sweeping over her disheveled form. “You’re almost unrecognizable.”

Adira glared at him but said nothing. She had learned that silence was her best weapon, her only way of maintaining even a shred of control.

Ronan pushed off the wall and walked toward her, his hands clasped behind his back. "Tomorrow is the big day," he said with mock excitement. "I’ve received quite a few offers already. You’ll fetch a handsome price, I’m sure."

The bile rose in Adira’s throat. The thought of being paraded in front of leering men, of being sold like an object to the highest bidder, made her stomach churn. But she couldn’t let him see her fear. Not now.

Ronan leaned in close, his breath hot against her ear. “This is your last chance, Adira. Cooperate, and you might survive the auction. Fight me, and you’ll suffer even more.”

Her jaw tightened, but she still refused to respond. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her crumble.

Ronan straightened, his expression hardening. "Fine," he said coldly. "Have it your way. But remember, after tomorrow, you’ll belong to someone far worse than me."

He nodded to the guards, who immediately grabbed her and forced her toward the door. She bit back a cry of pain as their fingers dug into her bruised arms, dragging her down another corridor and into a room that was even darker and colder than the last.

The guards shoved her inside and locked the door behind her, leaving her in suffocating silence. The room was small, barely more than a closet, and the only light came from a small crack near the ceiling. Adira sank to the floor, her body trembling from exhaustion and fear. She didn’t know how much longer she could endure this.

Her thoughts drifted to the auction, to the men who would soon be bidding on her like she was nothing more than a piece of property. The idea of it made her sick, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. She was trapped, helpless, and the only thing she had left was her will to survive.

Adira closed her eyes, trying to focus on anything other than the nightmare she was living. She thought of the stars, the vastness of the universe, and the peace she had once found in studying the skies. It felt like a lifetime ago, but she held onto that memory, letting it ground her.

She didn’t know what the future held, but she knew one thing for certain: she would survive this, no matter what.

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