Shadows Of Destiny

Chapter- XI

The Princess <-----<<

The darkness was thick, suffocating. I could barely make out the rough stone walls surrounding me. My body ached, every muscle burning from the fight to escape. My wrists were raw, my ankles bruised. The memory of the man's touch lingered on my skin like poison, and no matter how much I shuddered, I couldn't rid myself of the feeling.

But now, I was alone. The cold air of the chamber bit at my bare skin as I lay in a heap on the stone floor. It was quiet, too quiet, save for the occasional creak of the ancient fortress around me. I couldn't even tell how much time had passed since I blacked out from the blow.

I needed to get up. To move. But I couldn't. My body wouldn't listen, paralyzed not just by the pain but by the weight of it all—the hopelessness, the fear, the shame. My heart was racing, yet somehow, I felt like I was sinking.

Why did this happen?

I had to keep asking myself that. How did I get here? How did I lose everything so fast? My kingdom, my people... myself. I was a princess once—strong, proud, untouchable. Now I was nothing but a prisoner.

I clenched my teeth, blinking back the tears. No. I refused to be broken. Not again. Not like before.

Elana.

The name pierced through my mind like a jolt of lightning. Where was she? Was she looking for me? Could she even reach me in this forsaken place? I had thought about her every day, wondering if she would come, hoping against hope. The thought of her had been the only thing keeping me sane in the endless darkness.

I remembered the way she looked at me, the moments we shared before all this happened. She was always so distant, so controlled, but there had been something deeper in her eyes. Something she never said out loud but something I felt. That silent yearning between us, the way her presence made me feel safe in a way I couldn't explain.

But now... now I wasn't sure if I would ever see her again.

The chains rattled as I shifted, trying to sit up. My head pounded, the blow from before still fresh. A faint light flickered from above—a small, grimy window too high for me to reach. It did nothing to warm the room or my spirits, but it was enough to remind me that there was still a world outside this dungeon. A world where I once belonged.

I had to believe that Elana was out there somewhere. She had to be.

Suddenly, a sound broke through the silence. Footsteps. Heavy, deliberate. My body tensed. It couldn't be him again, could it? The man who had—

No. I couldn't let myself go there.

The footsteps grew louder, closer. My breath hitched in my throat as I struggled to move, to brace myself. Whoever was coming for me, I had to be ready. I couldn't let them find me like this—broken, helpless. I crawled toward the wall, using it to push myself upright, though my legs trembled beneath me.

The door creaked open, the dim light from the corridor spilling into the room. A figure stepped inside, shrouded in shadows. My heart pounded in my chest as I squinted, trying to make out who it was.

And then I saw her.

Elana.


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Author's Note: I needed to write more honestly.
Alr Bye!