Stuck with the enemy

Chapter 28: You are All Mine

Meanwhile.

Deniz's Story

I opened my eyes slowly, my vision swimming as a wave of sharp, suddenly, pain shot through my head, the ache so deep it made me want to close my eyes again and sink into oblivion. But I couldn't. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

The air was damp and heavy, and an unbearable stench filled my nose-wet rot, decay, and something sour that turned my stomach. I gagged instinctively, and that's when I felt it-a gag strapped tight across my mouth, cutting into the corners of my lips. The taste was revolting, like mold and filth, and I nearly choked as panic surged through me.

Where the hell was I?

The room came into focus slowly. Dark, suffocating. The walls were gray and cracked, rough concrete that seemed to close in on me. High above me, a tiny window allowed a faint sliver of light to filter in. The light seemed cruel, almost mocking, like it didn't belong in a place so cold and lifeless. Metal bars crossed the glass, their edges rusted and jagged, ensuring I wasn't going anywhere.

I tried to move, but my body wouldn't listen. My hands and feet were bound, the rope digging into my skin like a vice. I struggled against it, twisting my wrists, but the coarse fibers bit deeper, stinging and burning. My breaths came faster, shallower, muffled by the gag, as the realization hit me-I was completely, utterly trapped.

The silence was oppressive. No voices, no movement-just the faint, maddening drip of water somewhere in the distance. It echoed in the emptiness, each drop making my chest tighten further. My heart pounded against my ribs, the sound loud in my ears.

Then it came back to me, hitting me like a punch. Leo.

I clenched my fists, rage momentarily breaking through the fog of fear. I remembered the fight and the hit from behind. He had help. Coward.

The fear crept back, seeping in like the stench of the room. What did he want? Where was I? My body felt heavy, sluggish, as if whatever they'd used to knock me out still lingered in my system. My head pounded with the effort of trying to piece it all together, but the answers stayed just out of reach.

I tried once more to free my hands, forcing myself to stay calm even as panic clawed at my chest. My wrists throbbed where the ropes bit into my skin, but I kept twisting and pulling, desperate for some give. It was no use. My breathing hitched as frustration built, hot and suffocating.

Then, like a faint echo in the back of my mind, I felt it-weak and distant, but there.

Derya.

Her voice came to me like a whisper, strained and fragile. "Deniz..."

My heart sank. "Derya? Are you there? What's going on? Are you okay?" I focused all my energy on her, my mental call laced with equal parts fear and desperation.

Her reply was faint, trembling. "Deniz... I'm not okay. I'm so weak. It's like... like something is holding me back. I can barely stay here with you."

Her words sent a cold chill down my spine. Derya was always a source of strength, the part of me that could rise above anything. To hear her so diminished... it terrified me.

"What do you mean, holding you back? Are you hurt?" I pushed, my own voice shaky even in my thoughts.

"No..." she murmured, struggling to stay coherent. "But I can't connect with you the way I should. Something is wrong... It feels like poison. Like I'm... fading."

My stomach churned, the fear settling deeper. Derya wasn't just weak; she was being blocked from me. From us. The bond we shared felt distant, frayed at the edges, as if something was eating away at it.