Our Second World book three: Personal Truth

Chapter 44: Wolf

I wasn't sure when I had fallen asleep, but I was suddenly jerked awake by a hand on my arm. I didn't struggle against them as they dragged me from the cell.
The woman from before threw me down against the wall of the other room before chaining my arms to it.
"Now, let's try this again," she purred, tracing a finger down my bloodied cheek.
"I'm not telling you anything," I spat, pulling away. I winced as the sudden movement sent a pulse of pain through my injured left eye.
"Well now, I'm hoping I can be a bit more persuasive this time," the woman said, moving to my left.
My eye widened when I noticed Miafilellie chained beside me. I hadn't noticed her before due to the overwhelming stench of my own blood stuck in my nose.
"Mia...!"
"Don't worry, she's alright. Whether or not she stays that way is up to you, though," the red haired woman grinned, tracing her hand down Miafilellie's cheek. She seemed to be unconscious.
"That's dirty!" I growled.
"It won't have to be, if you answer my questions that is," the woman smirked.
I lowered my head to hide my face with my hair. Blood dripped onto the floor from the wound on my eye. I had reopened it again.
"Good. Now, who sent you here?"
"No one did."
"Don't lie to me!" the woman spat. The smell of fresh blood filled the room as she dug her claw-like nails into Miafilellie's arm, the latter bit back a yelp of pain, awakened now.
"Stop! Her name is Kyoko!"
The woman paused and glanced at me.
"How did she know where we were?" she asked.
"She didn't. I was given the coordinates to the Crystal Cavern Falls by a friend; I don't know how she knew them."
"So, why were you sent here?"
"I don't know."
"Bullshit," The woman hissed, slamming her heel into my side and my already broken ribs.
My vision went fuzzy and blood splattered onto the floor as I coughed.
"Clearly you need more motivation," the woman raised her hand.
"Naoko," a man's voice called from the far side of the room.
"What, Higuchi? Can't you see I'm in the middle of something here?" the woman barked.
"Boss wants to see you," the blond said plainly.
"Now? Ugh, fine! Watch them," the woman pointed to me before storming off.

As her footsteps faded, the blond boy let out a low sigh and walked over to me.
"It won't take her long to figure me out, so we have to move quickly," he said quietly, unlocking the chains that held Miafilellia and I to the wall. He handed Miafilellie another key." Quickly, go get the two in the cells."
Miafilellie nodded and scurried off, then the boy turned back to me.
"Can you walk?" he asked softly, offering me his hand.
I brushed it away and pushed myself up on wobbly legs," no thanks to your friend," I hissed as pain shot through my side.
"Sorry, but she would've been suspicious if I had held back earlier," the boy grabbed my arm to steady me." come on, let's go. We still have to get all your stuff."
"Why are you helping us?" I asked, stumbling along after him as Miafilellie emerged from the cell room with Mikhael and Emilia.
"I'll explain later. For now, just shut up and follow me if you want to get out of here," the boy said.

The blond led us down a long hallway lit with dim lanterns. At the end of it was a staircase spiraling upward. We followed the stairs up to another hallway just as dark as the first, only this one was lined with a few doors. The blond stopped in front of one of the doors and pulled a key ring from his pocket to unlock it.
"Grab your stuff quickly and let's go," he hissed, shoving us inside.
The room was full of weapons and bags, but it wasn't too hard to find our stuff half-hazardly thrown on one of the piles by the door. We grabbed it quickly and returned to the hallway where the mysterious blond was waiting for us. He didn't say anything as he continued down the hall.
We traveled down another number of identical looking hallways. As we traveled, I could hear other footsteps nearby. The blond boy stopped, seeming to have heard them too. He swore under his breath and stopped us.
"Damn, thought we'd have more time," he groaned, shoving us into a room full of boxes, closing the door tightly as a group of footsteps passed through the hallway we had just been in.
When they were gone, the boy moved over to the far wall and crouched down by one of the boxes. He shoved it aside and tore open a hidden panel in the wall.
"Get in! Go!" he ordered, ushering us into the tunnel.
He pulled the panel closed just as the door of the room slammed open.