ARIA POINT OF VIEW

The dungeon door burst open before the sun had fully risen.

The violent crash of iron against stone shattered the fragile silence that had wrapped around the cell through the long night. The sound ricocheted off the damp walls, loud enough to make my head throb instantly. I had barely slept. The cold floor had stolen what little warmth my body still carried, and the thin blanket they had thrown into the cell did nothing to protect me from the chill.

My muscles ached from ...