Asher’s POV

I woke up to the sharp sting of reality, a jolt that ran through my body as the world came rushing back into focus. The first thing I noticed was the dampness against my skin, the cold metal of the chair biting into my back. My wrists were bound tightly to the arms of the chair, my body immobilized in a way that felt too familiar. But the worst part was the silence. The heavy, oppressive silence that hung in the air, thick and suffocating.

I wasn’t alone.

My eyes quickly ...