Nicolle's POV:

‘Urggh!’ I groaned in disgust, scrunching my nose because the dungeon air was suffocating, and filled with the stench of mildew, rust, and the faint odor of old blood that clung to the stone walls.

Iron chains rattled faintly somewhere deeper in the shadows, and the only light came from a single flickering torch mounted high outside our cell, its flame dancing weakly and casting long, distorted shadows across the damp floor as I remained seated on the cold, uneven stone ...