Deborah’s POV

The darkness was complete.

Deborah sat inside a violet, glowing cage, leaning against its humming wall. She had stopped testing its strength hours, or perhaps days, ago. Time had no meaning in this place, wherever "this place" was. The cage had taken her far underground, away from the courtyard, away from Erick, away from everything.

She closed her eyes, although the darkness remained. Her silver marks provided the only light, pulsing faintly with each breath. They seemed ...