I debated the wisdom of using my phone to test my vision. If I could see the screen light up, so might something else. And wherever I was, the creatures here likely knew nothing of my presence. For now.
Yet, I couldn’t hope to find my way out of this place completely blind, and each second I lingered only increased my risk of discovery.
After several long minutes of nothing, I gave in and pulled out my phone. I didn’t even have to turn on the flashlight to see. The faint glow from the lock screen was enough to illuminate the grey stone beneath my fingers, and my breathing hitched at the proof my eyes were working.
Standing slowly, I lifted the phone higher.
The empty stone room looked exactly the way I imagined a medieval prison cell would look, right down to the wooden door with the old, beaten metal latch. The space lacked a window, furniture, and thankfully shackles. It had nothing but stone and the door.
Unlocking my phone, I considered what to send Eliana. My uncle warned me that human phones were monitored for our protection, and I didn’t want to say something that would get Eliana into any trouble. So, I settled for simple and hoped it would be enough to let her know I needed help.
Me: Marco!
I returned my phone to my pocket and went to the door to press my ear to the surface. While I listened, I tried talking. No sound emerged, regardless of how hard I tried.
Okay. No big deal. No voice meant that I couldn’t scream bloody murder when something scared me. That was a good thing. Of course, I couldn’t scream for help either, but I refused to let myself think like that.
Remaining focused on the positive, I quelled my fears as best as I could. Too many of the creatures in Uttira found the scent of fear irresistible, and the last thing I wanted to do was attract them.
All I needed to do was remain calm, figure out where I was, and find a way out so I could go home.
Calm. Figure it out. Go home.
No problem.
The handle lifted easily and soundlessly under my touch, and the door opened a crack, revealing more quiet darkness. As I stood there, details from the opposite wall began to emerge until I saw the stone hallway stretched in both directions.
Nothing stirred either way. I eased out of the room and, picking a direction, tiptoed down the hall. More details emerged from the darkness as my eyes adjusted. Metal torch brackets jutted from the wall barely above my head, though the flameless torches did nothing to light the tall, wide hallway or the wooden doors that dotted its length.
Yet, I could see.
I paused and watched more details emerge around me.
That couldn’t be right.
Frowning, I looked behind me and saw a glow reflecting off the gently curved wall. The light moved, growing brighter.
Shit. Something was coming.
I started walking faster, keeping my steps silent. However, the light didn’t fade. It continued to increase, leaving me with little choice. Running would be too loud. I needed to hide.
When I reached the next door, I paused and pressed my ear to the wood. A faint noise came from the direction of the light, feeding my need to hurry up and hide. Easing the door open, I slipped into the complete darkness and quietly closed the door.
The sound of my soft breathing didn’t drown out the scrape-thump of each step of whatever was coming. Something big. A troll maybe? It made sense. Trolls lived in close communities yet stayed apart from one another. A big building with a ton of rooms would be perfect for trolls.
The soft glow at my feet started to fade as the thing in the hallway passed, and I let out a shaky exhale. That had been close.
In the darkness behind me, something sniffed and a stomach growled.
My eyes went wide.
“Come closer,” a voice hissed.
I shuddered at the drawn-out S and grabbed the latch.
The stomach rumbled louder, and chains clattered against stone.
Heart pounding, I prayed that the thing in the hall was far enough away and blindly fled the room. Behind me, the creature let out a low wail, and the racket from its chains echoed in the dark hallway.
