The underground prison was colder than I had imagined. The air was thick with damp, the walls slick with condensation, and the faint smell of mildew made my stomach churn. My body ached, my throat burned from thirst, and hunger clawed at me relentlessly. Two days. Two endless days of deprivation and fear. Every sound, the drip of water somewhere far away, the shifting of the shadows, was amplified into a roar in my mind.
I sank to the floor, my knees trembling uncontrollably. My hands flew to my face as dizziness swirled around me. My tongue was swollen, my lips cracked and raw, my body weakened from lack of water and food. Nausea tore through me in waves. I pressed my hands over my chest, trying to stop my heart from hammering. The faces of Damian, my father, my sister, and the lifeless bodies I had seen haunted me, each memory sharp and terrifying.
My vision blurred, edges darkening, but I refused to give in completely. I couldn't let myself collapse. I had to survive. I had to stay conscious.
And then footsteps echoed in the darkness.
Melinda. She had come, finally.
Her gasp echoed through the hallway as she spotted me lying limply on the floor. Her hands flew to her mouth in shock, and her eyes widened in terror. She rushed toward me, kneeling beside my small, frail body, shaking me gently at first, then with more urgency. "Ariana! Wake up! Please… wake up!"
I didn't respond. My body was unresponsive, trembling faintly, but completely still. Melinda's heart lurched. She pressed her hand to my forehead, feeling the fevered heat of my skin, then checked my pulse. Rapid, weak, barely there. Panic set in, and she scooped me up into her arms, her muscles straining under my limp weight. She whispered over and over, "Stay with me, stay with me," as she carried me through the corridors, dodging areas she knew Damian might monitor. Every second felt like an eternity.
As she ran, my body finally gave in completely. My eyes rolled back, my head lolled limply against her shoulder, and I lost consciousness entirely. My body was gone, just weight in her arms, fragile and broken. Melinda's eyes widened further, terror cutting through her chest like a blade. She knew that if she didn't get me out immediately, I wouldn't survive the night.
She bolted through the mansion, her breath ragged, muscles burning, carrying me to the car. She muttered frantic prayers under her breath, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please, don't let her die… not on my watch… not now."
The drive to the hospital felt endless. Melinda never took her eyes off me, checking every shallow breath, every flicker of movement. She spoke softly, constantly urging me to stay with her, though I couldn't hear her. She refused to think about what Damian would do if he found out I had been discovered. Nothing mattered but keeping me alive.
Finally, she reached the hospital. Nurses rushed toward her as she carried me inside, shouting for help. "We need a bed! Fast! She's dehydrated, starving, hypothermic! Hours away from collapse!" Her voice cracked with fear and urgency.
They took me from her arms and placed me onto a hospital bed. Monitors were attached to my frail body, IV fluids started, and oxygen was gently placed over my face. Machines beeped and hummed, filling the room with a mechanical rhythm. Melinda remained by my side, holding my hand, her eyes wide and wet. "You're alive. That's what matters," she whispered, fear thick in her voice. "Stay with me, Ariana. Please."
Hours passed. I remained unconscious, my mind a haze of memories and nightmares. The darkness of the underground prison, Damian's icy gaze, the hunger, the thirst, and the terror all merged into a swirling storm in my subconscious. I barely knew where my body ended and fear began.
When I finally woke, the bright lights of the hospital stabbed at my eyes. My limbs ached, my stomach twisted painfully, and my throat burned. Panic shot through me like lightning. I jerked upright, trying to push myself off the bed, but my weak body could barely move. "Where… where am I?" I croaked, my voice hoarse and cracking.
Melinda was immediately at my side, kneeling gently, hands hovering close but not touching me. "Ariana… you're in the hospital. You're safe now. You're going to be okay."
I flinched violently, panic surging. "No! Get away! You're lying! You're going to..."
"You're safe," she said softly, keeping her voice steady despite the terror in her own chest. "You're alive. You're safe. That's what matters. That's all you need to focus on right now."
I shook my head violently, trembling, tears streaking my face. My chest heaved with panic. My mind couldn't trust her yet. Not after everything. Not after the underground cell. Not after Damian's hands, his cold, blue eyes, the lifeless bodies, the pain, the terror. Every second of safety felt like a lie.
Melinda didn't move closer. She simply stayed near, patient, letting me scream, thrash, and panic without forcing contact. She handed me small sips of water when I allowed it, whispered gentle reassurances, and waited. Inch by inch, I began to calm, though my fear didn't fully leave. My body could heal here, but my mind would take longer. Every shadow, every flicker of light, every sound made me tense.
I kept my hands close to myself, keeping everyone at arm's length, my mistrust a shield I wasn't ready to lower. Even now, Damian's presence lingered in my thoughts, a constant reminder of how dangerous my life had become.
Finally, hours later, exhaustion overtook my panic. My limbs relaxed just enough for me to sip water, to let the nurses check my vitals, to rest under the blankets. I closed my eyes for a moment, though sleep didn't come. Fear was still coiled tight in my chest. I had survived, but the memory of being trapped, helpless and alone, would follow me for a long time.
Melinda remained at my side, quiet, patient, and unwavering, a fragile thread of safety in a world that had proven itself cruel and dangerous. I didn't trust her yet, couldn't, but her presence reminded me, reluctantly, that maybe, just maybe I could begin to survive outside the darkness Damian had built around me.
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