Lumina finally regained consciousness after a while and the smell hit her first.
It was unfamiliar, and so unlike the faint sandalwood of the palace corridors.
Lumina's nose wrinkled as she stirred back to consciousness, the pounding in her head making her dizzy.
But what caught her attention was the way her hands were tied, her knees digging into the rough floor. The ground beneath her was cold, and she realized she was no longer in the palace.
Her heart thudded hard against her ribs.
She forced herself to focus so that she could listen. Her hearing sharpened as she strained to catch the smallest sound.
There was the faint scrape of boots against the ground which told her that someone was approaching.
The footsteps finally stopped just in front of her and she didn't move one second so she could tell who that person was.
Then she felt the touch of fingers trailing along her arms, moving until they reached the curve of her neck making her breath hitch.
