Meryl's POV
Consciousness crept back to me slowly, bringing with it the stench of decay and dampness that made my stomach lurch. Every bone in my body ached as if I had been thrown against concrete and left to rot. The pounding in my skull felt like someone was taking a sledgehammer to my temples, and my throat burned with thirst.
As my vision cleared in the dim light, I realized I was not alone. Three figures loomed over me, and the sight of them made my blood turn to ice. These were not ordinary men. They were predators, their faces carved with cruelty and marked by violence. Scars, missing teeth, and eyes that held no mercy whatsoever.
"Finally decided to join us," the first one drawled, a jagged scar running from his temple to his jaw like a lightning bolt frozen in flesh. When he smiled, it looked more like a wound opening. "You have been unconscious for an entire day. We started wondering if we hit you too hard."
