— Gah! — Astar gasped sharply, as if someone had pulled him out of water after a long dive. His chest heaved convulsively, and his lungs burned like he had just finished a marathon. He opened his eyes wide in shock, frantically looking around, but saw nothing. Absolute, impenetrable darkness surrounded him.
I'm alive! I'm still alive!
The thought flared first, like a spark of hope. His heart pounded wildly, and his mind, still reeling, tried to make sense of what had just happened. A wave of joy washed over him—the joy of realizing he was still breathing, that his body responded, that it wasn't over.
But the joy was short-lived. The reality—or what passed for it—struck him again.
Where am I?!
The darkness was thick, like a black veil draped over everything. He felt the cold, damp, uneven stone floor beneath his feet, and a wall behind him. Feeling himself quickly, he realized he was still in his pajamas.
In the next moment, a horrible stench hit his nostrils, twisting him inside out. The smell was so unbearable it seemed to penetrate his lungs, leaving a rotten residue. It was a disgusting mixture of human sweat, pus, urine, and something else—something far worse.
— Damn… ugh! — he whispered, grimacing and pinching his nose with his hand, trying not to vomit.
Even through the pinched nostrils, the stench was so intense that nausea began to rise. For a moment, he clenched his teeth to suppress the retch, but his body trembled in resistance.
Then he heard something. In the absolute silence that had previously enveloped him, sounds began to emerge. Quiet, barely perceptible. A cough. A shuffle. A whisper echoing as if from far away.
Astar strained his ears, trying to catch anything coherent, but the murmurs were chaotic, unintelligible.
What's happening? What is this place?!
A sudden realization pierced his mind, and cold sweat ran down his back.
I've been kidnapped?!
His mind immediately started building theories.
Someone must have found out about the deal. They thought I was an easy target. Damn, they were probably following me… it was too easy for them. They wanted to extort money, but it looks like they overdid it with the drugs!
He clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay calm.
Okay. Calm down, Astar. Figure out where you are and wait for a chance to get out. First, find out what's going on here.
— Hey! — he shouted, struggling to overcome the scratchiness in his throat from the foul air. His voice echoed dully off the walls. — Who's there? What do you want?!
There was no answer. Only the coughs grew louder, and somewhere to the side, a sharp sound rang out, like metal being dragged across stone.