I drift in and out of sleep as night falls, my body jolting with each heavy step my captor takes. The pack doesn’t stop to set up camp for the night. Instead, we keep moving. We’ve crossed the river, left the twisted forest behind, and now we’re climbing a mountain. The air grows thinner, colder, biting at my exposed skin as we climb.
I let out a long, unsteady breath. If we don’t reach their camp soon, I’ll freeze to death. With a shrug of his shoulder, I tumble to the ground. He grabs my bound hands, which he tied up with a piece of cloth after my first escape attempt, and yanks me to my feet. I bite back the anger as I stumble along. The trees thin just enough to reveal flickering firelight in the distance. My captor grunts something under his breath, and the others respond with low, guttural sounds.
We’re getting close.
I lift my head slightly, just enough to glimpse what lies ahead of us. A ring of makeshift shelters sprawls around a towering bonfire, flames dancing against the darkening sky. Shadows move between the tents—more of them. Dozens, maybe more. My stomach twists, but I force myself to study everything: the layout, the exits, who carries weapons and who doesn’t. If I want to survive this, if I ever want to escape, I need to know the terrain.
The monster pulling me along strides toward the largest structure in the camp. Its jagged silhouette looms above the rest, built from dark stone and reinforced wood, almost like a fortress. Conversations die mid-sentence as we pass. Heads turn. Every eye is suddenly on me.
Their stares are sharp, suspicious—some curious, others hungry.
The monster doesn’t slow. He drags me through the crowd like a prize on display.
Two guards stand at the entrance, each gripping thick clubs. They glare at me with narrowed eyes, sizing me up. I glare right back. I won’t show fear.
The gate creaks open, groaning like it hasn’t moved in years. Inside, rows of cages line the path—some holding humans, others… not. All are treated the same, locked up like wild animals.
The stench of piss and rot chokes the air, stinging my nose as I’m dragged forward. Whimpers and cries echo around me. Some prisoners press against the bars, hands reaching out, voices cracking as they beg to be released.
The guard leading us doesn’t slow down. He swings his club at a reaching hand—slamming it against the bars. I flinch as one captive jerks away just in time.
Another gate opens with a metallic groan. An empty cell gapes ahead; it’s cold, dark, and waiting, no bed, no blanket, just an empty, eerie cell. I try to retreat, but they grab me and throw me inside. My body slams against the stone wall, knocking the breath from my lungs. I cough, trying to push myself up as pain flares across my ribs.
The guard steps in, pulling a knife from his belt. I scramble back, arms raised to protect myself, my heart pounding in my chest.
But he doesn’t strike.
Instead, he leans down and cuts the cloth binding my wrists, growling something low under his breath before turning away and slamming the cell door shut with a final, echoing clang before disappearing down the path.
“Fuck.” I fold myself into a ball and rest my head on my knees. My entire body aches from the cold and the endless walk. My heart still pounds in my chest. A soft whimper escapes my lips. I’m alone now—no need to wear that fearless facade anymore. I just want to go home. I’m scared, cold, and tired. A sob claws at my throat, but I swallow it back, just as a voice cuts through the silence.
“Hey, are you alive there?”
I lift my head and glance toward the sound. One emerald green eye peers at me through the bars, soft and full of sympathy.
“I’m...” I rest my head back on my knees. “Okay,” I mumble.
“Those fucking monsters,” he mutters, standing. His tall figure casts a long shadow across my cell floor. Without another word, he pulls off his shirt, revealing a lean, muscular frame. Tribal tattoos cover his chest and shoulder, curling over his back like inked vines.
“Here,” he offers the shirt through the bars. “Wear this.”
I frown, hesitating. He must see the hesitation, as a smirk tugs at his lips.
“I won’t bite,” he teases. “Not yet, at least.” He winks. “Please. It’ll help against the cold.”
He gestures again, shaking the shirt slightly in his hand. I narrow my eyes, cautiously creeping forward, watching him closely for any sudden movement. When I’m close enough, I snatch it from his hand and retreat to the furthest corner of the cell.
“I’m Levi, by the way,” he says, still smiling.
“Anna,” I reply quietly, slipping the shirt over my head. It hangs like a summer dress, the sleeves nearly covering my hands. It smells like sweat, but at least it’s warm and soft, and it hides more than the towel ever did.
“Not bad,” he muses, rubbing his chin like a fashion critic. “Looks better on you, Anna.”
I huff and sit down again. “Thanks.” I use the towel to cover my legs, shifting on the ground in an attempt to get comfortable despite the cold stone pressing against me.
“Where... where am I?”
Levi lowers himself against the bars, stretching out his legs with a tired sigh.
“Brogmir Hold,” he says. “Ogre territory. Deep in the Ironspine Mountains.”
“Ogres?” I echo, my brows pulling together. “Is that what those things are?”
He turns his head toward me, studying me like I’m some kind of puzzle. “Yeah. Big, ugly, mean as hell. But you didn’t know that?”
I shake my head slowly. “No. I’m not from here.”
His eyes narrow slightly with curiosity. “Where then?”
I hesitate, but lying feels pointless. “New York.”
He lets out a low chuckle. “Never heard of that kingdom.”
“It’s not a kingdom,” I whisper. “It’s... a city. In another world, I think.” I furrow a brow as I’m not even sure what happened and how I ended up here.
Levi lets out a breath, his head tipping back against the bars. “Another world. Right. That explains a lot.”
I pull my knees in tighter. I don’t expect him to believe me. Hell, I’m not even sure I believe it.
“Let’s just say it’s very far from here.”
“Well, Anna,” Levi pushes himself to his feet with surprising ease. “Consider me your first friend.”
His words catch me off guard. Despite everything—the cold, the fear, the ache in my body—I feel a small smile tug at the corner of my mouth. It’s the first one I’ve allowed since this nightmare began.
“Thanks,” I say, hugging his shirt tighter around myself. “I could use one.”
The days blur by, marked only by the grumble of hunger and the chill that never quite leaves my bones. But Levi’s voice is a lifeline in this dark place, his jokes a flicker of light.
He shares scraps of information about this world, sometimes drawing maps in the dirt with his finger. I’ve learned that there are four big kingdoms, run by four different rulers: Fae, Lycians, Demons, and Witches. I also learned that this world is at war, Demons and witches fighting with the Lycians and Fae. But what surprised me was that my new friend is a werewolf. That was a long and awkward conversation, but at least I know now that there are many species in this new world, and I should be even more cautious of who I trust.
But when I’m not getting history lessons, Levi hums softly to himself or tells me stories about his childhood in the kingdom he grew up in. I don’t know if they’re true, but they make me laugh, and that’s enough.
I start to feel safe when he’s close, even with cold stone and iron bars between us. We talk until our throats go hoarse and fall asleep with our backs against the same stretch of wall, separated by just the bars.
Tonight marks the eighth night in lockup, and I’m starting to miss home. The ache for something familiar claws at my chest. I lean toward the sound of Levi’s breathing, needing the rhythm of it to remind myself I’m not alone in this hell.
“Levi,” I mumble, shifting closer to the bars he’s resting against.
“Mmm?”
“Do you think they’ll ever let us go?”
Levi turns, meeting my gaze.
“Nah. But I’m not worried. My friend’s on his way.”
“Your friend?” I lift a brow. “How many friends do you have?”
He grins. “Enough. And when he shows up, these fucking uglies will run with their tails between their legs.” He rolls onto his back and stares at the ceiling, a proud smile tugging at his lips.
I push myself upright. “Think you can take me with you when he comes?”
He glances back at me, eyes sincere. “That’s a given. I’d never abandon a friend.” A short breath of silence stretches between us before he reaches through the bars, offering his hand.
I smile and, without thinking twice, I take it, holding on for a moment before lying back down. His touch is warm, grounding me in this dark, freezing place. Levi has become my quiet comfort.
“Now sleep, Anna,” he says softly, without pulling back his arm, which I’m gripping like it’s a teddy bear. “Tomorrow’s going to be a long, eventful day.”
A deep boom echoes through the stone walls, distant but powerful enough to rattle the floor beneath me. I jolt upright.
Another crash follows, closer this time—like a battering ram slamming into solid wood. Shouts rise up in the distance, guttural and sharp, voices clashing like the steel they carry.
Levi stirs, lifting his head with a slow smirk. “They’re here,” he says, rising to his feet.
“What?” I whisper, heart pounding from the chaos unfolding outside.
A chorus of war cries erupts beyond the walls, followed by the unmistakable clash of metal on metal. Screams—some defiant, some dying—tear through the cold night. Somewhere in the distance, wolves howl.
Levi grabs the bars of his cell and throws his head back, answering with a howl so loud my ears ring. I clasp my hands over them with a wince.
The air thickens with noise—blades slicing, clubs pounding, the roar of commands barked in foreign tongues. A guard sprints past us, club in hand, panic written all over his face. But then—a horn bellows. Long and low. Deep as thunder. Like a beast calling war.
The ogre freezes mid-step.
“Oh, he came prepared,” Levi says with a grin. He calls out, “Hey, ugly! Let us out, and I might tell him to spare your life!”
The guard glares in Levi’s direction, shouting something harsh and guttural.
Another explosion rocks the hold. The ground quakes. Dust rains from the ceiling. I throw my arms over my head with a startled gasp.
The guard growls, clearly rattled, but Levi only chuckles, his smirk widening.
“You should’ve taken the deal, buddy,” Levi says with a grin, eye locked on the shaken ogre. Then he turns to me, calm as ever.
“Ready to go, Anna?”
“What?” I blink at him, still crouched low with dust in my hair, heart thundering in my chest. “Go? Are you serious right now?”
He flashes a smug smile, cocky and infuriatingly sure of himself. “Dead serious.”
Another crash shakes the walls, followed by the sound of something massive slamming into metal. I don’t know what the hell is going on out there, but I’m sure everything’s falling apart around us, and this guy looks like he’s about to take a victory lap.
“Are you fucking crazy?!” I yell at Levi in confusion. “Are you blind or something? We are still behind bars, and that so-called friend of yours is about to bury us in these cells.” I motion to the bars caging us.
Levi tilts his head, smirking like he knows something I don’t. “Patience, Anna. He’s almost here. I can feel him.” The hairs on my arm rise.
Before I can even throw back a sarcastic reply, a deafening roar erupts down the corridor—a human voice, powerful and full of fury. The kind that makes every monster run and hide.
Levi’s grin deepens. “Showtime.”
The guard’s club clatters to the ground. His thick fingers tremble as he fumbles with the keys at his belt, metal jingling violently. I swear, I see a tear glint in the torchlight as it slides down his cracked cheek.
The footsteps approach, heavy and demanding. It’s getting closer.
Levi looks downright gleeful, stepping right up to the bars like he’s waiting for his ride. “Told you,” he says without looking at me. “Mercy’s a rare treat.”
A thunderous bang slams through the corridor—closer now.
The ogre flinches so hard he drops the key. It clinks against the stone floor and skitters just out of reach. He lets out a guttural curse, scrambling after it on all fours like a panicked beast.
Levi chuckles low in his throat, completely unfazed. “You might want to move faster.”
I press myself against the bars, peering into the dim hallway. Shadows flicker with every torch sputter, but I can’t see who—or what—is coming. All I can do is listen.
Boots pounding the stone like thunder. Screams are echoing horrifyingly close by. A body slams into the bars a few cells down, followed by the sharp snap of bone.
My breath catches.
The ogre finally snatches the key again, his hands shaking as he jams it into the lock.
“You okay there, big guy?” Levi taunts. “You’re sweating through your stink.”
The ogre lets out what sounds like a whimper as he turns the key.
Levi steps back just in time for the door to swing open with a metallic groan. He stretches like he’s waking from a nap. “Took you long enough.”
The ogre presses past Levi and huddles into a ball, making Levi laugh. “Now that’s funny.”
A deep growl rumbles from down the hall—inhuman, primal.
I swallow hard. “Roland?”
Levi smirks as he pulls the key from his cell door and unlocks mine. “The one and only.” He offers me his hand, and I latch on like he’s a shield.
He snorts. “Let’s go meet the maniac.”
I follow, my fingers tightening around his as the growling grows closer. Whoever—or whatever—Roland is, he’s not just a man. No ordinary person makes walls vibrate with a sound like that. No ordinary person turns a seasoned soldier like Levi into someone who smiles nervously before facing him.
If monsters are real, then Roland must be their king.
And I’m about to meet him.
