The descent

(Damien)

A loud screeching sound cut through the air, making us pause.

Before I could react, the ground beneath us shifted, and we were suddenly falling. 

My heart lurched as we tumbled into darkness, the world spinning wildly around us. 

We hit the ground hard, the impact jarring every bone in my body. I groaned, struggling to push myself up.

It was pitch black, the only sound of our ragged breathing and the distant echoes of the screeching trap that had ensnared us.

"Amelia?" I called out after catching my breath.

"Here," she responded, her voice strained but steady. I could feel her moving beside me, the faint rustle of her clothes, and the soft hum of her energy as she tried to get her bearings.

"What just happened?" I asked, forcing myself to sit up. My hand brushed against something cold and metallic—bars. 

We were trapped in a cage, and from the feel of it, a strong one.