Acts of Defiance

I didn't want promises.

I wanted revenge.

But revenge was currently difficult, given that my body had apparently decided to resign itself entirely from my service, leaving me lying helpless on a cold stone floor, bones fractured, muscles bruised, and my pride thoroughly trampled beneath Azael's crimson heels.

My mind raged against the silent cage that held me still, frustration a physical ache that pulsed through my veins. The stone pressed cold against my cheek, each shallow breath a painful reminder of the powerlessness I despised. I'd once thought myself strong capable even but now my body was a puppet, tangled in the threads of someone else's cruel design.