Tied Up in Trouble ( 115 )

Ellyna's eyes fluttered open.

Her vision swam for a moment—wooden walls, dim light, and the gentle swaying motion told her she was inside a moving carriage. But something was wrong. Her body felt… heavy.

She tried to sit up—but couldn't.

Her wrists were bound tightly behind her back with cold, metallic shackles etched with runes. Her ankles were locked in a similar device. And her mouth was gagged with cloth.

Panic surged—but only for a moment.

She focused.

"Absolute Eye—"

Nothing.

Her pupils shimmered faintly, but the skill refused to activate.

She froze, then looked down as much as she could—her bindings were not normal. Runes hummed softly against her skin. Old magic. Ancient.

A chuckle echoed from the front of the carriage.

"Oho~ You woke up now, huh, princess?"

A large figure turned to face her—a tiger beastkin, tall and broad-shouldered, with a dark smirk and a scar over his left eye.