Chapter 27: Captivity and Discovery of Truth

Elina’s Perspective

The first thing that hit me was the smell—mold, sweat, and the metallic tang of blood. Then came the pain, like a train running over my body. Every shallow breath made my ribs protest. I tried to move, but rough ropes cut deep into my wrists and ankles, and the chair beneath me groaned under the strain.

"Finally awake, little witch?"

A bucket of ice-cold water splashed over me. I gasped, opening my eyes in the biting cold, only to find three towering figures looming over me. The flickering lightbulb above cast eerie shadows on their faces, and the leader's black, claw-like nails gleamed with an unnatural coldness.

"One last time," his voice rasped like sandpaper, revealing elongated canines, "the location of the Castro family vault."

"I already told you—I'm just the coffee girl—"