The first warrior of the Ivory Dragon

O2. Echoes of Desperation.

In the suffocating embrace of absolute darkness, distant screams and cries echoed. Your body throbbed with pain, and your ears were assaulted by a torturous ringing.

"H...elp..." Your voice, a fragile whisper, struggled to escape your weakened body and soul.

Attempting another plea, no sound emerged-only ragged breaths and subdued whimpers. Strawberry jam clung to your mouth, teasing your lips, dancing on your tongue, almost causing you to choke. The metallic taste lingered, encircling your throat in an unsettling embrace.

Crawling in the oppressive void, your desperate hands searched for anything, anything at all to anchor you in the darkness. But all you found was the relentless embrace of emptiness and the throbbing pain it inflicted.

"Please..." echoed in your thoughts. "I don't... I don't want to die..."

Finally, your eyes strained open, the effort evident in their slow, weary movement. The struggle to see and breathe intensified. Every inch of your body resisted movement, a conundrum of whether it was the lingering pain or something more sinister that held you paralyzed.

Immersed in an impenetrable darkness, your vision blurred, causing not just difficulty but actual pain to discern anything. With a futile attempt to move, metallic sounds resonated beneath you, and the weight on your wrists held you captive in a chilling embrace.

Suddenly, a harsh light erupted, nearly searing your retinas. Gradually adapting to the new illumination, your widened eyes unveiled a nightmare-you were chained to a chair. Panic surged as you shook your head, desperately scanning for an escape route, only to freeze at the sight of the floor stained with dried, ominous red.

Fear clutched at your throat, intensifying with each passing moment as the reality of your situation sank in. The chilling realization that you were trapped in a place stained with a dark history rendered you breathless, the air thick with despair and an impending doom that seemed to echo through the dimly lit torment.

A gasp caught in your throat, your heart sinking as the realization of your entrapment hit hard. Desperation fueled your attempts to break free, but the chains mercilessly bound your wrists to the chair's armrests, rendering each struggle futile.

Your eyes welled up involuntarily with tears, a silent testament to the terror that gripped you. Desperate not to succumb, you fought to stifle the sobs threatening to escape.

Amid the oppressive silence, faint voices echoed through the empty room, heightening your anxiety. Attempting to calm yourself, you failed miserably-too consumed by fear to think clearly. Uncertainty shrouded your surroundings, a grim reality emerging after waking from the horrifying event that claimed your entire village...

... except you.

Frozen in place, memories rushed back with a cruel force, etching pain deeper into your heart. Despair expanded, suffocating you to the point where breathing became a struggle, a tight knot forming in your throat as tears, previously restrained, cascaded down your cheeks.

The door swung open abruptly, your breath catching in your throat. Two figures entered, their scrutinizing gazes fixed on your paralyzed form. The air thickened with tension, and their presence intensified the harrowing reality of your captivity.

"She is... awake," one finally uttered, their voice muffled by a golden mask that concealed half their face. A large eye in the center fixated on you, sending shivers down your spine. "She is crying," they observed, tilting their head slightly. "Why are you crying?"

Stunned into silence, you couldn't muster a response. Shock held you captive, manifesting only through the rhythmic cadence of your heavy breathing and subtle hiccups you desperately tried to suppress. The unspoken fear lingered, as if shedding tears would plunge you into a realm of even greater peril.