"Iris…" a soft male voice called out to me like a gentle caress.
"Where are you, Iris?"
"Iris?" the voice turning into a desperate plea.
I wanted to answer him, but I can't seem to move my lips.
"Iris!" he shouted, causing me to jump.
Sharp stinging pain shot through my neck, yanking my eyes open. I gasped for air, my muscles instinctively tensing as my heart pounded through my ears. It felt so real, the dream and that voice that haunts me. It was as if someone had struck me behind my head, causing me to wake and that voice to fade away. I blinked once, twice, my blurry vision slowly clearing as the dim, grimy ceiling above me came into focus.
Only when the pain slowly fades into a dull ache that I carefully push myself up to my elbows. I groan at the aches and pains of my body, pleading for the attention that I couldn't give. Everything fucking hurts. But I have nothing to ease the pain so I just leave it be.
There's no light in this place, just like the dream that still haunts me. Not even in my sleep do I get to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, or the hush of the wind, threading through my hair. I don't know what I did to deserve this torture, to be locked away and left to be forgotten, like a vermin. I'm surprised I've even made it this far.
I slowly ease my feet past the edges of the dirty hay until they touch the cold, wet ground. Sweat beads down my back as I shift my weight onto my left leg, testing how far I can go before the pain becomes unbearable. I still shudder at the mistake I made yesterday, the misstep that twisted my ankle. I had tripped on the uneven floor, slick with puddles from the rain that had battered the room while I was dead asleep.
Carefully I pushed myself away from the hay and held onto the dark, damp walls, letting it guide me through the darkness. My nails, digging through the grimy stone to keep me upright despite my quivering knees. I barely had the energy to stand, but I would rather die than crawl through the damp floor.
Any minute now the sun will rise, its light will flood through the tiny window across my cell with light. It would be small, but it would be enough to bathe the place in the right amount of dimness for me to assess my surroundings. It was the only light I have, ever since I've woken up in this hell. I let the walls gently guide me towards the other side, where the metal bars are caging me in. This would be the third sunrise I'd see within these walls. I don't know how many more I will see before I die. Every day, as I've grown weaker, my body barely can function. I can feel my soul already halfway through the threshold.
My mind goes to the voice in my dream, haunting me still. It was the only thing that kept me sane. His voice sounded terrifyingly familiar. So familiar. I could feel a tug in my chest every single time I heard him call my name. Something tells me he and I were close, so I wouldn't have this unexplainable urge to ease the pain in his voice.
It had been days since I've had proper food. I didn't know how much longer I could hold on. I could already feel my insides turning on themselves, my mind consumed by thoughts of nothing but food and water. Just the mere thought of it caused me to double over, clutching my stomach as it ached and begged for sustenance. All I'd had in the past few days was the rainwater that seeped right through these damp walls.
I waited until the pain faded into a bearable ache, clinging onto these metal bars before I eased myself down until my knees touched the cold, hard ground. I maneuvered my left ankle, teeth clenching in anticipation of the pain, as I carefully adjusted it to avoid making the pain even worse. Every moment took away a large ounce of my energy that I no longer had any left, the moment my head hit the wall behind me, eyes blinking up and down as I tried to adjust, already blurring from all the dizziness and exhaustion.
Death was starting to sound like mercy, a sweet end to all this pain. But the thought of dying here, alone in the dark, rotting in silence, never found and never remembered…that terrified me more. I must've wronged someone in my past. Someone powerful, and cruel, because a quick death would've been too kind. No, I was locked up here to die slowly. It feels unjust, though, to be sentenced to death when I can't even remember what I did to deserve it in the first place.
Light finally spilled into my empty cell, pulling my gaze upward. A single tear slipped down my cheek as I watched the sky softening into a pale shade of blue. A faint twitch tugged at the corner of my lips as I closed my eyes, soaking in the gentle warmth against my skin. The room was still mostly drowned in shadow, but just that small touch of light, that was enough. Just enough to stir something in me, a flicker of peace. A final breath of strength. Maybe this is how I'm meant to go. Quiet. Still. No one will ever find my body, but still, so what? At least I'll never feel this kind of pain again.
"It is not your time, my love," said a soft, feminine voice, her hand brushing my cheek with a tenderness that barely felt real. Her touch lingered lingered like a whisper, light as feathers, almost like she wasn't there at all.
"But I can't stand it here anymore," I rasped, my voice barely holding together. I didn't even have the energy to open my eyes, even though I could feel my tears flowing out of my eyes and down through my cheeks like a waterfall.
"I want to die," I wailed, weakly.
"It is not your time, my child," she repeated, her touch strangely soothing, like warmth blooming beneath my skin.
In that moment, something stirred inside me, like a light is weaving through my veins, chasing away the numbness and the pain. I could breathe easily again. The earlier pain, subdued.
"Not until you've unveiled our truth," she continued, her voice laced with something ancient and powerful.
"What truth? W-who are you?" I asked, finally finding the energy to open my eyes only to find nothing. The presence had disappeared just as easily as it appeared. I could feel the way the air in the place dimmed back into its earlier state.
The gnawing in my stomach, momentarily subdued into a dull ache. The dizziness was gone, exhaustion too. I tested my strength, grabbing a sharp rock nearby and struck the bar closest to me, confused where this is coming from. Hope surged through my chest, a rush of adrenaline flooding my veins. My hands and arms may scream in pain, but maybe I could survive this.
Dropping the rock on the ground next to me, I grip the bar tightly and pull it with all my strength. Shock and disbelief washed over me as the bar actually detached. The edges were sharp, as I held it up to the light that streamed through from the cell across from mine, feeling a surge of pride swelling inside me at the sight of my accomplishment. Thinking that I could use it as a weapon once I escape, I tuck it carefully into the pocket of my torn, ragged dress.
Fueled by this newfound determination, I pick up the rock again and turn my focus on the horizontal bars that still held the metal in place. Maybe in a few hours, I'd be walking out of here. By the next sunrise, I would finally be able to look for the help that I need.
The sound of footsteps causes me to freeze. Both with shock and fear as I wonder if I'm dreaming again. But I'm not. They are truly the sound of footsteps, heavy ones too, along with the sound of metal clanging against each other. Must be men, in their armors, soldiers. The rock falls from my hand as I grip the metal bar I've pocketed.
Shouts echoed from the outside, as the sound of their footsteps grew louder, sending a chill down my spine. My heart pounded in my ears, the rush of adrenaline making my head spin. Panic clawed at my chest as I gritted my teeth through the pain, scrambling into a stand and stumbling away from the metal bars. For the first time since waking up here with no memory, I instinctively seek the darkest corner of my cell for comfort, eyeing the pile of hay where I'd slept as I take out the piece of metal from my pocket, gripping it tight.
Pressing my back against the cold damp wall, I let the darkness swallow me, hoping that it would somehow hide me from the strangers approaching. Fear twists my gut as I cover my mouth with my free hand, trying to quell the rising panic as the clanging of metal grows louder. They're close, they're practically right outside, whoever they are.
Suddenly a growl so deafening reverberated through the walls, cutting through the air and ultimately silencing the fighting. I had dropped to my knees, instinctively trying to shield myself from whatever it was but to my surprise, I felt instead, my fear beginning to fade. It wasn't just any growl, it was the growl of a dragon. And not just any dragon. Because as the growl echoed again, something inside me stirred and I found myself standing, my heart aching at the sound, as though it was calling to me, yearning for me.
"Iris!" the sound from my dreams roared through the place. "Iris, tell me where you are!"
Shocked into silence, I waited with bated breath as I heard the sound of the door being kicked open. There weren't any footsteps except for his, or what I assume to be his, as I only hear footsteps belonging to one man. I wait, and wait as I listen, his footsteps are getting more frequent. He is sprinting, to me.
"Iris, are you alright?" he asked, concern laced in his voice. "Iris, answer me!"
He appeared in my line of sight just as he finished those words. I stared at him, taking in his black armor, the navy blue cape trailing behind him, making him look like a prince, or perhaps a king. His dark hair, jet black and tousled by the wind framed his face. His dark eyes locked on mine, piercing through the darkness. Only then do I notice a distinct scar running along his jaw. I suddenly feel an irresistible urge to trace it with my fingers.
"I know you're there, my love," his voice was low, edged with a challenge as if he is daring me to test his patience. "You have to come out of the darkness so I can see you."
"How did you know me?" I rasped, my voice barely a whisper, thick with the yearning to understand.
He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, his gaze scanning the shadows before a terrible realization seemed to dawn, and the look in his eyes softened into something I couldn't name, tightening my chest. "It's me, Iris. Your husband, Vesper."
"Vesper..." I whispered out loud, testing it at my lips.
"Vesperian Dragomir..." the name slipped out of my lips like a prayer I've memorized by heart. The sound of it felt so right and yet, so impossibly distant. With his dangerous elegance, he embodied the name so perfectly, as though he carried something ancient and powerful with his presence.
"That's right," his voice is gentle now, almost hesitant. Then he fumbled for the old set of keys, and with a steady hand he unlocked the metal bars that separated us. "I've come for you, Iris."
I watch him, my heart racing as he steps back and let the heavy door hang open. I may not remember him, but my body and heart certainly do. Lead by this undeniable pull towards him, my feet move on their own accord, as if I'm drawn towards something I've always known. Only when I step out of the darkness and let the light wash over me, that I realize his power over me. There is something about him that makes my chest ache unbearably.
Still clutching the piece of metal in one hand, I watch him pressing his lips into a thin line at the sight of me, a flicker of something dark crossing his features. His gaze sweeps over me, lingering on the various injuries on my skin and the way I place most of my weight on one foot. He stalks towards me, his movements predatory and before I can react, he gathers me in his arms, his grip on my waist warm and steady, as if he is careful not to cause me more pain. I lean into him instinctively, unable to resist the familiar scent of wind and fresh pines that grounds me as he brushes a strand of my hair from my face.
"What have they done to you, my love?" he asked, his voice soft and tender.
"I can't remember."
Carefully, he pried the metal bar away from my hand and I let him, entranced by his presence. "Let me take you home," he coaxed. "Is it okay if I carry you?"
I nod, my body screams with exhaustion as he lifts me into his arms. One hand on the back of my knees, the other keeping a steady hold on my back. I lean on his shoulders, my hands on my middle as he takes me out of my prison. Only then did I allow my eyes to close as I drift away from my consciousness, letting my body's exhaustion take me over and swallow me whole, now that I'm safe in his arms.