(Third POV)
A slow, pulsing throb behind her eyes that built with each passing second. Then came the nausea, heavy and relentless, curling through her stomach. Allison stirred, her lashes twitching as consciousness crept in.
Her head felt like it was being cracked open from the inside. Every beat of her heart sent a drum-like echo through her head. Her mouth was dry, and her throat parched like sandpaper.
Her vision blurred. She groaned as she tried to make sense of where she was.
Her arms were raised above her head, locked in place. A cold bite of silver metal pressed into her wrists. She tried to pull back, but the chains didn't budge. Her legs were restrained too, ankles held down with thick iron cuffs that scraped against her skin.
Panic surged through her spine. Her breathing grew uneven as the realization sank in.
"What…?" Her voice cracked. It came out too soft, nothing like the commanding tone she was used to. "Where am I?"
