The echoing clang of the cell door closing behind them was a stark contrast to the sudden silence that enveloped Jinx and the girl. Jinx's gaze immediately darted to the unguarded exit, a path to freedom tantalizingly within reach.
"The guards must be defending the city," Jinx muttered, a hopeful whisper. But before her feet could propel her forward, the girl's small hand gently yet firmly grasped her own, halting her in place. Jinx turned, a perplexed expression etched on her face.
"What happened, Little Dragon?" she asked, her voice laced with confusion.
The girl didn't answer with words, instead, she pointed a finger towards the other cells, rows upon rows stretching before them, easily more than twenty in number. Jinx's eyes widened in disbelief, then narrowed.
"Are you kidding me?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in exasperation. "We haven't even escaped, and you want us to carry more?!"
