Justin's POV
Darkness. That was all there was for what felt like forever. No sound. No air. No ground. Just an endless void that threatened to swallow me whole. And in that void, I clung to one thing, the memory of Elena's face. Terrified, reaching for me.
Then suddenly, a shock. a violent, ice-cold surge.
Water exploded against my face, choking me, forcing me out of the dark. I coughed, sputtered, my lungs searing as they dragged in ragged gulps of air. My eyes snapped open, stinging, disoriented.
A voice cut through the haze.
"Wake up, you fool."
The words dripped venom, each syllable soaked in mockery.
Blinking against the dim light, I finally registered where I was. A concrete room, damp and suffocating. The smell of mildew and rust clung to the air. Chains clinked faintly with every shallow movement I made. My wrists burned, they were bound tightly behind me with rough rope that bit into my skin.
Then I saw her.
"Elena…"
My wife.
