A drop of water fell from the cracked ceiling.
It splashed against Leena's cheek, dragging her back to consciousness.
The air was thick with dust and the sour smell of damp wood.
Her head pounded.
When she tried to move, ropes dug into her wrists.
Panic surged.
She turned her head—and her heart lurched.
Li Wei lay on the cold floor beside her, motionless, his hands bound behind him.
"Li Wei! Li Wei!"
She kicked him with her foot, desperation rising with each heartbeat.
"Wake up!"
No answer.
Her eyes burned.
A single tear slid down her cheek, leaving a warm track against her cold skin.
She kicked him again, weaker this time.
Her body trembled, exhaustion creeping in.
Finally, a groan.
The Seventh Prince's lashes fluttered, his dark eyes blinking into the dim light.
He jerked upright as far as the ropes allowed, gaze snapping to her first.
"Leena—Are you okay?" His voice was rough, urgent.
His eyes scanned her face, her arms, the ropes.
"Did they hurt you?"
She shook her head, her throat tight.
"Someone… drugged us," she whispered.
Her words quivered in the silence.
"I don't know who. I don't know where we are."
Li Wei flexed his fingers against the ropes, his jaw tight.
"Stay calm. I'll get us out of here."
A distant creak echoed through the rotten hall.
Footsteps—slow, deliberate—approached.
The wood groaned under the weight of whoever was coming.
Leena's heart jumped into her throat.
"They're coming…" she whispered.
Without hesitation, Li Wei shifted, forcing his tied body in front of hers.
The ropes strained against his shoulders as he straightened as much as he could, shielding her from the door.
Even bound, the Seventh Prince radiated a quiet, lethal resolve.
"Stay behind me," he murmured, his voice low, steady.
The lock scraped.
The door began to open.