The heavy iron door groaned as Matthias pushed it open. Serene stepped into the dim, suffocating stench of the dungeon, and the sight before her nearly made her knees buckle. There Elvira was, bound tightly like a rabid dog, her body broken, and parts of her limbs already severed and discarded.
Instinctively, Serene slammed her hand over her mouth, a choked gasp escaping her lips as the brutal reality of Matthias's vengeance bared itself. She flicked her gaze toward him, but the Duke stood there like a statue of pure malice, showing absolutely no mercy, no regret.
Hearing the heavy thud of footsteps, Elvira painfully lifted her ragged, disheveled head. Her bloodshot eyes strained through the darkness until they locked onto a familiar silhouette.
"Mama?!"
A desperate, manic hope flared in Elvira's voice. "Mother... you are here! Unlock me, please, Mother! Get me out of here!"
