The Silent Cage

Tessa’s POV

There was no light in this place. Not the kind that warmed or gave comfort. Just a dull flicker from the torch mounted outside the iron bars—flickering shadows that danced over my skin, making the blood on me shine like it was fresh every time I moved. The cold wasn’t just in the walls. It had settled inside my bones. My arms ached. My legs shook when I tried to stand. But I didn’t cry