When Shi Xian regained consciousness, the first thing he became aware of was pain.
A dull, throbbing ache pulsed violently at the back of his head, each beat making his vision swim slightly. For several seconds, he couldn't properly process where he was. His thoughts felt sluggish, trapped beneath layers of fog.
His breathing slowed slightly as awareness returned piece by piece, and then realization struck sharply enough to clear the remaining haze from his mind.
He was tied down.
His wrists had been restrained tightly behind the chair, rough rope biting painfully into his skin, while another binding secured his ankles to the legs of the chair. The tension in the ropes made even the slightest movement painful. Shi Xian inhaled slowly through his nose, forcing himself to stay calm despite the sudden spike of adrenaline flooding his body.
His eyes scanned the dim room carefully.
The storage room.
He was still inside the school storage room.
