Daphne's POV
The guards gripped my arms like iron shackles as they hauled me deeper into the fortress. Each corridor we passed grew darker and more suffocating. The polished marble beneath my feet gave way to jagged stone that caught at my boots. The air turned thick and putrid, settling on my tongue with the taste of decay.
I fought not to gag as we descended a staircase carved straight into the mountain's belly. Every step stripped away the last traces of warmth from my body. By the time we reached the bottom, my breath came out in pale clouds.
A heavy wooden door waited ahead, hanging open like a hungry mouth. One guard kicked it wider. The rusted hinges screamed in protest.
"Get inside."
They shoved me forward hard enough that I stumbled. My palm slapped against the wet stone wall to catch myself. When I pulled my hand away, something dark and slick coated my skin. I wiped it on my pants and tried not to think about what it could be.
