Chapter 40 Darkness

• Prince POV
• I’m still here. The cold, damp brick presses against my back, and the stench of stale air fills my nostrils. My body burns with pain from being curled up in such a confined space for so long. Every muscle aches, stiff and uncooperative as I struggle to move. My legs feel like lead as I try to stand, and the moment I do, my head slams against the low ceiling. I bite back a cry of frustration, my hands instinctively going to the door, pounding, clawing, shoving. Anything to get it open. But the door doesn’t budge.
• I scream. My voice is hoarse, raw, and ragged from all the shouting I’ve already done. I don’t even know how long I’ve been in here—hours, maybe days. The passage of time has become meaningless in this pitch-black tomb. I scream until my throat feels like it’s been ripped apart, but no one comes. No one answers. It’s like I’ve been buried alive.