Chapter 42

• I slowly opened my eyes, the dim light filtering through the small window of my cramped cell. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, I sat up and stretched my tired limbs, feeling the stiffness in my back from another restless night on the cold, hard bed. As my mind cleared, the realization of my imprisonment hit me once again, the weight of it settling heavily upon my shoulders.
• A metallic clank echoed through the narrow corridor outside, and my heart skipped a beat. I knew that sound all too well. It meant the routine had begun—the daily cycle of monotony and oppression that defined my existence. The familiar footsteps of the guards grew louder, accompanied by the jingling of keys, as they made their way down the corridor, stopping in front of my cell.
• "Time to rise, prisoner!" one of the guards sneered, his voice laced with disdain. "Today is your lucky day. You get to exercise."