CHAPTER 17 — No Escape
Three weeks had passed since Leona had been captured by vampires and brought to this fortress. The cell, cold and damp, pressed down on her like a living weight. Each day felt endless, each night stretching farther than the last. The distant echo of footsteps in the halls, the occasional flap of wings above, and the low hum of the castle's magic reminded her constantly that she was trapped, completely at their mercy.
Her cellmate, Marvin, had become a quiet companion in the silence. They had spoken before, sharing fragments of their experiences. Marvin had been here for over two years, and the exhaustion and caution in his eyes were lessons in survival.
"You'll start losing your mind soon," Marvin said one night, shifting to sit closer to her. His voice was rough but steady. "The walls, the cold, the silence… it eats at you. Most people break after a few weeks."
Leona drew her knees to her chest, hugging herself. "Three weeks," she whispered. "Three weeks, and I feel it creeping in. I don't know how much longer I can hold on."
Marvin's expression was grim but calm. "I've been here two years. Tried escaping… too many times to count. Got caught every single time. That's why you have to keep your mind sharp. Don't let the walls or the darkness get inside your head."
Leona pressed her forehead against the cold stone, listening. Every sound outside the cell—the faint shuffle of guards' boots, the occasional clink of chains, the whispers she could almost imagine—reminded her of her situation. Vampires captured me. There's no one coming to save me. The weight of that knowledge sank heavy on her chest.
"I thought about trying to get out," Marvin said quietly, almost to himself. "But there's no way. The guards, the magic, the layout… every time I get close, I'm caught. They want you to believe there's no escape. And they're right. Not yet."
Leona's pulse quickened. Fear gnawed at her chest, but she refused to give it power. I will survive. I have to. She studied Marvin, noting the weary lines on his face, the subtle tension in his frame, and the lessons in endurance he carried silently.
"Don't let them win," Marvin said finally. "Keep your mind alive, keep your wits. Watch, listen, learn. That's all we can do right now."
Leona nodded slowly, pressing her back to the wall. She didn't know why the vampires had taken her, or what they planned to do with her. She didn't know who had orchestrated her capture. But she knew one thing: the cell was her world now, harsh and merciless as it was.
And she would survive it.
Because fear could be endured. Madness could be resisted. And even in the heart of the Vampire Kingdom, she would not break