The darkness of the room was absolute, save for a pulsing, sickly red light emanating from the center. Liam stumbled, his eyes struggling to adjust, but as the vision sharpened, his heart sank.
Sylvia hung suspended in the air. Her wrists and ankles were bound by glowing, jagged chains that hissed whenever she moved, visibly siphoning her vitality. She was pale, her breath coming in shallow, ragged hitches.
She turned her head, catching Liam's gaze, and offered a faint, tired smile. "You finally came."
Liam and the others rushed forward, the urgency of the moment stripping away any hesitation. "Sylvia! We're here. How do we break those?" he demanded, his voice thick with unvoiced concern.
She coughed, a spray of crimson staining her lips. "The scroll... did you bring it?"
