It was Zi hour again. Faceless lay on the dark room's floor, listening intently. This was her chance. The gues…
It was Zi hour again.
Faceless lay on the dark room's floor, listening intently. This was her chance. The guests had left, and the guards were asleep. If she could push open the door, follow the dim red lanterns, and crawl through that shadowy tunnel... she could escape. She'd mapped the route in her mind a hundred times, she had to make it.
With bloodied, mud-caked hands, she trembled to her elbows. The wooden pendant at her waist scraped the floor, making a faint noise. She froze, breath held, fingers crusted with scabs. Gritting her teeth, she tried again, but collapsed with a thud.
Her eyes fell to her legs, and she sighed silently. The Unbound Cavern had broken her left leg during her last escape, her right, the time before. A month had passed, and she'd thought the pain would ease. She'd overestimated herself.
The pain came swiftly, piercing to the bone. Tears and blood mingled as they streamed down her face, soon blurring her vision. She instinctively raised a hand to wipe them away, only to be met with even sharper agony. Then she remembered, yes, the time before last, in her struggle against those people, she had deliberately ruined her own face.
She propped herself up, momentarily dazed, but clarity quickly returned. No. She must escape. She had to get out. Broken legs could heal. A ruined face wouldn't make her mother love her less. If she could just get out... if she could just return to her mother's side... Gritting her teeth, she dragged herself forward. One painful crawl. Then another. However, the door burst open with a crash.
The dim red candlelight spilled into the room, swirling dust particles in the air. Faceless finally closed her eyes in despair... It felt like an eternity since she'd left home. Where was mother now? What was she doing? Did she still think of her? As these thoughts flooded her mind, a rough hand clamped around her jaw, forcing her mouth open as bitter medicine poured down her throat. A single tear escaped her eye.
This ditch of rotting shadows would be her grave after all.