Consciousness returned to Lucian in waves, each one bringing with it a fresh surge of pain. His head throbbed, a dull ache that seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat. He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt heavy, as if weighted down by lead.

After several attempts, he managed to force them open. The world swam into focus, blurry at first, then sharpening into clarity. He found himself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling, its stone surface marred by cracks and stains. Shadows danced across it, filled by the flickering light of what he assumed was a torch or oil lamp somewhere out of sight.

Lucian blinked, trying to clear the fog from his mind. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was... what? His memories were a jumble, fragmented and confused. He had been in the city, hadn't he? With Drakon and Stephanos. But this room, with its damp stone walls and musty smell, was like nothing he'd seen.

He tried to sit up, to get a better look at his surroundings, but his body wouldn't cooperate. A surge of panic rose in his chest as he realized he couldn't move his arms. He strained against whatever was holding him, feeling the bite of rough rope against his wrists.

He turned his head, ignoring the spike of pain the movement caused. He was lying on a narrow cot, little more than a plank of wood with a thin, straw-filled mattress. The room around him was small and bare, its walls unadorned save for a single torch bracket. A heavy wooden door stood opposite him, its surface scarred and pitted with age.

The air carried the scent of mold and something else, something metallic that made his stomach churn. Blood. He could smell blood.

He twisted his wrists, testing the strength of his bonds. The rope was tight, cutting into his skin with every movement. Whoever had tied him knew what they were doing. Escape wouldn't be easy.

Lucian tried to piece together how he'd ended up in this situation. Had he been captured? Kidnapped? But by whom, and for what purpose? He was no one of importance, just a slave. What possible value could he have to anyone?

Fragments of memory flashed through his mind. He had been in the city, following Mira. She had been acting suspiciously, meeting with various people in hushed conversations. He remembered deciding to return to his lodgings, to inform Drakon of what he'd seen.

Then, as he turned to leave, a massive figure had loomed before him. A man, larger than any he had ever seen. He had barely time to register the threat before a fist like a sledgehammer had crashed into his skull, and darkness had claimed him. The memory sent a fresh wave of pain through his head. He gritted his teeth against it, forcing himself to focus. Who was that man? Was he working with Mira? And what did they want with him?

The sound of footsteps outside the door jolted Lucian from his thoughts. He tensed, straining against his bonds once more. The footsteps grew louder, then stopped. There was a moment of silence, broken only by his ragged breathing.

Then, with a grating sound of metal on metal, a key turned in the lock. Lucian braced himself, not knowing what to expect. Friend or foe? Savior or tormentor?

The door swung open, and a familiar figure stepped into the room. Mira sauntered in, her leather boots scuffing against the stone floor. She wore a dark tunic cinched at the waist with a wide belt, a dagger hanging at her hip. Her hair was pulled back in a tight braid, accentuating the sharp angles of her face.

She leaned against the wall, arms crossed over her chest, a smirk playing on her lips. "Well, well. Look who's finally awake."

Lucian glared at her. "What do you want with me?"

"You thought you were clever, didn't you?" She chuckled. "That I wouldn't find you and your old master. Guess you're not as smart as you think."

"Is this about revenge? For what happened in the forest?"

"Give the man a prize," Mira said. "Yeah, it's about revenge. You and that old bastard left us tied up in the middle of nowhere. Did you think we'd just forget about that?"

Lucian shifted, testing his bonds again. They remained frustratingly secure. "We should have killed you."

"You should have, but you didn’t. That’s your mistake."

"So what now? You got me. Congratulations."

Mira pushed off the wall, taking a step closer. "Now? Now I get some payback. But it's not complete, not yet. Where's the old man?"

"Go to hell."

Her hand shot out, gripping Lucian's jaw. "Wrong answer. Try again. Where. Is. He?"

He jerked his head away from her grasp. "I don't know, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

Mira stepped back. "You know, it took us a while to get out of those binds you and the old man put us in. But we managed. And now here we are."

"Here we are. So what's your grand plan? Keep me tied up until Drakon comes looking for me?"

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"Something like that," she shrugged. "He'll come. Men like him, they're predictable. They think they're so noble, always trying to save everyone."

"You don't know my teacher at all if you think that."

"Maybe not. But I know men. And I know he won't leave you to rot. He'll come, and when he does, we'll be ready."

"And then what? You kill us both?"

Mira's smirk widened. "Oh, I've got plans for both of you. But first, we need the old man here. So I'll ask one more time. Where is he?"

"I told you. I don't know."

For a moment, she just stared at him, as if trying to gauge the truth of his words. Then she sighed, shaking her head. "Have it your way. We'll find him eventually. And until then, well... I hope you're comfortable. You're going to be here for a while."

Mira turned to leave, pausing at the door. "Oh, and don't bother trying to escape. Even if you get out of those ropes, there's nowhere to go. We're not in the city anymore."

With that, she was gone, the door slamming shut behind her. Lucian heard the key turn in the lock, sealing him in once more.

His eyes darted around the room, searching for anything he could use to free himself. The bare stone walls offered no hope, their rough surfaces devoid of any protruding edges or loose stones. The floor was equally unhelpful, smooth and featureless save for the occasional crack.

He twisted his wrists, feeling the rope bite into his skin. The knots were tight. Whoever had tied him knew their craft well. Lucian gritted his teeth against the pain and continued to struggle, but the bonds refused to give.

Exhausted, he slumped back onto the cot. His gaze fell on the small opening high up on the wall, the only connection to the outside world. Through it, he watched as the light changed, the warm glow of day fading into the cool blue of twilight.

Time seemed to stretch, each minute feeling like an hour. How long had he been here? How long would they keep him? Days? Weeks? Months? The uncertainty gnawed at him, almost as bad as the growing hunger in his belly.

Drakon. The thought of his mentor brought a mix of hope and frustration. Surely the old fart was looking for him by now. But then again, knowing Drakon, he could just as easily be passed out in some tavern, surrounded by empty wine jugs and giggling serving girls.

"Fuck," Lucian muttered.

If Drakon was off on one of his benders, he was well and truly screwed.

As night fully set in, a new discomfort made itself known. Hunger, sharp and insistent, began to claw at his insides. This wasn't the normal pangs of missed meals. This was something deeper, more primal.

Linus' warning came back to him. His divine heritage came with a price - a metabolism that burned through energy at an alarming rate. What might be a manageable hunger for a normal human could quickly become debilitating for him.

Lucian tried to push the thought away, to focus on finding a way out. But the hunger was relentless, growing with each passing moment. His stomach cramped painfully, a physical reminder of his increasingly desperate situation.

He lay back on the cot, staring up at the ceiling. The pain in his gut was becoming hard to ignore. How long before it became unbearable? How long before the hunger weakened him to the point where escape became impossible?

He closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing. He needed to stay calm, to conserve his energy. There had to be a way out of this. He just needed to think, to observe, to wait for an opportunity.

But as another wave of hunger pains washed over him, Lucian couldn't help but wonder if time was a luxury he no longer had. The night stretched on, long and dark, with no sign of rescue or relief in sight.

Then, a skittering sound caught his attention. He turned his head, squinting in the light. There, emerging from a small hole in the stone wall, was a rat. It paused, whiskers twitching as it sniffed the air.

Lucian watched the creature until a faint spark of hope kindled in his chest. The rat moved further into the cell, its small claws scratching against the rough floor. It was searching for food, just like him.

He shifted. The rat froze, beady eyes darting toward the sound. But after a moment, it resumed its exploration, inching closer to Lucian.

An idea began to take shape in his mind. It was a long shot, but what other choice did he have? If he could just get his hands on the rat, he might be able to use his powers to possess it. Then, he could use the rat's teeth to gnaw through his bindings.

But therein lay the problem. With his hands tied, how was he supposed to grab the rat? And even if he could, using his powers would only accelerate his hunger. It was a risk, but the alternative was wasting away in this cell and die of hunger either way.

Lucian's breath came faster as he weighed his options; starve slowly or burn bright and fast? The rat crept closer, whiskers brushing the edge of the cot. He tensed, and made his decision; better to go out fighting than fade away in the dark.

He lunged for the rat, rope straining against his wrists. But his weakened body betrayed him. His vision swam as he collapsed back onto the ground while the rodent scurried away in fright.

"Damn it," Lucian hissed through clenched teeth.

His one chance at escape, gone in a blink. He closed his eyes, frustration and fatigue washing over him. Maybe it was pointless to fight. Maybe he should just conserve what little energy he had left. The hunger was taking its toll, his mind growing sluggish. What should he do? Sleep? Yes, sleep sounded like a good idea. Maybe he just needed a quick nap to recharge and feel refreshed again. So he closed his eyes, frustration and fatigue washing over him.

Lucian drifted into a fitful slumber, his dreams haunted by visions of food just out of reach. Time lost all meaning in the darkness of the cell. It could have been minutes or hours, he didn’t know. Then, a familiar sound pulled him back to wakefulness, a squeaking sound.

His eyes snapped open and he saw that the rat was back, whiskers twitching as it sniffed the air near his hand. Was this a second chance? A sign from the gods? Maybe, who cares.

He lay still, hardly daring to breathe. The rat crept closer, close enough to touch. Lucian's fingers twitched. It was now or never.

With a burst of strength, he grabbed the rat. Immediately, there was a flash of light as his power surged forth, his consciousness flowing into the small creature.

The transition was jarring and the world suddenly loomed large around him. But he pushed aside the disorientation and focused on his new form. He could feel the rodent's heart racing, its hunger a mirror of his own.

Lucian forced his new body to turn, sharp teeth closing around the ropes that bound his human form. He sunk his incisors into the fibers, chewing them like butter.

He could only pray he'd bought himself enough time as the hunger was still there, gnawing at him, but now he had a fighting chance. And that was all Lucian needed. A chance.