The inmates screamed and hollered like caged animals, their cries echoing through the cold, damp corridors of the Dreadfort. Even after the struggle outside her cell had reached its brutal conclusion, the echoes of chaos persisted, reverberating against the unforgiving stone walls. Amriel’s heart thundered uncomfortably in her chest as she strained to discern the unfolding events just beyond the heavy iron bars.

Her fingers instinctively curled into the space where the comforting weight of her blade should have been. It was a sharp, bitter reminder that she was helpless here—vulnerable in a way that made her stomach churn. How she longed for that familiar sense of power, the balance of steel in her hand. But it was gone.

“The wind! The wind! The wind has come for us all!” A man’s shrill voice screeched from a cell further down the hall, his words twisted with delirium.

The screams intensified, mingling with the raucous laughter of a deranged inmate. Amriel could see through the bars as a shadowy figure moved closer, silhouetted by the dim glow of torches. Her pulse quickened, and a cold sweat broke out along her spine. Panic surged through her chest, and she instinctively shrank back into the farthest corner of her cell. Every instinct screamed at her to run, to hide, but her body froze as she watched the figure draw nearer. Her wide eyes darted around the cramped space, landing on her flea-infested blanket and the wooden pail. It was all she had to protect herself and it would have to do.

Hiding in the shadows of the corner beside the door, Amriel braced herself, poised and ready for whatever would come. Her breath quickened as she listened intently. She could hear the footsteps growing louder, heavy and deliberate. Then came the familiar jingling of keys—metallic, ominous, a herald of impending doom. Each jingle echoed like a death knell, and Amriel’s stomach churned. This was it.

The lock on her door gave way with a heavy, ominous clunk, and the iron bar door swung open. In stepped a hooded figure, his face obscured by shadows. The blade at his side glimmered in the pale torchlight, and she could see streaks of dark blood along its surface.

Here goes nothing! Without further thought, Amriel seized the moment. She threw the blanket over the hooded figure, momentarily disorienting them, and quickly grabbed the pail that lay at her feet. With a swift, desperate motion, she brought it crashing down onto the stranger's head. The figure let out a surprised yelp, stumbling back as the blow connected, the sound reverberating off the stone walls.

Amriel didn’t hesitate. Adrenaline surged through her veins as she dashed out the open door, heart pounding in her chest. The corridor loomed before her, shrouded in shadows and uncertainty, but she couldn't afford to look back. The screams and insane laughter of her fellow inmates grew into a frenzy as she dashed past. Some slammed themselves against their doors, reaching out to her through their iron bars. She refused to look into their faces, keeping her eyes locked on the end of the hall.

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"Wait!" cried a voice behind her, "Please wait!"

Panic surged anew, and Amriel’s instincts kicked in. She veered to the right, her bare feet slapping against the cold stone floor as she raced toward a narrow stairwell at the end of the hallway. The footsteps behind her grew louder, angry shouts punctuating the air like thunderclaps as she bolted up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

With each step, a sense of urgency propelled her forward, but as she climbed, she felt her strength beginning to wane. Her breath came in sharp gasps, muscles screaming in protest as exhaustion threatened to drag her down. Still, she pushed herself harder, the fear of what lay behind her driving her onward. The darkened staircase seemed endless, but she refused to look back, focusing instead on the promise of escape waiting at the top.

As she reached the top, the corridor opened into the main hall of the Dreadfort, filled with towering pillars and flickering torches, their light casting dancing shadows on the walls. Amriel scanned her surroundings, searching for an escape route. There—at the far end of the room, a large wooden door stood slightly ajar, promising freedom beyond its threshold.

"Wait, please! Amriel!" called a voice behind her.

A voice that was familiar. A voice that had played itself inside her mind over and over until it felt like someone she had known for a lifetime. Skidding to a stop over the stone, she froze for a heartbeat before she turned to see the hooded figure she had attacked recovering from her blow. He had pulled back his hood, revealing a strong jawline and sharp emerald eyes that shone with determination. This time, it was a face she recognized.

“Amriel, please, I’m not here to hurt you!” he said, raising his hands in a placating gesture.

It’s him! Amriel’s mind screamed, her heart racing as her gaze locked onto the man who had crashed into her cottage during the storm. The memory surged back with startling clarity: the howling winds, the torrential rain lashing against the windows, and the moment he had burst in, drenched, desperate, and bloodied. In that chaos, he had been a harbinger of change—a stranger who had turned her world upside down. Now, here he stood, cloaked in shadows, and the sight ignited a fierce fire within her.

“Fha’Lear,” she breathed, the word slipping from her lips almost instinctively. A whisper of something lost but now resurfacing.

The stranger offered a wry smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Yes. Fha’lear,” he replied softly.

Suddenly, a wave of anger surged within her, fierce and unrelenting. He was the reason she had been thrown into the dank, stone cells of the Dreadfort, her freedom snatched away without so much as a word of explanation. The betrayal ignited a fire in her chest, and with a cry of rage, Amriel lunged forward, fists clenched tightly, her body coiled with fury, desperate to confront him for the chaos he had unleashed in her life.

But as she propelled herself forward, her legs betrayed her. They buckled beneath her, and she collapsed, the unforgiving stone floor rushing up to meet her. In that fleeting moment, she heard her name called out just before everything faded to darkness.