At the bottom of the stairs, I found myself in a dim, cold dungeon. To my left was a table, where a guard sat lazily in his chair, a bored expression on his face. Just a few metres from the table was a sturdy wooden door, locked tight with iron bars. In the corner, four open chests revealed their contents—clothes, swords, and a handful of personal trinkets like rings and necklaces, probably confiscated from other prisoners.

I limped toward the table, clutching my injured shoulder, and gave the guard a weak nod. No matter how miserable this place looked, I was just relieved the day was finally over. Sleep—even in a dungeon—was all I wanted.

“I’m… the Queen sent me here,” I managed to say, my voice hoarse.

The guard raised an eyebrow. “No one with you? None of the others escorted you down?”

“A guard did,” I said, leaning heavily on the table. “Told me to get here myself.”

He muttered something under his breath and motioned toward the table. “Leave your belt there. Your gauntlet and armour, too.”

I winced. “Will I at least get healing?”

“No.”

Biting back a groan, I fumbled with the straps of my shoulder armour, which also held my cape. My trembling fingers struggled to unbuckle it, but eventually, I managed to lay it down alongside my gauntlet, belt, and phone.

The guard stood and gave me a rough pat-down, his hands prodding my bruised body to ensure I wasn’t hiding anything. Satisfied, he grabbed a heavy ring of keys from his pocket and turned to unlock the door.

“Move,” he said, jerking his head toward the open doorway.

I stepped inside, the clang of the door behind me sending a shiver down my spine. The corridor was lined with cages, each one filled with prisoners. Some were sleeping, others were murmuring to themselves, their words incoherent. The cages were bare—just piles of hay for bedding, a bucket for waste, and a small lantern casting weak light. Each cell had a tiny window high on the wall, framing the night sky and its scattered stars.

The guard unlocked an empty cage, shoved me inside, and slammed the door shut. Without a word, he turned and left, the sound of his retreating footsteps echoing down the hall.

“Great…”

I let out a heavy sigh and dropped to the cold, unforgiving floor. The hay pile was only a few feet away, but I didn’t have the strength to crawl to it. My body screamed for rest, so I shut my eyes and tried to ignore the stabbing pain from my wounds.

The chill began to seep into my bones. Shivering, I rolled over and forced myself toward the haystack. It wasn’t much, but it was better than lying on stone. Without a blanket, the cold gnawed at me, and I hugged myself in a futile attempt to stay warm.

“Damn… so cold,” I muttered through chattering teeth.

After a while, I managed to push myself up and reach for the bars on the small window. Peering outside, I saw the rain still falling, droplets leaking through and dampening the hay beneath the window. Sighing, I sank back onto the makeshift bed, shutting my eyes again.

I tried to convince myself things could’ve been worse, but my mind was a mess. I was exhausted, broken, and at my wit’s end. This world was a nightmare, and I had to find a way to escape it.

“I’ll find a way.” I whispered to myself with a dull voice. “I will.”

The sound of footsteps echoed through the hall, snapping me out of my thoughts. I opened my eyes to see the same guard from earlier approaching. He carried a plate of food, the contents as uninspiring as the rest of this place—bland rice and a piece of bread. He crouched and shoved the plate under the bars with his boot before walking off without a word.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I groaned as I sat up, dragging myself over to the plate. Picking up the wooden spoon, I began eating. The food tasted as dull as it looked, but thanks to my mother, that wasn’t a problem for me.

“Ugh… at least it’ll keep me alive,” I muttered between bites.

The cold remained, the pain lingered, and the dungeon’s oppressive silence weighed on me. But at least I’d survived another day. For now, that was enough.

Finishing my meal, I took a deep breath. This was going to be one long, miserable night.

══════✦══════

A loud thud jolted me awake. My heart jumped as I sat up, disoriented. The guard stood outside my cage, unlocking it with a tired expression. I shook my head to clear the grogginess and staggered to my feet. My body felt slightly better after the rest, but my wounds still ached—especially my leg, which forced me to limp. I needed a vailhouse for healing, but two gold coins… that was a problem.

The guard swung the door open, gesturing impatiently for me to move. “Out.”

I hobbled through the doorway, watching as he locked the cage behind me. Without a word, he led me back to the room where I’d dropped my belongings.

“Take your stuff,” he said, collapsing into his chair with a grunt. “These are yours.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, picking up my armour, gauntlet, and phone. The metallic scent of dried blood clung to me like a second skin. I was filthy, wounded, and desperate for a bath.

“Mm. Now go.”

“The Queen ordered me to be healed,” I said, testing my luck. “Could I receive some help before I go?”

The guard snorted, not even looking up. “And she ordered me to have a mansion in the capital. Scram, kid.”

“I’m not lying.”

“And I do not care one bit.”

“Fine… fine. Okay.”

He glanced at me lazily as I strapped on my armour. “And don’t let me see your face down here again.”

Biting back a retort, I climbed the stairs slowly, my body hurting like hell. My thoughts drifted to my next steps. First, a vailhouse for healing. Then, Redwood Academy. I needed information about that ominous eye I’d seen in my world—the one that had brought me to this nightmare. If I could uncover its secrets, I might find a way home.

At the top of the stairs, I tried the door, but it was locked. I heard keys jingling, followed by the scrape of a hatch opening. Two sharp eyes peered through.

“Hey,” I said. “I’m supposed to be released.”

“Uh-uh. Name?”

“Axel.”

The hatch shut with a clunk, followed by the sound of the door unlocking. The guard stepped aside, smirking. “Oh, you’re that boy. The one who interrupted the Queen’s dinner. You might want to avoid coming back here for a while. You’re probably not her favourite person right now.”

“Noted,” I replied, stepping outside. “Hey, could you help me get some healing? The Queen ordered it, but the guard who brought me here refused.”

The guard shrugged, leaning against the wall. “No can do. Best bet’s a vailhouse. They’ll patch you up.”

“Hmm. Okay.” I grunted, deciding to move on. “Can I ask something?”

He rolled his eyes. “One question. Make it quick.”

“Do you know anything about an eye in the sky?”

He frowned. “What now?”

“Or translucent boxes?”

The guard stared at me like I’d sprouted another arm. “Kid, did you hit your head down there? Get outta here with your weird questions.”

“It was worth a shot,” I muttered as I walked away.

Level 2: Axel

HP: [██░░░░░░░░░] 15/110

Mana: [░░░░░░░░░░] -1/100

Stamina: [███░░░░░░░░] 30/120

Options: [Inv | Skills | Quests]

The translucent box flickered into view as I thought about it, the exclamation marks next to my health and stamina now gone. My stats still looked rough, but they were better than yesterday. Five hours of sleep hadn’t fully restored me, but it would have to do.

I climbed the final set of stairs and pushed open the door to the outside world. The sun hadn’t risen yet, and the early morning air was colder than I’d expected. A handful of people moved through the streets, likely heading to their jobs. The guards at their posts looked half-asleep, with one audibly snoring in the distance.

“Okay,” I muttered to myself, rubbing my shoulder. “Vailhouse first, then the academy…”

And with that, I limped off into the waking city.