Two men dressed in white robes with their hoods covering their faces held Hope Porter up and dragged her down a corridor that never seemed to end. It felt like she had been drugged. The roof sagged like a pregnant woman's belly, and the ways bent and twisted impossibly.

Outstretched hands reached out to her from either side of the corridor. Men and women shouted, cursed and pleaded for help from anyone who’d listen. Hope couldn't help them, she couldn't even help herself.

She was taken through several rooms; each one filled with screaming people or corpses hanging from hooks. They were stripped naked and forced into lines where they knelt. People in white robes with hidden faces stood above them, holding knives.

"Belladeon mother of light accept our humble offering," the words were chanted around the room and moments later the throats of the kneeling men and women were slit, their blood pouring into bowls.

Hope tried to scream, but no sound came out. She threw all of her remaining strength into breaking free, but the only movement she made was the twitching of a single finger. Her body was completely limp and lifeless.

Her mind raced in anguish and despair as her captors continued the journey through this living nightmare. Finally, they came to a halt.

A key clanged against iron and a gate creaked as it swung open.

“Welcome to your new home,” said a guard. "Don't get too comfortable. You demons won't be here for long, the goddess will make sure of that."

The guards tossed her into the cell, and she landed heavily on her chest. Pain shot through her ribs and back, and she gasped in agony.

At first all she could do was breath, cry, and finally she was able to think.

How had she ended up in this nightmare? Her last memories were scattered and confused. She'd seen lights and what could only be described as magic, and then Chloe had vanished, and the world had gone dark.

Hope had woken up in a medieval looking city, and then someone had captured her. The memories were faint. All she knew was that she needed to get out and find Chloe.

After an hour, she regained the ability to whisper and move her fingers. She prayed for help in her feeble voice and for her sister's safety.

As more time passed, she slowly regained control of her body until finally, she was able to stand up and inspect her surroundings.

There was nothing inside the cell. Just a pile of straw on the floor.

She picked up the straw and shook it. Some feathers floated to the top. The feathers were mostly gray and black, with some white mixed in. In the corner of the cell was a hole, too small for a human to fit through, it was clearly meant as a toilet. There was also a small barred window, but it was so high up the wall that she couldn't see through it.

Hope sat down on the straw and cried.

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It took over a week before Hope noticed the monster in the corner of her cell. It was small, shaped like a jellyfish and floating. She could only see it in the corner of her eyes and only late at night.

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For some reason, it didn't frighten her. She was more afraid of the guards, they stayed far away from her and always wore their hoods up, so Hope could never get a good look at their faces.

At first, Hope was afraid that the guards would violate her, but as the time went by she realized that they were repulsed by her. They called her a demon and refused to look her in the eye.

She overheard snippets of their conversations. Apparently they were from an order called the Talamasca, they spent their time capturing, torturing and killing demons. Hope didn't know much about this new world, but it was clear to her that the Talamasca were the real monsters.

She didn't have much time to think about it, though, in the weeks she was there the guards refused to feed her. She grew weaker and hungrier with each day that passed.

Her thoughts became more and more primitive, all she cared about was her hunger and protecting herself. Her sanity was beginning to fray.

Late one evening, when lights were out, she was woken by the sound of her cell gates opening. Something was tossed into the cell and the gate slammed shut again.

The smell of cooked meat washed over her and Hope dived on the meat. She tore at the carcass with her bare hands, ripping it apart and devouring it.

The next morning, as the light poured into her cell, Hope stared in horror at the bones of a tiny human hand lying in the center of her cell. The bones had been picked clean. Hope felt her stomach lurch. She crossed the cell to the hole in the floor and threw up.

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They waited another week before they fed her again. This time it was a human leg. She didn't throw up that time. Another week passed and Hope was craving meat, but the food did not come. Days went by, and her hunger grew and grew until she couldn't stand it anymore.

Late one night, she heard the familiar sound of the gate opening. She was already moving towards the door when a human was pushed inside the cell. Hope didn't hesitate, she attacked the human, ripping open the girl's throat. It was only when she had finished eating her fill that she stared into the eyes of her victim.

She cried out in horror. It was Chloe's lifeless eyes that stared back at her.

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Hope's sanity wavered heavily after that. She cried and scratched herself with her long nails. She hated herself, but more than that, she hated the Talamasca. She wanted nothing more than to kill each and every one of them.

The monster in the corner of her cell became more visible with each passing day. Now, she could clearly see the detailed ringed patterns on its blue glowing tentacles. They radiated out from the rings at their base; which were connected to a bulbous body. The creature appeared to have eyes in the middle of its face, though they were far too large for any creature in existence, and shone with a bright blue light.

The creature would sit with her late at night, stroking her face and whispering words of comfort. It promised her a way out. It promised revenge.

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As the golden light rose over the horizon and shone into Hope's tiny, dirty cell, the screams of dying prison guards stirred Hope out of her nightmares.

Someone was standing outside her cell. It was a man. He was tall, pale skinned with dark hair, dressed all in black. He looked young with a well-defined jawline and piercing green eyes.

She knew his face. But it couldn't be real. How could he be here?

"Michael," she whispered.

For a moment, her brother just stood staring at her. His gaze dropped to her bloodied arms, covered in self-inflicted wounds. Then he walked closer.

"Hope," he said, and tears welled up in his eyes. "It is you."

The gate swung open, and he crossed the cell and crouched down beside her. He gently took her bloodied hands in his own. "Don't worry, Hope, it's over now."

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Michael carried Hope out of the prison. All about her were dead guards and pools of blood, and the sight of their corpses filled her with joy.

"How did you find me?" she asked.

Michael stroked her hair and smiled sadly. "It was your friend," he said, gesturing at the floating creature. "It showed me the way."

Hope felt warm tears running down her cheeks. "Thank you," she sobbed. As they walked through the prison block, Hope noticed something strange. One of the dead prison guard’s hood had fallen back, revealing gray skin and black eyes.

"What is that?" she asked, uncertain if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

Michael held her close. "Close your eye's sis, it's almost over."

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