Shixun scratched her face vigorously, it was getting hotter and hotter in the enclosed dungeon and not once was she given a meal today. And it was already nightfall. What irritated her the most was the fact that she couldn't even sleep a wink because of the leaking walls. Every half a second, there was bound to be a droplet of water falling and hitting the puddle it formed over the hours below.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Ugh. Shixun groaned inwardly, scratching at her neck and the back of her ears over and over again. "Ah-!" She winced when she accidentally scratched at the unhealed wound near her collarbone. Bringing her fingers nearer to the barely existent light from outside her confinements, and all she could utter was a humourless chuckle.

Stupid guards. She thought to herself, fully aware that the King would have their heads if he knew she was being held captive – here – in his dungeon. The King would never allow her to even step foot into the prison cells when she was younger, let alone be in one now.

Her train of thought was disrupted by the clanking sounds from the stairs and Shixun knew then, her torturing would begin once more. She swallowed dryly as the lock of her cell clicked, a shiver ran down her spine when heavy boots trudged nearer and nearer towards her. Even after months – or years even, she couldn’t get used to the process of her being dragged out of her cell.

“Get up.”

The brunette gulped harder, her bruised lips but instantly regretting when she felt the sharp sting. As much as she could, she straightened her posture and hung her head as she waited for further–

“Ah! Ow,” she whimpered when her back forcefully hit the stone wall behind her. Before she could even utter a word or realise what was happening, a fist made its way to  – purposefully blocking her air passageway. Shixun instinctively brought both her hands up to it, desperately scratching on it to pry the guard’s fist away.

“Pl- please!” She gasped, tears welling at the corners of her eyes as her head spun.

No words escaped as she directed what was left of her energy, to the rough and merciless fingers that wrapped around .

“Where. Is. The. Antidote.”

Shixun clamped her eyes shut, tears already streaming down her cheeks when she shook her head aggressively. “I... told you… I don’t… know!”

He finally let go of her, watching heartlessly as her lithe body fell onto the ground.