"Hngh...?"
Keira stirred, the distant murmurs and shifting sounds around her pulling her back to consciousness.
Her head felt heavy, her limbs slow. She blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the dim, crystal-lit room. A faint glow lined the walls, giving the place an eerie calm. But as her eyes focused, panic quickly set in.
She was tied down—soft ropes around her wrists and ankles. Not tight enough to hurt, but firm enough to hold.
"What…?" she breathed, struggling against them. Her voice came out dry and shaky.
Then she realized—she wasn't alone.
Several others were there, lying on the floor beside her in varying states of consciousness. Some still out cold. A few were starting to stir. One boy, already awake, was pulling against his restraints with growing frustration.
"What the hell is this…?!" he snapped, gritting his teeth as he strained against the ropes. "This is some bullshit!"
