After my show of force, the Caracals instantly subdued me. I didn't dare fight back through I had already made their point, and their horrified looks and cautious frames were evidence. I've met petty theft with harsh beatings in my time here, so I imagine murder didn't land me on good terms either. My safety was the least of my concerns, though, as I all could think about while they dragged me even deeper into the prison if Jasmine took advantage of the chaos to escape.

A thought that gave me at least some form of solace as I get thrown inside a barely lit, secluded room, complete with chains. Despite my best efforts, they latched them onto me, departing so I could be alone with my thoughts. Time was already hard enough to tell inside my cell, so my borderline box didn't do any favors. Still, no matter how many hours passed, I patiently waited for "him" to appear.

Deja vu started happening as I heard purposeful footsteps inside my cell. Every muscle in my body tightened in response, sensing him before my mind could. Thus when the door finally opened, I was more ready than ever. Despite only half a year since we last looked at each other, our difference has changed dramatically.

The insurmountable enigma now seemed smaller to me. Because now I know firsthand he could bleed like all the rest. Any fear I possibly felt got replaced by a tidal wave of pulsating hatred, one I found strength in. Automatically I tapped into this new hidden reservoir, letting it fill my heart and pour into the first words of our mental game.

"Well, look what the cat dragged i-," I attempted to say mockingly.

Before I finished, a massive blur cut into my right ear. I nearly buckled from the pain, but I clenched my teeth hard enough to make them feel like cracking. I clutched my bleeding ear, lucky it wasn't cut off, while Asad looked at me vindictively with his now bloody whip. He finally spoke with a voice near the verge of trembling from anger.

"Don't confuse having my attention is the same as mercy, Sarah. Should have learned that last time we met," he growled.

Out of pure spite, I sucked in my breath while Asad slowly started to wrap the whip around his left hand.

"It took everything I had to ensure my brothers kept you alive. I promised them to make an example of you myself," he said firmly.

Whatever flicking composure I had vanished at that point, instead pouring all my bloodlust into a blazing headbutt to Asad's skull. It did nothing more than stagger him back, a small trickle of blood escaping from his nose. An infinitesimal wound I took great pleasure in while saying.

"Whatever example, you better make it fatal. Because once I'm free, I promise I will hunt you down and give you the worst fate imaginable," I said vehemently.

As he replied, a pressing scowl took over the Caracals' face.

"And what fate would that be?"

"Keeping you alive," I said with as much determination as possible.

The sheer hellfire in my eyes made even Asad twitch a small bit of emotion. Then, with his now wrapped left hand, Asad wiped away the blood from his nose while tightening it. From there, he dropped the performance, growing so cold I swear the air started to chill.

"Hmph, a lofty threat, but an empty one nonetheless. Because when I was still a soldier on the battlefield, I fought a war without a name while my leaders grew fat from an imaginary cause. I led my brothers till my mouth filled up with the taste of gunpowder and my blood. Eventually, when I lost count of the graves surrounding me, I escaped it without a word. When my men followed me anyway, I figured something out. I was more of a leader than my superiors ever was. I became a living symbol that was inspired not through faulty promises but by action. So Sarah, let's see if you can hold true and free yourself before the last wisps of life leave your body," he said before delivering a fateful punch.

Time soon lost all of its meaning, as before I knew it, Asad devoted every thought he had to break me. He didn't bother trying to get answers out of me. We were far past that. All that got left between me was a battle of wills, seeing if I would give up the will to live through every horrid torture. Which meant I could do nothing but hold out throughout the entire onslaught, praying that it wouldn't continue.

Beneath the layers of my subconscious, I buried almost all the trauma I went through. My body still remembers plenty every time I look in the mirror. Second-degree burn on my right shoulder, laceration across the left temple, blunt force trauma on my calf, and many more wounds still haunt me. I got scarred both mentally and physically.

The next time I grew any semblance of consciousness, Asad looked at me with predatory eyes, ready to level another torturous weapon at me. Before he could commit, though, a gigantic rumbling took place. With my slurred senses, I could barely feel it, but the panicked movement from Asad made it clear that it was so serious it made him stop. A second later, an entire chorus of terrified shouts reverberated throughout the entire room, sending flakes of dust from the ceiling.

In my decrepit state, I almost thought it was some elaborate ploy, a scare tactic for me to let down what little guard remained. But it was serious, as Asad immediately left to address the emergency. Leaving me to finally let out the biggest sigh of relief I ever mustered before my vision started to blacken. All my senses started to dim like a spotty lightbulb as I felt my body fade out of consciousness until a familiar voice called out.

"Sar-. Wake. Tit- fina- here. Sarah, wake the hell up!" they said insistently.

At that point, my eyes felt as heavy as shutter doors, but I slowly opened them up to see a misty-eyed Jasmine. Almost drunkenly, I gave a small smile while saying weakly.

"Jasmine?"

I didn't even see her get my answer, the embrace that barreled my way so fast that it nearly broke my bones was enough to send the message.

"Oh my god, I'm so glad you are alive. When I heard you got captured, I thought you were dead. Then my friends came barreling in and said the place was starting to come down. I'm so fucking glad you're alive," she said before getting me another hug.

"Ow," I said weakly.

Jasmine then immediately backed up with a sheepish expression.

"Right, sorry, can you get up?"

I tried getting up like she said, only to get met with a blinding headache that sent me down harder than any punch would—taking note, Jasmine responded. A couple of sharp breaths later and she started to carry me.

"Don't worry, lean on me, okay? You don't have to worry about anything anymore, Sarah. We've made it," she said reassuredly.

With that proclamation made, we set off into the battlefield. Compared to my dank dungeon cell, the familiar halls looked almost unrecognizable. Gunshots as rampant as gunfire and blindingly bright fires made me both blind and deaf, forcing me to do nothing but latch onto Jasmine as we kept going.

Through what little shapes I could make, I saw blurred bodies in motion, all panicked amidst the surrounding chaos. An even more pressing tremble shook the stage as small pebbles started to rain. Yet, somehow through it all, I heard Jasmine's voice across the fire, reassuring me like always.

"Just a little farther, and we can finally get that Korean BBQ. Put all this past behind us. Just you and-"

Her pep talk got interrupted by another quaking explosion, the biggest one yet. Instantly I felt both of our knees buckle beneath us as part of the ceiling above started to cave in. Amidst the oncoming hail, I tried commanding my ruined body for one last jolt, but it was too slow to respond. Jasmine was right on time, though, as she used little strength she had to push out of the way.

The pain I felt from getting thrown down again finally jolted me away. But, whatever I got put through wasn't nearly as painful as what I saw in front of me. Because in front of me, I saw a bloodied jasmine, trapped amongst at last half a ton of stone.

"Jasmine!" I belt out, still struggling to fight against my screaming muscles to get up.

Like a maggot, I crawled amongst the ground, trying to inch closer. Then, with shaky hands, I tried pulling off the rocks, trying to pull her out.

"Don't worry, Jasmine, I've got you, I can get you out. I can save-," I said adamantly.

When I finally managed to dig up her left hand and most of her face. Keeping up a brave face, I tried reaching for her.

"Come on, Jasmine, take my hand," I said with my voice on the verge of cracking.

However, instead of grasping my arm, my friend kept her compassion to the end. She delicately touched my face. Through her broken teeth and concussed skull, she somehow remained gentle, saying a word that would haunt me forever.

"Live," she said with what little resolve remained.

A massive knot twisted in my heart as I balanced a decision that tore my soul in half. Needles of guilt stung across my body, sending my body trembling. Yet, I found the strength to listen to my friend and gave her one last look. Then, all I could manage was a simple nod of the head before leaving. I didn't dare look back, knowing if I stopped even for a second, I would get back up again. So, I ran into the night, focusing on the goal of survival, so I could make the time go a little faster.