Chapter 23; Innocent Or Not

The eerie echo of keys rattling in the distance Sends a chill coursing through my body, and I instinctively press myself against the cold, damp wall of the cave. Time seems to crawl at a sluggish pace, stretching out like an endless abyss. It could be hours or mere minutes since I was thrown into this dark, desolate cell, but every passing moment feels like an eternity.

With a heavy sigh, I slump down against the unforgiving stone floor, my back protesting against the uncomfortable position. My gaze flickers to the entrance of my cell, scanning it with cautious apprehension. The faint glimmer of torchlight dances along the corridor, casting eerie shadows that seem to shift and writhe with a life of their own.

As the footsteps draw closer, accompanied by the ominous clanging of metal against metal, my heart rate quickens, anticipation coiling in the pit of my stomach like a slumbering serpent. The sound halts abruptly, leaving a deafening silence in its wake.

I run a trembling hand thr