Blood Ties

CHAPTER TWELVE

My legs seemed to give out beneath me, and I slid down the wall, my knees bending as I collapsed to the floor.

Tears flowed freshly from my eyes as I lay there, my body shaking with sobs.

I couldn't move, couldn't think. I was trapped, and I knew it. The weight of my situation crushed me, and I felt myself drifting off to sleep, my mind numb and my body exhausted.

I dreamed of a hidden cave, dimly lit and eerily quiet. A figure in a black cloak stood before me, its face obscured by the shadows. Yet, despite the obscurity, I sensed an ancient presence, a being who had lived for centuries.

As I looked around, I realized we were alone. The cave was empty, except for the two of us. And then, our eyes met. His gaze was piercing, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. There was a likeness in his eyes, a familiarity that I couldn't quite place.

I had heard stories of rogues, of their cunning and ruthlessness. But this being, despite his resemblance to them, seemed different. H