CHAPTER 47 : THE DUNGEON

Derek’s POV

The air was thick and damp, a cold that clung to my bones and gnawed at my skin, reminding me every second of where I was. The dungeon. It reeked of mildew and rusted metal, a place long forgotten by most and designed to break the strongest of men. But I wasn't just any man.

The guards dragged me in, their grip firm but wary. They’d seen the way my wounds were healing, faster than they expected, and it made them nervous. I could see it in their stiff movements, the way their hands clenched tighter around their weapons every time I so much as twitched. Good. They should be nervous. Because no matter how deep they tried to bury me, I’d claw my way out.

One of the guards shoved me, hard enough to make me stumble. I caught myself, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me fall.

"Think you're something special, don’t you?” he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "Well, let's see how special you are down here. No light, no one to hear you scream."

I met his gaze, r