Sioni’s dreams were filled with chases, laughter, and evil-looking eyes. She woke cold and crying, Helen by her side. “There, there…” Helen cooed, “It’s alright.” She could swear she heard laughter then, too, but it must have just been a lingering nightmare.

Sioni woke and saw sunlight streaming through a small window high on the wall, Helen was nowhere to be seen. She stood and looked around, finding only basic necessities. A washbowl on a stand, a hairbrush, a pot over the cook fire (it smelled like stew), and a door, presumably leading to the other parts of the castle. She pushed down on the handle, but it didn’t budge. She tried again, it was locked.

“What…” Sioni felt a sudden sting on her wrist, looked down to see it swathed in bandages. “But I didn’t hurt my wrist… did I?” She struggled to remember, but couldn’t. She moved to the window and looked out, the bottom was level with green grass, a path winding through what looked like a forest. This was no castle…

“Where am I?” she whispered.