Time is a strange concept. The way it used to dictate our lives, rule over every single little thing that we decided to do. Especially before the war.

Nowadays it hardly means anything. Each day is run instead by how dangerous our predicament is, how far we can travel, what obstacles we face. There's no care given to the amount of time it'll take.

But now... in the cold depths of Gia's dank dungeon, I can't help but wonder how long I've been down here.

I've spent most of it unconscious, which only makes me worry that it's been longer than I'm imagining. It may have been days, maybe weeks... I have no idea.

And after the way I've been treated, who would even want time to continue? I certainly don't.

I can tell you exactly how many knocks and dents are in the dirty wall of my cell, how many insects I've squashed against the floor, the number of bars that line the tiny window. I originally scratched a line into the mud the first day I was here, following it with another the day after, intent on keeping time at the forefront of my mind. But just marking the walls every time I woke didn't prove a thing. So... I gave up.

I've counted anything that I can in here, and I'm now completely out of activities to distract myself.

Instead, I've spent however long lying on the ground, the cold surface pressed against my cheek as I worry about Zac. Is he okay? Does he know that I'm missing? Is he worried? Is he eating enough? Does Gia forgive him?

I know I keep drifting off, my consciousness fragile from the continuous beatings and extended concussions. My head spins every single time I sit up, dizziness consuming every inch of me.

It's best to just stay where I am, silent and unmoving, waiting for the enemy to turn up and torment me once more. I've grown used to it.

But nonetheless... I haven't seen Gia once. Coward.

She employs her Enforcers to do all of her dirty work, we've always known that. So it shouldn't come as a surprise to me that she's hiding away from this mess. She probably knows I could crush her in a heartbeat if I was fit and healthy. I smirk to myself.

And after this, I'm certain that eventually, I will.

Moving my arm slightly, I cringe at the pain that circles my wrists. I trail my finger along them, feeling the sticky blood from where they once chained me to the ceiling, left hanging like a slaughtered lamb.

The blood hasn't dried yet, a small cause for concern... but then again, I have no idea how much time has passed since they let me down to rest on the floor.

Oh, well...

"Hey!" Someone yells suddenly.

I squeeze my eyes shut and exhale loudly, desperate to ignore them for as long as possible. They're back, and I've barely recovered from last time. I don't want to move...

Barely five seconds pass by before a deafening screeching noise echoes around the small space, rattling my ear drums and hurtling me back to reality. I shoot upright, using my elbows to hold me up. I don't bother shaking my hair out of my face as I peer over at the bars of my cell.

Gia is standing on the other side of the metal, smirking at me from the safe, protected side of the cell. I instantly glare, eyes dropping to her neck and imagining how amazing it would be to wrap my hands around the scrawny brunette.

I spit towards her, using all the energy I have. Her smirk only widens.

"She's charming," Gia comments, turning her attention to someone beside her.

I follow her gaze. Shock saturates my body at the sight of the familiar head of hair, the protective stance, the tall stature. His jawline is tensed, chiselled to perfection like always. His warm brown eyes suddenly meet mine and I let my own widen, comfort spreading from my heart to the rest of my body. It's warm... Safety.

Pushing up with my hands, I try to stand, instantly falling back to the ground as a stab of pain shoots from my wrists to my arms, from my stomach to my chest.

"Here we are, Zac," Gia says and I glance back at her. Three Enforcers are suddenly flanking her, either side. I shake my head at the idiot. She's a fucking coward, never fighting her own battles. "Surprise," she adds before crossing her arms and waiting for Zac to respond.

I move my gaze back to my husband, inhaling sharply at the visible rage on his face. His hands are clenched by his sides, his body almost shaking, yet somehow absurdly rigid. His eyes flicker between all of the Enforcers.

This was exactly what I didn't want to happen — them using me as a fucking weapon to test Zac.

Yet here I am, having failed to escape from this hellhole before Gia used it to her own advantage. I've failed him. At the realisation, my body slumps slightly against the ground.

"Gia—" Zac's voice is low, emotionless.

"Well," Gia cuts him off, looking back towards me and smirking. "Seeing as you're the one who hates her, you can be the one to kill her."

I inhale sharply at the words, a dull ache spasming through my lungs. I know that Zac will have told his sister anything in order to get on her good side... But either way, reality isn't exactly pleasant to see.

"You can choose which weapon to use," Gia continues, almost mockingly. She's smiling, like she knows she's won the war. Zac has clearly never successfully fooled her, that's why she tracked me down and turned me into a helpless fucking victim.

Bitch.

"You're a fucking monster," Zac hisses, making a move towards his sister. The Enforcers swoop in, grabbing hold of his upper arms as Gia purses her lips.

"I knew you were lying, Zac," she retorts. "You never wanted to reunite the family, did you?"

"With a bitch like you?" Zac spits out, wrestling against the Enforcers. "Never."

Gia visibly bristles at his words. She clearly wasn't expecting — or wanting — to hear that answer. She nods her head before speaking, "So you were after information then?"

Zac shrugs, managing to shove one of the Enforcers away. "Poppy wanted to get the family back together. I agreed, seeing it as an opportunity to take you down."

Gia scoffs. "That worked out well," she pauses, gesturing behind her. More Enforcers suddenly appear and I grit my teeth, attempting to move closer to the bars once more. My body groans as I shuffle, inch by inch closer to my husband. I need to help Zac.

"Don't worry," Gia exclaims. All of the Enforcers arms pile onto Zac. I cry out, unable to move fast enough. I'm still ridiculously far away from them. "I'll tell Poppy that you decided to leave."

"She won't believe you," Zac retorts.

Gia shrugs. "Maybe not at first," she answers. "In time she'll learn to accept it."

"You're a fucking joke—"

"Put him in a cell," Gia orders, waving her hand dismissively before turning away.

"No!" I scream, finally curling my hand around the bar of the cell, using it to pull myself closer. "Don't!"

"Emilia!" Zac yells, his eyes now firmly back on me. He's clearly worried, panic in his eyes as they drag him away, further down the corridor. I try to reach through the bars but an Enforcer slams his baton down on it. I yell out in pain and Zac roars at the action, managing to punch the Enforcer holding him on his left. Swinging his arm back, he slams a fist into their face, forcing them to the ground before turning his attention to the ones on the other side.

They're clearly panicked and I watch in awe as my strong husband fights against them, a clear victory in his sights. Hope starts to beat through my heart, my other hand curling around the bar as I watch with bated breath.

It's only a few seconds until more Enforcers appear, joining the struggle and diminishing all hope.

I let my hand drop slightly, my face pressed against the bars as I yell for Zac to look out. Punches are raining down on his body and I cry out, begging them to stop as tears coat my cheeks. My pleas fall on deaf ears, Gia long gone, leaving her mess to be cleared up by the fucking Enforcers.

Instead, I watch as they batter Zac, eventually hauling him up and beginning to drag him down the corridor once more. My eyes meet his, sobs falling from my mouth when I see the blood that now stains his cheeks.

He sends me a warm, hopeful smile, one that I know is designed to give me comfort and remind me that we've survived everything before this. A slightest ounce of motivation fills me before he disappears out of sight.

All I hear is him yelling my name, only adding to my hysteria. Listening to him call for me only reminds me what I've done and how useless I've been in getting us to this stage. I did this to us.

Sure, I didn't want him to come here, but in the end, it was me who destroyed it all. I'm the cause of his demise with Gia, and it's my fault that we're both here, in an absolutely dire predicament with no way out.

Letting go of the bars, I slowly move back into the confines of my cell and continue to cry. I'm completely alone in the pitch black, with no comfort left to keep me going.

Knowing that Zac was okay gave me a surge of strength — the will and desire to keep going.

Now... I have nothing.

He's as threatened as I am, and I can't do anything about it.