Inside a dark, windowless room lit only by a few flickering torches, a small boy sat on the cold floor with his head buried in his arms, quietly sobbing.
"I'm hungry," he murmured.
Beside him, a young woman was chained to the wall. The chain wasn't especially thick, but her weakened body couldn't have broken it even if it were made of thread. She looked at the child with pained eyes, then pulled him gently into her arms.
"Just hold on a little longer. They'll bring something soon," she whispered.
She didn't believe her own words. They had been trapped in this place for far too long, surviving only on the bare minimum of water, just enough to keep them breathing.
Even if food did come, she wasn't sure she could eat it. The stench in the air made her stomach churn. A thick, rotting odor hung in every breath she took, clinging to her throat, pushing her toward nausea every passing second. Her appetite had died long ago.
