CHAPTER 67: SHE’S THE BRIGHT STAR OF THE COMPANY

In the dimly lit corner of a den, the harsh sound of lashes hitting a man's back echoed through the cold walls. The man, bound by large chains, endured the relentless beating.

Dark felt the warm trickle of blood down his back, a cruel reminder of his failed mission. In their unforgiving world, mistakes were a luxury they couldn't afford. No matter how skilled an assassin might be, a single misstep condemned them to a brutal punishment – a hundred lashes on their back and thirty days of starvation in a frigid, lightless cell, clad in nothing but their vulnerability. There was no escape from the harsh consequences of failure in their world.

In this harsh world, pain can often feel like it's leading us straight to the door of death.