The air in the closed room crackled with trepidation, thick with the remnants of a failed incantation of magic. The captive, once-proud mage, staggered, his senses dulled by the backlash of his misfired spell. Before he could grasp the full extent of his failure, a swift blade parted his lips, silencing his voice in a mute scream of agony.
Terror gripped him as reality crashed down, his mind spiraling in a futile attempt to articulate his dread. His body trembled violently; he tried to scream, but only strangled, incoherent sounds emerged from his mutilated mouth. Desperation took hold, and his eyes darted around the dimly lit room, searching for an escape that wasn't there.