Chapter 23: Why so calm?

Yinlan slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the dim light filtering through the dusty window. The room was unfamiliar – cold, damp, and filled with the musty scent of abandonment. Panic set in as she realized she was bound to a rickety chair, her wrists tightly secured with coarse ropes.

As her vision adjusted to the gloom, the memories of the abduction flooded back. This wasn't the first time Yinlan found herself in such a predicament, but the familiarity of it only heightened her despair. She could feel the chill of fear creeping up her spine, but instead of succumbing to it, an unsettling smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Why so calm, my dear?" a voice echoed from the shadows, sending shivers down Yinlan's spine.

A figure emerged, their face concealed by a dark hood. Yinlan squinted, trying to discern any familiar features, but the mysterious captor remained a silhouette against the dim light.