See the Light Chapter 1 Bound in Darkness

Chapter 1

“Are you a spy?” The voice cut through the dense fog in my mind, its tone as sharp as a blade. Spy? My thoughts twisted in confusion, grappling with the accusation as I lay sprawled on something cold and unforgiving, the chill seeping into my bones. My eyes remained closed, but the pain was already a steady drumbeat in my skull, each pulse a reminder of how far I was from understanding anything.

“Oi! I said, were you a spy?” The voice grew louder, harsher, dripping with disdain. “What are you doing here?”

I forced my eyes open, but the blinding light made me wince. The throbbing in my head intensified, as if my skull was being pried apart. Where the hell am I? Panic clawed at the edges of my consciousness as I tried to grasp at the slippery threads of memory, but all I found was emptiness. The last thing I remembered was... something distant, a place far away, now shrouded in shadows. Beyond that, there was nothing. Just a terrifying, yawning void where my memories should have been.

“I said, tell me who you are!” The voice snarled, and before I could react, a bucket of freezing water slammed down on me, shocking me fully awake. I gasped, sputtering as the icy liquid dripped down my face and neck, and I finally managed to peel my eyes open. What I saw wasn’t pretty.

Two Days Later

The place they kept me in was a stinking, decrepit excuse for a cottage. It was more of a pigsty than a shelter, with rotting wood and a roof that barely held back the elements. My hands were bound tightly with rough rope, the fibers biting into my skin, leaving angry red welts. The food they gave me was a joke—a mushy, unidentifiable slop accompanied by something they dared to call bread. I forced it down, each bite tasteless and dry, as if chewing on sawdust but still there was something about it that felt different.

I still had no idea where I was or how I’d ended up here. My memories remained fragmented, just out of reach, like pieces of a shattered mirror. I had flashes—brief, disjointed images that made no sense, and try as I might, I couldn’t piece them together into anything coherent. Fear gnawed at me, but I couldn’t afford to let it take hold. I had to stay focused, had to find a way out of this nightmare.

The door creaked open, the rusty hinges groaning in protest. A man stepped inside, his too-high-pitched voice grating on my nerves as he called out, “Oi, you…”

“I told you, I don’t know anything. I’m not a spy,” I replied, my voice hoarse from disuse. “I’m nobody. Just let me go.”

The man sneered, leaning closer. “And where would you go then?” His words were a taunt, a trap, and I almost fell for it. The words “I don’t know” nearly slipped from my lips, but I bit them back just in time. I couldn’t give away any information, even if I had none to give. I had no idea where I was, much less where I wanted to go. The truth was, I was terrified—terrified to my very core—but I couldn’t let them see that.

“That is none of your business,” I finally said, trying to keep my tone steady, though my heart was hammering in my chest. The man’s grip tightened as he shoved me down onto the hard, cold floor.

“You’re coming to the King,” he said with a twisted smile. “They pay good money for spies. He’ll be very happy with me for finding you. People like you, that’s who ruin our country. This is my opportunity. To show who I…”

His voice trailed off into mumbling, self-congratulatory nonsense, but my mind was racing. King? What? No, no, no, focus! I had to keep my wits about me, had to figure out where I was and what the hell was going on. If I didn’t, I was going to lose my mind.

“You’re taking me to your King?” I asked, forcing a note of calm into my voice. “But… okay, good. And that would be the King of what?”

“The King of this country.” His answer was as vague as it was unhelpful, and I nearly rolled my eyes in frustration. Talking to him was like pulling teeth—painful and entirely unproductive.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to think. These people, whoever they were, clearly didn’t trust me. And why would they? I was a stranger, an outsider. My mind flickered with the possibility that they thought I really was a spy—an enemy. If I pushed too hard, if I asked the wrong questions, it could end badly for me. I had to tread carefully.

“Tell me more about your country,” I said, feigning interest. Maybe if I could get him talking, I could glean some useful information.

But he wasn’t having it. “I’m telling you nothing. I don’t know who or what you are, but you smell different.”

The word “different” was spat out with such disgust that it sent shivers down my spine. Different was bad. I had to gather my thoughts quickly, plan my next move. This conversation was going nowhere, and I was running out of options.

“What kind of spy do you think I am?” I asked, trying to keep my tone light, conversational.

“The other side’s.”

“The other side’s?” I echoed, barely hiding my frustration at his lack of detail. “And that would be… who?”

“You act like you know nothing.” His eyes narrowed, suspicion darkening his expression. His patience was wearing thin, and I knew I was treading on dangerous ground.

The man’s anger simmered just beneath the surface, his face twisting into an ugly mask of frustration. I had to end this before it escalated. I clamped my mouth shut, saying nothing more. He glared at me with a look of utter contempt, like I was something he had scraped off the bottom of his shoe. He tossed a hunk of bread at my feet before storming out, slamming the door behind him.

I stared at the so-called bread for a moment before picking it up. It was dense, heavy, and unappetizing, but I forced myself to take a bite. To my surprise, it didn’t taste as bad as before. Or maybe I was just getting used to it. It was bland, almost flavorless, but it never made me sick, even though I knew I couldn’t eat wheat. In fact, this time it seemed to give me a strange sort of strength, a faint spark of energy that I hadn’t felt in days.

Very interesting, I thought, chewing slowly. I still needed to calm my thoughts, I have been trying to remember or at least keep my mind clear but it was a hard task. The only thing I knew was that I had to survive until I met this King, whoever he was. The thought of facing him terrified me, but I had no choice. I had to find out where I was, what had happened to me, and why I couldn’t remember anything.

As I lay back down on the cold, hard floor, again my mind raced with a thousand thoughts, none of them comforting. Authorities had always scared me, especially those who wielded power without earning it. The worst were those born into it, believing their bloodline made them superior.

Blood runs thicker than water, I thought bitterly, the old saying twisting in my mind. But how easily people forget the true meaning—the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. It was a saying that had been twisted and manipulated over the years to serve those in power. But it didn’t matter now. What mattered was surviving, and I couldn’t afford to lose focus.

I knew I needed sleep, though the prospect of getting any was laughable. Tomorrow, they would make me walk behind their carriage again, just as they had for the past two days. My muscles ached at the thought, but I pushed the discomfort aside. I had to conserve my energy, had to be ready for whatever awaited me when we reached our destination.

Whatever happens, I have to survive.