"Iris..." a soft male voice called out to me like a gentle caress. "Where are you, Iris?"
"Iris, please..." it turned into a desperate plea. 'Yes?' I wanted to say, but I could not hear my voice.
"Iris!" he shouted, his voice reverberated through the darkness.
Sharp, stinging pain shot through my neck, yanking my eyes open. It was so intensely sudden that I gasped for air, my muscles instinctively tensing as my heart pounded through my ears. It felt so real, that dream and that voice that haunts me. It was as if someone had struck me from behind with a needle, in that dream, before I could answer. I blinked once, then twice, my blurry vision slowly clearing as the dim, grimy ceiling above me came into focus.
The pain slowly fades into a dull ache after a few moments, and only then that I slowly push myself up by my elbows. Groaning as the other aches and pains of my body pleaded for my attention, but I have nothing to ease it so I just gritted through the pains. I didn't need the light to know I am covered with scratches and bruises all over my body. I can already feel it at every little move I make. I do, crave the light, however. I crave it like the feel of fresh air, food and clean water.
Slowly, I ease my feet past the edges of the dirty hay until I feel the cold, wet ground beneath them. Only then did I feel my shoulders sagging with relief, as the ache in my left ankle is nothing compared to the intense pain I felt the other day. Somehow, I must have sprained it since I remember waking up with it already hurting. So I carefully push myself away from the hay, letting the cold, damp walls guide me through the darkness.
Any minute now, the sun will rise and flood the tiny window across my cell with light. Since the place is still bathed in dimness, I let the walls gently guide me towards the other side, where the metal bars are caging me in. This would be the third sunrise I'd see within these walls. I wonder how many more until I get to be on the other side. I don't even know what I'll do or where I'll go if I somehow made it out, especially since I don't even remember who I am. All I know is my name and that man, from my dream as it replayed night after night, as if my mind is trying to make me remember.
I don't even know who he is or what he looks like, though his voice sounds strangely familiar. A tug pulls at my chest every time I hear him call my name. That tug would grow stronger when his voice turns desperate in my dream. I wanted to help him, to ease his pain however I can but for some reason, I simply couldn't. So as soon as I would be jolted awake, I hold onto that dream in my mind like holding onto a piece of rope at the edge of a cliff. I use it to fuel my need to live. I want to live long enough to see him. Even if I die right after, I don't mind. I just need to know what he looks like, what his name was, and hear it in real life...the way he called out my name.
It had been days since I've had food. I've only survived this far by drinking from the leftover rainwater that seeped through these damp walls and floors. It's disgusting but it's either that or die. And I refuse to die this way.
Though my energy is limited, I use the most of it by clinging onto these metal bars. Gently, I ease down until I feel my knees touching the cold, hard ground, clenching my teeth ready for the pain that would greet me. I feel my shoulders sagging when it was only met with an ache that I could stand, as I carefully maneuver my left ankle in a way that wouldn't hurt. Being this careful is exhausting. I don't know how long I could go on like this.
Overwhelmed with exhaustion, I swallow a cry threatening to unleash itself out of my lips, pushing all thoughts of dying away. Instead, I let my rage fuel me because there is simply no way am I dying like this. This place is old and vile, there must be a way out of here, especially when it looks like it hasn't been properly maintained in years. Whoever locked me here must've forgotten my existence, or I wouldn't be kept in solitary confinement. I surely would've remembered if I've committed a heinous crime.
Light poured through the empty cell, drawing my attention. I looked up at the sky that's turning to a lighter shade of blue as the sun finally rise, feeling a twist tugging at the corners of my lips. A surge of energy course through me as I scan through the bars that caged me in, coated in mold and grime, searching for its weakest points. Being the closest to the damp ground, I've deduced that I should most likely start from the bottom row. The rain from the past two days had surely weakened the metal, especially with the lack of sunlight to dry it out.
I grab a sharp rock nearby and struck the bar closest to me, again and again, using the last of my dwindling energy. There had to be a weak spot, somewhere. Pushing aside the growl in my stomach, pleading for food and the dry rasp in my throat, crying for clean water, I focus on the task at hand, promising myself that I'll have a fill of them all once I made it out. Crawling along the bottom row, I pound them all with all the strength I could muster until I reach the edge.
Just when I was beginning to lose hope, I saw the edge of the bottom bar starting to bend. Hope surged through my chest, a rush of adrenaline flooding my veins. With renewed determination, i struck it harder, gritting my teeth as I did. My hands and arms screamed in pain, but I didn't care. I was close, so close. Drawing my arm back, I let out a prayer to any god who would listen, asking for strength. Taking a deep breath, I summon every ounce of strength I have in me and struck it again, and again, and again. I thought I might pass out from exhaustion until I heard a deafening clang that made me stop. The metal finally gave way, and my heart stopped at the sight.
Dropping the rock on the ground next to me, I grip the bar tightly and pull it with all my strength. Shock and disbelief washed over me as the bar actually detached. The edges were sharp, as I held it up to the light that streamed through from the cell across from mine, feeling a surge of pride swelling inside me at the sight of my accomplishment. Thinking that I could use it as a weapon once I escape, I tuck it carefully into the pocket of my torn, ragged dress.
Fueled by this newfound determination, I pick up the rock again and turn my focus on the horizontal bars that still held the metal in place. Maybe in a few hours, I'd be walking out of here. By the next sunrise, I would finally be able to look for the help that I need.
The sound of footsteps cause me to freeze. Both with shock and fear as I wonder if I'm dreaming again. But I'm not. They are truly the sound of footsteps, heavy ones too, along with the sound of metal clanging against each other. Must be men, in their armors, soldiers. The rock falls from my hand as I grip the metal bar I've pocketed.
Shouts echoed from the outside, as the sound of their footsteps grew louder, sending a chill down my spine. My heart pounded in my ears, the rush of adrenaline making my head spin. Panic clawed at my chest as I gritted my teeth through the pain, scrambling into a stand and stumbling away from the metal bars. For the first time since waking up here with no memory, I instinctively seek the darkest corner of my cell for comfort, eyeing the pile of hay where I'd slept as I take out the piece of metal from my pocket, gripping it tight.
Pressing my back against the cold damp wall, I let the darkness swallow me, hoping that it would somehow hide me from the strangers approaching. Fear twists my gut as I cover my mouth with my free hand, trying to quell the rising panic as the clanging of metal grows louder. They're close, they're practically right outside, whoever they are.
Suddenly, a growl so deafening reverberated through the walls, cutting through the air and ultimately silencing the fighting. I had dropped to my knees, instinctively trying to shield myself from whatever it was but to my surprise, I feel instead, my fear beginning to fade. It wasn't just any growl, it was the growl of a dragon. And not just any dragon. Because as the growl echoed again, something inside me stirred and I find myself standing, my heart aching at the sound, as though it was calling to me, yearning for me.
"Iris!" the sound from my dreams roared through the place. "Iris, tell me where you are!"
Shocked into silence, I waited with bated breath as I hear the sound of the door being kicked open. There weren't any footsteps except for his, or what I assume to be his, as I only hear footsteps belonging to one man. I wait, and wait as I listen, his footsteps are getting more frequent. He is sprinting, to me.
"Iris, are you alright?" he asked, concern laced in his voice. "Iris, answer me!"
He appeared in my line of sight just as he finished those words. I stared at him, taking in his black armor, the navy blue cape trailing behind him, making him look like a prince, or perhaps a king. His dark hair, jet black and tousled by the wind framed his face. His dark eyes locked on mine, piercing through the darkness. Only then do I notice a distinct scar running along his jaw. I suddenly feel an irresistible urge to trace it with my fingers.
"I know you're there, my love." his voice was low, edged with a challenge as if he is daring me to test his patience. "You have to come out of the darkness so I can see you."
"How did you know me?" I rasped, my voice barely a whisper, thick with the yearning to understand.
He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, his gaze scanning the shadows before a terrible realization seemed to dawn, and the look in his eyes softened into something I couldn't name, tightening my chest. "It's me, Iris. Your husband, Vesper."
"Vesper..." I whispered out loud, testing it at my lips. "Vesperian Dragomir..." the name slipped out of my lips like a prayer I've memorized by heart. The sound of it felt so right and yet, so impossibly distant. With his dangerous elegance, he embodied the name so perfectly, as though he carried something ancient and powerful with his presence.
"That's right," his voice gentle now, almost hesitant. Then he fumbled for the old set of keys, and with a steady hand he unlocked the metal bars that separated us. "I've come for you, Iris."
I watch him, my heart racing as he steps back and let the heavy door hang open. I may not remember him, but my body and heart certainly do. Lead by this undeniable pull towards him, my feet move on their own accord, as if I'm drawn towards something I've always known. Only when I step out of the darkness and let the light wash over me, that I realize his power over me. There is something about him that makes my chest ache unbearably.
Still clutching the piece of metal in one hand, I watch him pressing his lips into a thin line at the sight of me, a flicker of something dark crossing his features. His gaze sweeps over me, lingering on the various injuries on my skin and the way I place most of my weight on one foot. He stalks towards me, his movements predatory and before I can react, he gathers me in his arms, his grip on my waist warm and steady, as if he is careful not to cause me more pain. I lean into him instinctively, unable to resist the familiar scent of wind and fresh pines that grounds me as he brushes a strand of my hair from my face.
"What have they done to you, my love?" he asked, his voice soft and tender.
"I can't remember."
Carefully, he pried the metal bar away from my hand and I let him, entranced by his presence. "Let me take you home," he coaxed. "Is it okay if I carry you?"
I nod, my body screamed with exhaustion as he lifts me into his arms. One hand on the back of my knees, the other keeping a steady hold on my back. I lean on his shoulders, my hands on my middle as he takes me out of my prison. Only then did I allow my eyes to close as I drift away from my consciousness, letting my body's exhaustion take me over and swallow me whole, now that I'm safe in his arms.