Seconds. Minutes. Hours. Days. Weeks. Months. Years. Decades. Centuries. Millenniums.

Time.

I hadn't been here very long. Maybe a day or so. But being stuck in a chair with my hands bound behind my back and the zip ties so tight that I had rubbed my wrists raw made it feel like I had been trapped for an eternity.

I remember feeling cold and seeing nothing but the darkness beyond my eyelids, and somewhere along the way I ended up here.

I was going home.

And now I'm wanting to go home.

I was left alone but I heard a faint noise in front of me and when I gained the energy to look up I saw someone in black enter through the single door with no light surrounding it. The person looked male, but I could have been wrong.

I couldn't tell what was happening.

"Y/N L/N," a deep voice boomed as the man approached in a black hoodie and stained navy jeans. "I want to know some things," he then simply stated.

"What things?" I asked with a sneer.

"Your boyfriend, I want to know about him."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "I don't have a boyfriend," I lied. I wasn't going to bring Cole into my troubles, not now. He would find me and involve himself. The man scoffed and folded his arms in front of me. "Cole Brookstone."

As the name left his mouth I froze. If he already knew who Cole was then why ask me about him? A test?

"What do you want?" I demanded.

"You're in no position to be making demands," he laughed cynically. "I want to know what his team has been researching. And you're going to tell me."

"I'm not telling you anything unless you let me go."

The man groaned, "I hate negotiations," he muttered before his hand slapped my face hard. I whimpered and kept my eyes down as my head whipped to the right. I probably got whiplash. "Tell me!"

"What makes you think I know?" I asked fearfully now. My cheek stung and I felt a spot of blood trickle down as he most likely scratched my face with his nails. "You're there - at the monastery - all the time. He tells you things, complains, to you about things. Tell me what they are."

"Cole is a private person. He doesn't tell me anything."

"You're a pathetic liar," he growled as his breath hit my cheek from him being so close. He backed up and his hand came in contact with my face again.

I cried out and dropped my head to try and avoid further conflict. "We'll try this again tomorrow."

With that, the man was gone and he slammed the door behind him. I was left in a damp and dim room while I cried softly to myself. I needed Cole. I needed him now.