The first thing I became aware of was the smell. A musty, rotting, hideous smell. My ears picked up a steady dripping sound coming from somewhere, my left maybe? As I eased further into consciousness, I felt the tightness of the rope secured around either of my wrists. They had been bound behind the back of the cold metal chair I was on. My ankles were tied to the legs of the chair, effectively rendering me immobile. My heartbeat began to pick up as my mind slowly woke itself up.

"Eh man, she's coming to," I hear from my left.

My eyes flew open. Where the hell was I now? I began to scan the room. I was in a dark, stone cellar of some kind. There was an old wooden door to my left, its small window barred as water slowly dripped from the top. Must be in a basement, or lower level. I turned to my right, noticing the man who had spoken earlier. There was a torch propped on the wall beside him as the only other source of light in the dingy room. His absent facial expression morphed into an evil smile as he menacingly stepped towards me. My heart was hammering out of its chest now.

"Who are you?!" I screamed at him as I thrust my legs upward in a useless attempt to break free. "What do you want with me?!" The questions were coming out of me, almost unbidden.

As I took in his dingy, dirty appearance I realized he would act completely different to me than the last one. But what was his name? The man in front of me lowered his head to face me, his full beard and overgrown brown hair no different than his sweaty smell. His brown eyes search mine as he scrutinizes my appearance and I follow his gaze over my arms, stomach, and legs. Finally he looks back at me, leaning away from me again and crossing his arms. "You'll do."

"Wh-What are you talking about?" I ask in a whisper, unsure and afraid of his motives.

His only reply was a sickening laugh as he cocked his head to the side, "What's your name, princess?"

"Do I look like a princess to you?" I spat in his face.

Shock was his first reaction, until it sunk in what I had actually said. He slapped me across my face. Hard. Ouch.

Refusing to look back at him after the blow across my left cheek, I stared the dark corner down. It began to move. Huh? The shadows became a figure as slowly they leaned forward off the corner wall. Yellow eyes stood out from the darkness, glowing along with the man's silvery hair. My heart dropped as I recognized him as the man from the alley last night. Or however long ago it had been. Time seemed to move without my acute awareness as my states in and out of sleep prevented me from keeping track.

He smiled, almost genuinely, if I hadn't already hated him the smile may had been welcomed. His pace was slow, as he too eyed my body. However his stare only made me less uncomfortable, as I realized it was not a sexual stare, but more of a calculating look. His average height and sturdy build were no less intimidating than his perfectly shaved black and greying beard and longer gray, almost glowing silvery hair.

"Yes..." he placed a hand on his chin, pondering over something. "She has energy," he smiled exultantly as his eyebrows shifted up and down quickly. "She's perfect."

He then walked briskly past both of us, and opened up the door. I followed his figure and watched as he stopped and turned around. I had been too afraid to speak earlier but now my curiosity got the best of me, "What am I perfect for, huh? What is this?" I pulled futilely on my restraints as I spoke earnestly.

The older man ignored me, and instead spoke to the man in front of me. "Go ahead and start the introduction. Then when you feel she is broken in, bring her to... bathe if it is needed, and to her room." He spoke quickly, clear and concise yet full of authority and power. He turned to me one last time, a small smile forming as he looked me over again, then walked out.

"Well, this'll be fun," a deep voice came from behind me and I realized the other man had been circling me. He stopped in front of me and cracked his knuckles, pulling his head to either side and swinging his arms. He looked like he was warming up for a race and the reasons for this scared me. My heartrate picked up again and I steeled myself for the worst. I can do this; I can get through this; I will make it back home again. Somehow.

He smiled, some sick joke playing in his mind as he placed his hands on either armrest. "So, what is your name? Princess."

"Alexis," I sighed.

"Well, Alexis. Welcome to the Castle."

I kept silent. I had no idea what they wanted with me still, and what the significance of "the Castle" was supposed to mean. We were supposed to tour a castle when I was with my family... Did my parents even know what had happened to me?

"So. I answered your question. Now answer mine," I kept my tone even, my scared and raw emotions under control. "What is this place and why am I here?" I attempted to slow my rapidly beating heart and maintain eye contact as I'd spoken.

He just scoffed at me. "You think you are in any place to be asking me questions?" He had stopped laughing now, "Better double check where you are, buttercup."

"I told you my name, just like you wanted. Why don't you use it?" I snap.

I'd pissed him off again. I braced myself for another slap but instead get a punch as his fist came into contact with my cheek. A snap sounds from somewhere, almost as if inside me. But I feel disconnected from the sting and my mind wakes up, my breathes become more labored and the pain settles in another part of my brain.

A deep chuckling comes from his throat and I turn carefully back to face him. "That hurt, sweetheart?" His left hand forms a fist and punches my other cheek, snapping my head to the right. 

My gaze momentarily forced towards the door, I look longingly at the empty darkness that hinted escape just behind its wooden planks. Still the pain lingers at the edge of my subconscious.

"Look. If you want to survive here, you're gonna have to toughen up. And that means get used to pain," he spoke darkly, threatening me.

I take in a slow, yet shaky breath. I turn to face him defiantly.

He smirked at me, releasing a barely inaudible grunt over the sound of the blood rushing to my head at his warning as he swings again.

Adrenaline was a tricky thing, its forces able to prevent the pain yet mask the depths of its sources. I was suffering from blow after blow that seemed to be delivered only to my face. A warm, numb feeling was settling in, as my mind was just adjusting to the feeling. But then a strike to my abdomen had me sputtering blood, jolting me forward in an involuntarily cough. His fist lingered in front of my stomach, my head touching his upper forearm as he slowly moved it back.

"Alright, now that you've seemed to grasp who's in charge here..." his voice fades as he walks behind me. My chin was jerked upwards, as I looked through a clouded gaze to my torturer. "This is your introduction to the Castle. As I said earlier, you'll need to be tough to survive here. And only the tough will, believe me. The weaker and less skilled you are, the longer you'll have to stay here before we release you out to..."

My mind lingered on the words release and I watched him clean his bloodied hands with a rag. Is it really possible they would let people go? Would I be able to go home again?

I hadn't realized I had voiced that last question aloud until I heard his answer. "No." his rough hands grabbed both of my cheeks, causing me to wince in pain. "You will never be allowed to go home again. Understand?"

When I said nothing, unsure of any response that would justify his words, he continued, talking louder and more distinctly. "Home is dead to you. This is your home now. You must learn that." His hands forcibly released my face as he stepped out of my view once more.

"What kind of place is this..." I asked him, not sure if I wanted an answer, I didn't bother phrasing it as a question.

"This," he stepped in front of me, this time holding a knife. "Is a training facility. And you are its newest recruit. Congratulations," he said the last word with contempt, making it seem more like a curse.

I gulp loudly as my eyes linger on the knife in his hand, holding it as if he were about to chop vegetables. He moves forward suddenly, causing me to jump in response as I ashamedly close my eyes. But no pain comes.

"Calm down," his voice is surprisingly gentle, as his hands hold my arms steady. "You're shaking."

I slowly take in a deep breath, releasing it just as slowly. I feel the rope loosen around first my wrists, then my ankles. In disbelief, I test the freedom of movement as I rub my hands in a soothing motion. All too soon, I am forced out of my moment of peace as the chair gives way underneath me. I fall forward, my hands shooting out to hold me up on instinct. I hear his feet shuffle behind me as he moves the metal chair against the stone, creating a hideous screeching noise.

Jumping up on my feet, I quickly turn a one eighty in the same movement, lowering my head and bending my knees in preparation. He cocks his head at me, mimicking my movements. I was beginning to realize the point of this introduction may have been to test my abilities and threshold for pain. One may be better than the latter, but after being beat up, I had to admit my normal athletic abilities may be significantly less.

I shift my feet back and forth in a shuffle, as my mind tries to formulate my thoughts. "Anything else significant about this place I should know?" Like how the hell they caught me so fast last night... I wonder to myself.

He smirks and shakes his head, "One thing I don't get to do, is tell you more than I'm allowed. You'll find out soon enough though."

"So what are you allowed to tell me then?"

He strides towards me, staring my face down in obvious disdain at my condescending tone. I was prepared for a punch, not a kick. Which was promptly delivered to my legs as the room spun when I fell, once again on my hands. He kicked my ribs once. "I tell you what I want, when I want. You don't decide on any of that." He kicks me again. And again as I cough and wheeze in pain. "Got that, princess?" he mocks me, speaking in a quieter voice next to my ear.

My painful coughing fit continues as I my lungs contract, making me acutely aware of the injuries he likely caused. It took more than a few minutes for me to stop, during which he patiently sat on the chair.

"Finally," he says as he gets up from the chair. I look at him with all the disgust I could manage, kneeling on bent knees in front of him. "Now that you're all bloody and disgusting it's time for you to shower. Normally we give you guy's medicine to heal, but why don't we do that after?" He sarcastically speaks to me as if I am an animal, placing his hands on his knees in scornful condescension.

No part of me had any semblance of an idea of what medicine he was referring to, and I didn't care. I would never accept it from him, the disgusting man who found pleasure in giving others pain. So I merely scoff at him as he ties a rope around my wrists.

I am lead past the door, into a dark narrow hallway with stairs at the end. I see natural lighting coming from just ahead of us. We make our way to the top of the stairs and I begin to realize why he said this was the Castle. We were literally in some kind of castle grounds. Wherever we had just been was underground and now we were above ground on a manicured grass field surrounded by at least two, maybe three-story, stone walls. The area he had led me to was small, but an iron gate ahead of us led on this wasn't only part of their campus.

Now past the Iron Gate, I had to stop to take everything in. This place had to stretch at least several square miles. Ahead of us on the right was a circular section of the castle that signified the main entrance to the indoors. That was where he was pulling me to, and I begrudgingly followed suit. As we continued walking, I turn my attention around us to the expanse of people. Some were fighting each other, some were running, others were lifting weights, others were practicing with swords, using bows and arrows, throwing knives. It truly was a training grounds. But where was I expected to start? 

My head kept turning to another indoors entrance to a section of the wall behind us. People held broken and bloodied limbs as they all mostly limped inside. Yet they came out walking tall. I frown and face them slightly.

"C'mon," a tug on the rope pulls my attention forward as I find myself facing my grisly bearded handler again. "There's more to do. You'll be shown all of this later," he nods behind him and turns to continue walking. I begin my slow pace forward as we walk to what I had assumed was the main entrance.

And I wasn't wrong. The massive double story entrance made me feel like I'd just traveled back in time. Heck, ever since I was knocked out and brought here, I had felt like I was in a different time; an alternate reality. The entrance started out narrow, lit up by flaming torches on either side, until it expanded into a wider hall. The floor was detailed with a red carpet that highlighted the walk to an expansive staircase. An enormous medieval chandelier hung from the ceiling, lighting up the room with its thousands of candles. Stained glass windows ornamented either side of the intricately beautiful entry.

Another tug on my rope, not as subtle as before, forced me out of my admiration as I looked to see that he was already halfway up the stairs. We rounded the corner and began heading down yet another narrow corridor. This hall had decorative archways every 10 feet or so, with candle lights hanging in between. No carpet hid the dark, cold stone flooring beneath us this time.

I continued following him as we turned left and passed a door into a community bathroom of some kind. He held his hand up, "I'll be outside." Then he closed the door behind him.

Not sure what to do next, I turned my attention from the door to look around me. There were at least twenty bathroom stalls on either side of the room. These were no ordinary public restrooms, the "stalls" were actually individual rooms with wooden doors. A quick peak revealed there was a toilet and stand up shower inside. The main room was split by a mirror wall lined by granite countertops which held five sinks on both sides. 

I was about to turn to shower but stopped as I passed the mirror and absentmindedly stared at my reflection. I was aghast by what was looking back at me. The girl in front of me was me, but the swelling in her cheeks, and dried blood on her nose and chin dwarfed my previous image. I pulled at my wild, unkempt hair and examined each side of my continuously swelling cheeks. I quickly turned away, determined not to let myself break down.

Beyond the bathroom stalls I noticed what looked like some kind of a locker room. But I didn't take the time to look any closer. I wanted, no, needed a shower.

Taking my time, I was careful washing my face and stomach as my ribs ached along with my cheeks. I was no expert on broken bones, but I was thinking I at least sprained or fractured a few. The steam and warm water along with the fresh soap smell helped to alleviate my aches.

It wasn't until I stepped out of the shower that I noticed my clothes were gone. I frantically began searching for them, not even fully dry yet.

"Where the-" I whisper to myself in a panic.

"Out here," a deep male voice came from outside. Apparently he had heard me. And apparently at some point he came in here. Both automatically had my spine straightening as I thought the worst.

"When did you come in here?" I demanded.

"When I heard the water turn on," he answered me. But I didn't respond because I still couldn't understand why he had come in here at all. "Look, you are supposed to get new clothes. I took your old ones and now I'm giving you your new ones."

"Fine."

"Fine. I'll be outside," he answered. I waited until I hear the door opening and closing before I peeked outside. From my vanity point, I saw no one apart from the neatly folded clothes on the granite counter.

Wrapping the towel tightly around my torso, I dart across the floor to the countertop. But an arm stops me, snatching my towel and tugging. Luckily, my hands were holding the towel in place, but I was still caught off guard. Flustered, I turned to face my most recent and incessantly annoying attacker.

"Not so fast, princess," he says before I have the chance to speak first.

"What the hell?" I scream at him, more than a little afraid.

He says nothing while he suggestively moves closer towards me and places his hands on my bare shoulders. I immediately step backwards, but he only mirrors my movements.

"You know, it's not every day they send in such pretty recruits..."

"Oh god," I couldn't help but frown and snivel in disgust. I had never stopped backing away, holding on to the hope he would give up and leave me alone. And now, my last step had my back meeting a wall. He continued forward then stepped around my hips to straddle me. His creepy smile had grown and his hands were now rubbing my neck.

I swatted one of his hands away. "Get away from me!"

This only made him more aggressive though as he now moves to get a hold of my towel; my current lifeline.

"Didn't we go over this?" he grabs my hand that was holding the towel in place as he leaned impossibly close to my face. I turned my head and shriveled back as far away from him as I could manage while using both hands to hold the towel. "You don't get to tell me what to do."

I feel a cold breeze against my skin as I fear the worst, not yet realizing that my hands still held the towel firmly in place. I turn my head to see that someone had pushed him out of the way. A familiar dark haired man had my attacker pinned to the wall. When his distinctly blue eyes turn to meet mine, the other man throws him to the ground. My heart drops as I scramble to the nearest stall, as he aims his sights for me once more.

A hand tightens around my right hip as I am thrown to my left. My side slams on to the floor as I prop myself up. Ugly brown eyes had come after me but blue eyes had thrown me out of the way. They were in some kind of battle but I couldn't tell who was winning because they were moving too fast. They stop when dark hair slams brown up against the wall again, holding him up by only his neck.

"Zech," my hero calmly and confidently says his name, chastising him.

After a few seconds Zech's breathing slows and he nods his head. Blue eyes lowers him to the ground, or rather, drops him. He turns towards me and begins to walk my way. I shuffle awkwardly trying to get up. Halfway there, I feel him grab my arm as he wraps his other around my waist to help me up.

"You OK?" he asks me, his blue eyes roaming my body, assessing me.

"I'm fine," I snap reactively as I readjust my towel.

"You don't look fine," he grabs my chin and forces me to look at him. His face contorts into a mixture of anger and worry, before a wave of understanding surfaces and he lets go of my face. "This was from them earlier, wasn't it?"

"Them? You mean him," I say as I point towards the door Zech had just stepped out of.

"They do it to everyone..." his gaze lowered to the ground. "I just wish... never mind. You still have to change." He nods his head backwards towards the clothes pile on the counter as he steps away from me.

"Thanks," I say flatly before stepping around him and grabbing the clothes off the counter. I open the door to the nearest stall halfway, before turning back to him. "Really though, thank you."

He smiled at me, "You're welcome." His eyes travel up and down my body once more, "I like you better this way..."

"You're unbelievable." I roll my eyes at him.

"I know. I get that a lot. You should hear them the morning after." His eyebrows wiggle suggestively.

Ignoring him, I step inside and shut the door closed behind me, sighing as I turn around and lean against the door. That was way too close.

The clothes I was given were dark green skinny jeans and a simple black T-shirt. They also had black army boots with high ankle socks. Surprisingly the sports bra I was given fit me as easily as the shoes did.

When I was done, he led me to the "chambers" section of the castle. He says we were not split up by boys and girls so my roommate could have been anyone.

"Were going to go the long way around," he says to me.

"I think the other guy was the one who was supposed to do all this... introduction stuff."

"Well, he failed," he says firmly. "So it's my job now."

I open my mouth to respond, but am cut off. "Ah there you are, my son," an older male voice echoes from around the corner.