Fear blasts through me as my shoulders are shaken wildly. A strangled panicked yelp bursts out as I snap my eyes open, my head pounding as a heavy grogginess refuses to leave.

It's pitch black in here, why is it so dark? Is it night? It's so hard to think, as if someone filled my head with mud. It smells awful, and I don't want to know what caused the smell. Wasn't I just sleeping? Why am I laying on something super hard? I wouldn't choose to sleep on concrete. What in the Nether has happened?

"Lukas?" My eyes widen at Petra's voice, still can't see anything, and I sit up, bonking foreheads with her. "Okay, yeah, you're finally awake."

I try to move my arm to rub my forehead, when my wrist presses against something metal and forces my hands to remain behind my back.

Vigorously shaking my head to get that grogginess out, which only serves to give me a slight headache, I move my hands. I can move my fingers just fine, but my main concern now is on the cold metal bands locked onto my wrists.

My heart beats wildly in my chest as I try to get up. Only to tumble back onto the hard ground, which is definitely concrete, when chains rattle and my legs can't separate very far at all. This can't be happening! Where the heck am I?

"Calm down Lukas." Olivia's in here too! I snap my head around, but I can't see. I can't see anything! "Panicking isn't going to do you any good."

"W-Why can't I see?" I cough, restoring a bit of life back into my crackly voice. It feels like ages since the last time I've had anything to drink. The chains continue to rattle as I bring myself to a sitting position, muscles trembling not knowing anything about where I am.

"Well, it's really kinda dark-" Axel's remark is cut off by an oof and more chains rattling.

"Cut it out, Axel." How is everyone so calm right now? We're in chains in some weird dark place that smells absolutely horrid and I'm the only with a heart ready to explode right now! Shouldn't everyone be panicking about basically everything!

Petra, who I can't tell how close she is to me, sighs. "Just wait for eyes to adjust and you'll be to see our outlines if you strain your eyes too."

I nod, not even sure if she can see that. It takes awhile for eyes to adjust, but at least I'm not alone. I would definitely even more afraid if I was alone and freak out by myself where everyone is and what the heck has happen.

"Wait!" My heart threatens to break a rib, I haven't heard Jesse yet! He would be the first to say something, why haven't I heard him yet? "Where's Jesse?"

My stomach throbs when I start to hyperventilate, the panicked gasps of air getting louder as my question is meant by silence. Maybe he's still asleep like I was, he's fine though. He has to be fine, nothing can hurt him. He'll be fine. He'll be fine. He'll be fine.

"Well? Where is Jesse?"

Again, silence. Silence that makes my frantic heart that much easier to hear. Silence which makes my fears scream painfully loud. Silence that just makes me want to scream so I don't have to hear it anymore.

Olivia awkwardly clears her throat. "We don't know. He's not in this cell with us, and none of us have seen him."

The once bursting heart of mine slams to a halt and drops into my stomach. I try to take deep breaths, to help wrap my head around that. The breaths get faster and faster as the meaning of those words sink deeper and deeper. Until my heart throbs painfully in my stomach to keep up with my lungs.

"W-what..." I take a huge breath, trying to form a proper question. "How did we get here?"

Axel snorts, bitter disgust in his voice. "These cowards couldn't face us head on. If they had shown their faces-"

"Axel, Lukas doesn't need that right now." My fingers, uselessly trapped behind my back, curl in a frantic curiosity. I just want to know. I want to know where we are. I want to know what happened. I want to know why we're here. I want to know where Jesse is. I want to know who took us. I want to know how to get out. I want to-

Petra coughs, maybe she's close enough to hear my raging heartbeat. "It was a slash potion of sleeping or something that can knock us out. The last thing I remember is hearing the glass shatter."

I scan my memory, trying to remember the event myself. But it's all a blur. I can clearly remember being in the Sky World and showing Axel and Olivia everything. I remember leaving, but it suddenly gets fuzzy. Where I can only remember panic and horror but being so angry too.

"Don't strain yourself." I look towards Olivia, though I still can't see her yet. "We've been awake for awhile now, plenty of time to adjust to this."

"Yeah dude, you've been out for days."

Everything starts to shake, and my chains rattle softly as Petra scoffs at Axel. "Like you know how much time has past. There's no way to tell time in here."

"Well it feels like forever, would you rather me say that?"

I scoot back, as if I can run from all the questions relentlessly swirling in my head. Drowning me in an endless ocean of 'what if's and fear. When my arms and back hit the wall, I bring my knees up.

I wish I was still asleep, I really wish I was still asleep so I wouldn't be dealing with all of this all of a sudden. I can't learn anything in here, I'm trapped, and being asleep would change nothing except letting me be calm. If I could just calm my heart down or stop myself from trembling.

"Lukas? Are you al-"

"Don't ask me that!" Fear bubbling out of my mouth before I know what I'm saying. "Don't ask me because I don't want to think about it!"

Blood boils within me as I pull against the chains, trapped. Caged in a cell. Who do these people think they are? That they can do this to people! It's wrong! We shouldn't be here! And whoever left this vile smell shouldn't have either!

They even took Jesse! Who knows where he could be right now? If it was bad for me to wake up with my friends he must be going through so much worse! It's just wrong of them to do this! They shouldn't be able to do this!

My fists clench as my teeth grind. Blind rage building within me. I screw my eyes shut to keep it in, I can't let it out on my friends. They don't deserve it, they've probably already felt this. But that doesn't stop the screaming urge to scream and punch something.

Why do they even want us here? If they need something they could've just asked! We help a lot of people, they don't need to just force us to do what they want! Now I really just want to get Jesse and get back at them.

The chains rattle louder as I continue to jerk against them. If only we could get out of these chains, then Axel could probably rip out the door of this place. But these people have no idea who they're messing with. We're going to break out of here at even the smallest of opportunities.

"It sucks doesn't it?" My glare snaps over to Petra's voice, my muscles seething with rage while my heart still frantically beats in panic. "Can't even punch a wall in these chains."

I nod, and gasp slightly when I see the darkest gray, almost black, outline of her. I really do love my sight. Although as I peer at her, I don't see the shape of her helmet or any of her bulky metal armor. I rustle my limbs, only feeling a rough t-shirt against my skin.

Groaning, I lean my head against the wall. How did I not notice earlier that I'm not wearing my armor? Although why did I assume I even had it in the first place? I'm chained and weaponless, it would make no sense for these people to keep us armored.

And just to put the cherry on top, my stomach rumbles. Perfect timing to make me realize that I haven't eaten in awhile. There isn't room in my head to feel hungry, but how long will it be until I get food?

I grind my teeth again, mentally cursing these people again. Even if I get food I couldn't possibly eat it, not with my hands behind my back. I could eat it off the ground, but if that horrid smell in here is any indicator at all, this is not a clean place. I suppose we could eat out of other people's hands, but something tells me that won't work.

Olivia sighs, and when I look over to her, all I see is a splotch of super blackish gray. "I wish I had your energy Lukas, it'd be nice."

Eyebrows knitting together in confusion, I think about what they've told me. Now that I think of it, no one has had much... emotion in their voices. There was a little, but no seething rage I would expect from Petra. Not a whole lot of bitter anger from Axel and not even a panicked quiver in Olivia's voice.

They all sound so depressed, so hopeless. How long did they say they've been awake? Olivia said a long time, and Axel said forever. They probably have no clue. Even with my eyes adjusting, there is very little light in here. It's not exactly from the sun or anything so we can't exactly tell the days apart either.

If I've haven't eaten, then they haven't either. But I've been asleep the entire time, all the million thoughts, questions, fears, anger, and all of their friends have only been with me for a small amount of time. They've been stuck with them for a lot longer, even if it has only been hours, and that really drains someone.

Particularly if they haven't eaten! Why would these people capture us only to have us starve? It doesn't make any sense! None of them deserve this! No one deserves this! But even if there was a chance to escape, could we even take it? I think I'm the only with energy left to even think about this, everyone seems so run down.

What about water? They all sounded hydrated enough. But when was the last time last time they've had anything to drink? And I'm going to need something to drink soon as well. Although I still can't use my hands for anything.

"Uhh, guys?" I bite my lower lip, hesitating to ask. "When was the last time you've eaten or had something to drink?"

"Do you remember cake Isa gave use as a goodbye gift?" My heart drops at Petra's words, as I whimper out a yes. "That was the last time we've eaten."

"But water isn't a problem." Olivia's words do nothing to shake the cold hopelessness around me. "There's a water jug we can drink from in the corner."

I look at the corners, and don't see anything, just darkness. I can't see anything really, the blackish gray of my friends can only be made out if I super squint at someone. I suppose I'll just shuffle to all the corners until I get it right.

Axel grunts, and probably crosses his arms. "We have to drink out of that as if we're some pet rabbits."

Although I bitterly agree with Axel, the thought of water has my throat screaming for some. And if drinking can fill the emptiness in my stomach, I'll be plenty happy with that.

I push against the wall, swaying as I stand up. Blood rushes to my head and a cool sensation wraps around my stomach. Taking a shuddering breaths, I lean back against the wall. Just waiting for it to subside and to get my balance back.

When it does, I pathetically shuffle over to the tank. Unable to move my feet more than a tiny stride. Running will be impossible with these things on, although I can't even pump my arms or interact with doors. If I was really desperate I could do some jump, but that won't really work too well.

Thankfully the tank is in the first corner I went to, although that's an incredibly depressing thing to be thankful about. With my chains rattling, I bend over to drink from the straw. The water is lukewarm and has a funky taste.

My gag reflex goes crazy as I figure out what it is. I cough and spit it out as I realize it's drugged. Maybe it isn't, but now I can't think anything other than that.

Petra huffs, drops of bitterness in her voice. "Were you expecting to taste good?"

I resist the urge to snap back at her. "This is drugged or something, it isn't right."

"Nothing's right here." My lips tighten, now I have to resist snapping at Axel too. "Just accept that now."

"I can't drink it now! Not-"

"Lukas, they're not going to give us anything else to drink. We know you're right, we've felt the effects, but there's nothing we can do about it unless you want to die."

She probably can't see it, but I gape at Olivia. "Will you please then tell me before I drink drugged water?"

Petra's chain scrape against concrete, she must be shrugging. "It's not poison or anything, I think it's a sedative. After drinking it you won't be so angry and freaked out."

My ears perk up, and I hesitantly prepare to drink more of the water. "Is that why none of you are as... emotional as you should be?"

"Yep," Petra pops the 'p', but it sounds like a cheery mask of depression. "We can get angry for a few moments but it quickly dies."

Olivia sighs. "It really only lets depressed thoughts survive."

Sighing, I place the straw in my mouth. It would be easier to think more rationally without blowing up with anger every few thoughts or breaking apart whenever I think of something hopeless. The depressed thoughts might just be around because they're hungrier than me.

I have to resist the gag reflex as I drink it. Even though this will sedate me, I don't want to become too weakened without water. Besides, I was wishing I could be asleep so I wouldn't have to deal with all of this. This is the best of both worlds, still rational to think about the situation but not having to deal with emotions.

After my stomach swells with the liquid and my throat is basking in being wet again do I stop. I find a wall and lean back against it, chains scraping up against the concrete as I breathe in the pungent odor.

Now sitting, I take a moment to analyze the smell. The most obvious smell is urine, as disgusting as that is. Although I can't believe I'm saddened when I don't smell any... feces. Just really nails in the fact no one has eaten anything.

Then I notice the faint, but instantly recognizable, sharp tang of blood. My nose finally crinkles at that one, that really disturbs me. The problem with it is that it's really faint, and musky too. Not fresh enough to come from my friends.

I didn't think we were the first ones in here, but now I can't help but wonder what happen to the people here before us, or maybe it was just one person. What caused them to bleed? When were they moved? And were they alive or dead when that happened?

Scolding myself, I shake my head. The blood was probably cause by them falling with the chains on and cutting themselves against the concrete. Or maybe from their wrists or ankles as they tried to get the chains off?

It does scare me what happened to the person though. Were they enslaved? Tortured for amusement? Is that going to happen to us? Is that already happening to Jesse? Do they have some other sick plan for us? How long will we sit here until that happens?

I sigh, wishing I could rub my forehand or message my temples. But my hands are trapped behind my back, unable to do anything.

Just like how I'm trapped in these people's plans, unable to get out of it.

****

Yay for darkness! If you didn't have the idea already, this is what you can expect from this book. Turn away now if you need some sort of happy glitter fluffy stuff in your fanfictions. I have warned you.

Although this will also be a slower moving book, just so you know. There'll be some pretty fierce action packed stuff later, but I've got to set the scene here. Just hang tight as tension slowly builds.

Okay then, that's it! Next one will be out in five more days!