The Darkling kept me in isolation for weeks.

Guards were posted at my door at all hours. A plate of food came once a day, which I barely touched. I was guided to the lavatory twice a day by silent, stoic faced Grisha. No one spoke to me or even looked me in the eye.

All there was left to do for me was read, think, or sleep. A small bookshelf sat in the corner of my chambers, where several history books of Ravka sat. I read them all in my boredom, though they did nothing to improve my misfortune.

I was imprisoned with no foreseeable end in sight.

It was isolating. It was lonely. And it was the Darkling's plan.

Alina, you are only a prisoner here for as long as you regard me as your villain.

Those were his words. Simple and absolute. The one thing he wanted from me since the beginning, more than anything else, was my trust. He was tired of trying to earn it. Now he had taken matters into his own hands, leaving me exactly where he wanted me.

The Darkling wanted me to weaken, to bend to his will and succumb to his power. Though he was grossly underestimating my strength if he thought imprisonment was going to be my ultimate undoing.

It was dawn of my fourteenth day in isolation when I decided it was time to take act.

Two torches burned on the walls of my room, providing the only source of light and warmth. They hung on the wall, several feet above me. I grabbed the wooden chair that sat in the center of the room and pushed it against the wall.

Using the chair, I was able to reach both torches. I held the flaming rods of wood in my hand and looked around the room. My bed's blankets sat in a heap with pages of torn books lying in the center. I held the torches to the pile and held my breath.

The fire quickly attached to the flammable material and spread along the blanket. I tossed the torches onto the bed then quickly crossed the room. It was only a matter of time before the smell of fire and smoke would spread.

I grabbed the rickety wooden chair and swung it against the wall with all my strength. The wood splintered in several places. I kicked the legs of the chair with my bare feet and winced as the wood broke against my skin.

Grabbing the splintered pieces of wood, I tossed them into the growing flames then moved behind the door that led into my room. I nestled into the corner and waited as the air in the room turned hot. My clothes began to stick to my skin. I pulled my shirt to my face, struggling not to breathe in the smoke.

Frantic voices could be heard not far from the door, though I couldn't understand what they were saying. Footsteps sounded outside and gradually grew louder as the smoke filled the room. With watery eyes, I choked back a cough and waited for the door to open.

A moment later, the guards rushed into the smokey room. They jumped at the fire, stripping their red keftas to try and contain the flames. Before they could realize what was happening, I inched out from behind the door and locked it behind me as I moved into the hallway.

The Heartrenders banged on the door, screaming curses between fits of coughing. I rubbed the stinging tears from my eyes as I ran down the hallway, away from the swirling smoke. I paused and pressed against the shadowy wall as I came to end of the hallway.

The path diverged into three different hallways, each one looking exactly the same. The Darkling had created a labyrinth and made sure I had no idea where to go. What he didn't consider was my natural pull towards the sun.

I went left, down another long, shadowy corridor. I passed several closed wooden doors as I ran, unsure about who or what sat behind them. My feet padded loudly against the stone floor as I ran, not bothering to be silent about my escape.

The pull of the sun was getting stronger as I rounded several corners and came to a seemingly dead end. It was the end of a hallway, completely absent of light. I chewed my lip and tried to suppress the growing fear that was developing inside me.

There has to be an exit here. I can feel it. The sun isn't far.

Loud shouting and footsteps rang through the hollow corridors of the cave. The Grisha were awake by now, obviously disturbed from the fire. Eventually I would be found. I had to hurry.

I dragged my hands against the wall, frantically searching for some sort of knob or door handle. I sighed and struggled to illuminate the wall with my hand. My light was weak, but enough to see.

As I continued to feel against the wall, the sounds of voices moved closer down the corridor. Torchlight danced along the wall at the other end of the hallway, quickly heading towards me. I began hitting my fists against the stone wall, pointed rocks digging into my skin.

As a group of Grisha rounded the bend, I hit something in the stone causing a soft click to emanate from the lower half of the wall. The stone parted slightly, revealing a sliver of sunlight. I quickly knelt down and pried open the door. It opened to a narrow tunnel, illuminated by the early morning sun.

Before I could crawl inside, a piercing feeling of pain overcame my body. I turned my head, seeing a Heartrender quickly approaching me, her hand balled in a fist. The edges of my mind began to grow hazy as she moved closer. A band of Grisha carrying torches followed closely behind her.

I fell back on my elbows, struggling to think straight—to breathe. The Heartrender was feet away, spinning and multiplying in my eyes.

"Give it up, Alina," she hissed. "You've done enough."

I shook my head, trying to get my bearings. I couldn't let myself fail, not after coming this far. Sucking in a sharp breath, I raised my arm into the air and aimed.

The Cut exploded from my hand, narrowly missing the Corporalki's body. It hit the wall of the cave with tremendous force, causing a large crack to erupt from around me. Rubble began to fall from the ceiling, causing the Grisha to jump back in surprise. Several people screamed as a low rumble shook the ground.

"The ceiling's going to cave in!" someone yelled.

I used my remaining body strength to crawl into the hole and down the narrow pathway. The sound of falling rocks and screams sounded behind me as I moved as quickly as I could manage. I could feel the cave's structure giving way as rocks crashed against the ground.

The screams became muffled from the debris that fell, blocking the entrance into the tunnel. I continued to crawl, hoping the rocks wouldn't crush me as well.

Minutes later and I was nearing the end of the tunnel. The bright rays of the sun stung my eyes as I drew closer to the exit. Using my elbows, I pulled myself out of the tunnel, with cool air whipping my hair into my face.

I came out onto a sloped mountainside that faced the rising sun. The sky was a swirl of pink and orange, a welcome sight I hadn't seen in weeks. Mountains stood high in the sky, towering all around. Below me was a rocky landscape of lush green trees and a large lake that sat in the deep valley.

This was no Ravka, at least not that I had ever seen. The air was too crisp, the mountains too high. I bit my lower lip. This was Shu Han territory, without a doubt.

My legs weakened beneath me as I realized what this meant. The Darkling hadn't been lying. He really did mobilize his army here.

"Unbelievable," I whispered.

I slid down into a crouch and tried to think of my next move. It wouldn't be long before the Darkling and his Grisha caught up to me so I had to move quickly. I pulled a crumpled piece of paper from my pocket and looked over it.

After I left the Darkling's room weeks ago, I scrawled down the map that sat on his wall onto a torn page from a book. I then placed his sun-in-eclipse symbols accordingly. As I looked over the quickly drawn map, I realized we were on the southern edge of the Shu Han mountains.

It would be at least a week's trek through the mountains to get back to Ravka. And another week to get to Os Alta. Maybe longer since I was injured and exhausted. I pushed the thoughts away from my mind and rose from the ground, slipping the map back into my pocket.

Getting the map to Nikolai was all that mattered. What I had in my possession was vital to the future of Ravka and maybe even the surrounding countries. I couldn't let the Darkling win. I couldn't let him spread his darkness any farther.

I slowly traversed the sloped mountainside, wincing as the rocks dug into my feet. Once I reached the bottom, I broke into a sprint, focusing solely on getting through the Shu mountains.

It wasn't long before I came upon the lake. I stopped for a few minutes, resting my cut feet in the icy water. The lake was still, aside from the occasional flopping of fish and the sound of birds. The area was so serene, calming in its beauty. It was strange to imagine that a deadly army was stationed close by.

Then it occurred to me. I didn't have to go all the way back to Os Alta for the Darkling's army to suffer. They were in enemy territory, hiding right underneath the noses of the Shu. Hundreds of Grisha waiting like sitting ducks. All I had to do was inform someone of their location and the Shu would descend upon them like a predator with its prey.

I looked around, trying to determine where I would go next. If I headed south, I would inevitably reach a village or town of some sort. But I also ran the risk of getting caught myself. I was still Grisha after all.

I have to pretend to be normal, powerless. I have to be otkazat'sya.

I sighed, realizing that this was the best option for Ravka, for my people. The Darkling would never think that I would do such a thing. It was too much of a risk. But that was exactly why I had to do it.

So I ran.

Hours passed before I crossed paths with anyone. I had reached the edge of the mountains when I came upon a cabin with a small stable that sat beside it. I crouched behind a tree, watching the home to see if anyone was there.

A moment later, a middle aged man walked out of the stables, pulling a horse along with him. He guided the horse to a watering trough and patted his side as the animal drank. The man stood there for several minutes, tending to the horse.

I summoned all my courage and ran out from behind the tree, screaming in fear.

"Help me!" I yelled as I ran toward the man. I intentionally fumbled, falling onto the ground near the stables. I feigned weakness and stayed on the ground, breathing heavily as the man slowly approached me.

"Please, help me," I breathed.

"What's happened to you?" he asked in a thick Shu accent as he crouched beside me.

Thank the Saints, I thought. He understands me. I knew I was running a big risk, hoping that he spoke Ravkan.

"I've been held prisoner," I said through forced hiccups. "Those monsters… they held me captive in that mountain." I pointed north, in the direction of where I came from.

The man eyed me warily with black eyes. He sighed then extended his hand, pulling me up from the ground.

"Please," I continued. "You have to stop them."

He nodded and led me inside his home. I sat on a wooden stool, burying my face in my hands as the man fetched me a cup of water. He handed me the cup then sat across from me, his dark eyebrows furrowed.

"Who are these 'monsters'?" he asked after I eagerly drank the water.

"Grisha," I murmured after a moment of silence. "Grisha kidnapped me from my home in Ravka and tortured me in the mountains."

The man rubbed the temples of his head and whispered something in Shu.

"I know I could be killed if anyone finds out I'm in your territory but there are Grisha in those mountains and they must be stopped. That's more important, isn't it?" I added frantically.

He sighed, slightly nodding his head. "You are not wrong. But no one can know you are here. I can take you to the border myself then alert the army about those… Grisha," he spat in contempt.

The man rubbed his eyes then looked fully at me. He frowned at the visible cuts on my body and the tears in my clothes.

"I am sorry this happened to you," he said.

Silence fell between us as the man thought over his course of action.

"We should leave," the man said after a moment. "Before the sun sets."

He left the room and came back several minutes later with a coat, a worn pair of boots that were several sizes too big, and a loaf of bread.

"For your journey," he said as he handed me the items.

"Thank you." I bit into the bread and chewed, trying to remain calm.

We left shortly thereafter, riding along on the horse. The man said that there was a path to the east that cut through the mountains and crossed into Ravka territory. I remembered my cartographer days and knew he was right.

The moon was rising when we reached the border between Ravka and Shu Han. It was a narrow river that ran through the mountains, acting as the formal separation between the warring countries in this part of the land.

My body ached all over from the ride but I tried to ignore it as I had a lot of walking ahead of me. The man helped me down from the horse and frowned.

"What is it?" I asked with trepidation.

"You need another blanket or you'll freeze out here," he said. "I'll give you mine."

I nodded and took in my surroundings as the man dug in his bag. My eyes were drawn to the shadows of the surrounding forest, lingering on the darkness. I stepped forward, squinting, trying to get a better look. Was there someone there?

"Do you see something?" I asked the man.

Silence.

I turned back to face him, wondering what he was doing. Then a sharp blow hit my head, causing me to cry out. I fell backwards, onto the ground, my head spinning.

The man crouched over me, placing a foul smelling rag over my face. I tried to claw at his arms but my hands quickly grew weak then fell limp by my sides.

"I'm sorry," I heard the man say before the darkness enveloped me.

I awoke on a hard surface. It took me a moment before I became aware of my body. My neck was fixed in place, unable to move. Same with my hands and feet. They were spread and bound by bindings that were digging into my bruised flesh.

My eyelids fluttered open. Someone was standing close to me, obstructing my view of anything else. They were a woman. She held a leather-bound book in her hands, scribbling along the page.

She stepped back, observing me fully. She wore strange, plainly colored clothes that held many pockets.

Beside her sat a long table covered with thin tools that ranged in size and fashion, though they were all equally sharp. I strained my eyes, trying to look around me, though I couldn't see much because my head was bound.

"Who are you?" I croaked. "Where am I?"

The woman didn't respond. Instead, she leaned forward and tugged at the collar around my neck.

"Remarkable," she murmured.

She then reached across my body and tugged at the fetter around my wrist. Sighing, she wrote more in her book then snapped it shut and set it on the table next to us.

"Those are amplifiers, are they not?" she asked in a passive tone. "How long have you worn them?"

I remained silent.

"You won't make this any easier on yourself by ignoring my questions," she said matter-of-factly. "In fact, you will only prolong your suffering."

She picked up a serrated tool from the table and twirled it in her hands, her dark eyes glinting in the candlelight.

"I'll ask you again," she said as she dragged the serrated tool along my bare arm, causing my skin to bleed. "How long have you worn the amplifiers?"

She slowly pressed the knife into my skin, right where my inner arm bent at the elbow. I bit my lip in pain as I watched the tip of knife disappear into my flesh. Blood pooled from around the tip, spilling along my arm.

"Well?"

The woman gripped the tool and pressed it all the way into my arm, causing me to scream. I tried to pull the light from within me, to gather my strength and obliterate the woman but nothing happened. It was like my summoning was blocked.

Or we were underground.

I had to bite back a bitter laugh as I wondered if the Apparat was behind all of this.

"I know exactly how long it takes for your kind to die," the woman said as she loomed over me. "Do not think I don't have the patience to watch you suffer."

The woman stepped back, obviously frustrated. She opened her book and scrawled a quick sentence before picking up another serrated knife. This time was quick. She quickly dug it into the bend of my other arm, causing me to scream in agony once more.

Author's Note: I'm terrible, I know. I haven't updated in months. Here's a lengthy chapter to try and make up for it. (Hopefully you guys are still into this fic after all this time.) Things are getting pretty gruesome as Alina finds out what it's like to be Grisha outside of Ravka so that's interesting, right?