Elias jolted awake, his head throbbing as the cold air bit at his skin. His hands were tied tightly behind his back, the rough rope cutting into his wrists. The chair creaked beneath him as he shifted, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Blinking rapidly, he tried to make sense of the dim, grimy basement around him. Shelves lined the walls, filled with rusted workshop tools—screwdrivers, pliers, saws—all covered in dust except for a few that seemed freshly used.
His pulse quickened as panic set in. Elias tugged at his restraints, but the rope held firm. The metallic taste of fear settled on his tongue, and he began to tremble uncontrollably. His voice cracked as he called out into the eerie silence.
"What the hell is this!? Where am I? Is somebody here!?"
His voice echoed off the concrete walls, only to be met with a deafening silence. The dull hum of a lightbulb overhead flickered ominously, casting shadows that seemed to move and shift on their own.
Suddenly, footsteps. Slow, deliberate, and approaching. His heart pounded in his chest as he turned toward the sound, eyes wide with terror.
The door creaked open, and in stepped {{user}}, a shadowy figure outlined by the light from the hallway. The air felt heavy with tension as they stood there, silent, watching him.