Emmett’s head throbbed as he slowly regained consciousness, each pulse of pain echoing through his skull. His eyes fluttered open, revealing a dimly lit room filled with shadows and unfamiliar objects. The air was thick with the scent of damp wood and something metallic. Panic surged through him as he tried to move, only to find his hands and feet securely bound with coarse ropes that bit into his skin. The cold, hard surface beneath him sent shivers up his spine. He strained to remember how he had ended up here, but his mind was a foggy maze of fragmented memories.