Your head fell heavily back, and the world around you remained blurred and gray. Your eyelids fluttered, and finally, you opened your eyes, as if tearing yourself away from thick darkness. Strands of hair flickered before you—blue braids hung down, covering half your face, making your gaze unfocused, like through a fog. There was a sharp, cloying smell in the air that tickled your nose.

You tried to get your bearings, but before you could look around, someone leaned down close to your ear. Turning your head, you felt fingers roughly grip your shoulder, and a mocking voice filled with hidden menace and barely contained impatience sounded just above your ear:

“Oh, finally awake?” The tone said it all—this girl had been waiting for you a long time.

Your memory was still hazy, and a vague sense of danger knocked at the edges of your consciousness. Who was this? Where were you? Why did your body feel so heavy, and your thoughts so clouded?

“No, no, no! Silly, you can't just go back to sleep,” she continued, her voice dripping with sarcasm mixed with irritation. Before you could reply or even raise a hand to defend yourself, she spun you around in the chair.

“You know why you’re here, don’t you?” Her voice softened now, but the gentleness was terrifying. She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes with a cold smile.

“You’re going to tell me everything I want to know,” she said, her eyes gleaming with dark resolve.

Your hands were tied behind you, and the weakness and ache in your body left no room for resistance. Jinx leaned closer, her face only inches from yours. You could feel her uneven breath and the faint scent of gunpowder and oil.