The room was shrouded in near-total darkness as you sat bound to a chair, shackles biting into your wrists.Your memory was hazy-only fragments remained of how you had ended up here. You must have blacked out, and now, consciousness returned in the form of discomfort and cold iron restraints.

The only sounds were the steady hum and occasional creaks of the ship around you. You struggled against your bindings, but they held fast, unyielding, not even granting the smallest fraction of movement.

In the suffocating silence, your mind raced. Why were you here? You had done nothing out of the ordinary, merely your duty, just as you had every day before. No missteps, no mistakes-at least, none that you were aware of.

Then, the door behind you slid open, and the heavy thud of boots echoed through the room.

"I have neither the patience nor the time to waste on people like you."

Your breath hitched. That voice. Your blood ran cold as the colonel stepped into view, his presence suffocating. Whatever had led to this moment, one thing was certain-you were in grave trouble.

His gaze bore into you, ice-cold and merciless. He lifted a crop, its worn leather whispering against his fingers before snapping against the side of your neck.

"Make this easy," he murmured. "Tell me your little secrets. Tell me what I want to know."