The dim light inside the cave blinded me as I slowly opened my eyes. As I tried to shake

the grogginess from my sleep, it was difficult to focus on my surroundings. When I heard

Amara's voice arguing with someone, my senses were heightened. Their voices echoed off

the cave walls, making it difficult to pinpoint their exact location. When I realized they'd

found us, my heart started racing. Despite feeling exhausted and battered, I knew I had

to remain vigilant. I couldn't let them win.

As my vision cleared, I noticed Amara arguing with a tall, tanned man with golden-brown

hair in front of me. I recognized him right away; he was the same guy who had beaten me

mercilessly in that cage in order to extract information from me. I clenched my teeth at

the sight of him, my rage rising within me.

“Take a look at him,” Amara said, motioning towards me. “Do you believe he is in a

position to pose a threat to us?”

I looked at him with a mix of rage and disgust. My skin crawled in his presence. I had a

burning desire to hurt him in retaliation for the pain he had caused me. He looked down

on me, as if I were a helpless creature. But I was aware of the situation. Despite my

injuries, I was still capable of fighting. And he was no match for me.

"You're coming with me! And so is he!" he yelled, roughly grabbing Amara's arm. My rage

grew as I watched him roughhand Amara, his grip on her arm tight and unyielding. Who

did he think he was?!

"Let her go," I yelled, my voice rough and low. "She didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one

you want. So just let her go."

The man's grip on Amara tightened. I could hear the pounding of his heart and his anger

coming from him. But I refused to give in. Despite my injuries, I was determined to fight

until the bitter end.

The man turned to face me, his eyes narrowing as he studied me with a cold stare. I could

feel the tension in the air as we locked gazes, waiting for the other to move. Every muscle

in my body was tense, ready to launch an attack if necessary.

Except for the sound of our breathing and the fluttering of bats above our heads, the cave

was silent. The dampness of the cave's walls filled my nostrils, as did the musty scent of

damp earth. The sound of water dripping somewhere in the darkness added to the eerie

atmosphere of the cave. The dim light from the cave's entrance cast an ethereal glow

throughout the interior, casting strange shadows on the cave walls.

The tall man's rage was palpable as he turned to face me. "You have no right to make

demands," he growled, his grip on Amara still tight. "You’re both coming with us. Don't

make it any more difficult than it has to be."

Amara let out a frustrated scream as soon as he finished speaking. "I had faith in you!

How could you possibly do this to me?! Is your father's approval more valuable than me?"

Her eyes were filled with rage and disappointment as she glared at him. "You know what

he's going to do to us!"

He didn't respond, instead turning to leave the cave. As he walked away, I could see the

conflict etched on his face, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Amara's outburst had clearly

struck a nerve with him, and I couldn't help but sympathize with him.

But my sympathy for this man was short-lived as I watched the other shifters bind us both

tightly and drag us out of the cave and towards their town, their eyes cold and unfeeling.

My wounds throbbed painfully with each step of the long and arduous journey. Amara

fared little better, her eyes dark with rage and fear as she was forced to walk beside me.

As we were led out of the cave and into the night, I could sense Amara's disappointment

in him. She had clearly hoped he would come to her aid, but instead he had allowed her

to be taken away. As for me, I was enraged by the injustice of it all. We had done nothing

wrong, but we were being treated as if we were criminals.

As we approached town, I could feel the other shifters' eyes on us, their expressions a mix

of curiosity and disdain. I could sense their disapproval, their belief that we were nothing

more than mere humans, unworthy of their regard or kindness.

The town itself was unlike anything I'd ever seen. The bright lights and towering

structures surrounding us as we were led out of the cave and towards town were a stark

contrast to the dark, natural world we had just left behind. The streets were lined with

towering buildings that reached up to the sky and were paved with gleaming concrete.

The air was thick with the aroma of wood smoke and cooking food, and laughter and

music could be heard coming from all directions. The path was illuminated by neon lights,

casting a garish glow on the faces of the other shifters who had come to accompany us.

Despite their high-tech surroundings, they were no less cruel to us. Our hands and feet

were restrained with advanced restraints that left no room for movement. In our frail

state, every step was a struggle as we stumbled over the uneven pavement. Amara's eyes

were filled with terror. The atmosphere became more oppressive as we got closer to the

town's heart. The other shifters were everywhere, their cold, unfeeling eyes watching

everything we did. We passed by skyscrapers and sleek, futuristic structures, all

emblazoned with their respective insignia. I could sense their contempt for us mere

humans, their belief that we were beneath them and unworthy of their respect.

Amara and I were both unable to move freely on the long and uncomfortable journey to

their town. The men who had captured us were tight-lipped and didn't reveal anything

about their plans. The only certainty I had was that we were in trouble and that our fate

was out of our hands.

We were eventually separated into separate cells, but they were right next to each other.

Amara turned to face me; her eyes filled with a range of emotions. "I'm sorry," she said

quietly. "I had no idea this would happen."

My voice was barely above a whisper as I shook my head. "This is not your fault. We'll

work together to find a way out of this."

As we entered the cell, I couldn't help but feel a wave of despondency wash over me. The

room was small and cramped, with cold and unwelcoming stone walls. In the dim light, a

single source of light flickered on the wall, casting dancing shadows that seemed to taunt

us. The air was heavy with the odor of dampness and mustiness, making it difficult to

breathe.

I leaned against the cold stone wall as the door to my cell slammed shut, my mind racing

with ideas of escape and vengeance. But I knew deep down that it would be difficult. We

were trapped, helpless against the shifters who had brought us here. All we could do now

was wait and hope that a solution would emerge soon.

Amara sat beside me, defeated and depressed. Her gaze was fixed on the ground, and she

appeared to be lost in thought. I could tell she was replaying the events that had brought

us here, regretting her choices and feeling responsible for our situation.

I tried to break the silence by clearing my throat. "So, what's next?" My voice echoed in

the small space as I inquired.

Amara raised her head, a pained expression on her face. "I'm not sure," she said. "I should

not have dragged you into this. I was naive to trust Varek."

We had plenty of time to talk now that we were inside the cell. "I never get to tell you my

name," Amara said as she looked at me. I replied, "So, if it makes you feel any better, I

already know your name. I heard it." "Right... but you never told me yours," she chuckled.

I smiled and added, "My name is Kaelen. I, too, am a shapeshifter." Amara's face

brightened and she exclaimed, "Kaelen is a lovely name. It's almost majestic."

She gave me a small smile, and the weight of our situation lifted for a brief moment. We

fell into a comfortable silence, and I couldn't help but notice how easy it was to talk to

her. In the face of danger, she was kind, funny, and brave.

She looked up at me, her eyes wide with curiosity. "So, what were you doing here?" she

inquired, her gaze fixed on me.

I paused for a moment before telling her the truth. "Well... It's actually quite a long story,"

I explained, my gaze meeting hers.

She rolled her eyes amusingly. "Come on, you can do better than that." she exclaimed.

"All right," I explained, "it all began a few months ago when a strange illness swept

through our town. People became ill, and the disease quickly spread. Almost everyone in

town was affected before we knew it. We tried everything in our power to find a cure, but

nothing worked."

"What did the illness do?" Amara leaned in closer, her gaze fixed on mine.

"It was just a fever," I explained. "But this was no ordinary fever. It was unlike anything

we'd ever seen. People aren’t able to breathe well, they are coughing and can’t lift a finger.

Some of them began to have seizures. We were desperate to find a treatment." I paused

for a moment. Then continued “And we'd heard about a glowing plant with healing

properties, but we had no idea where to look for it or even if it existed."

As I spoke, Amara's eyes widened. "Wow," she exclaimed. "That is... incredible. I had

absolutely no idea. But do you believe this glowing plant is the key to healing?"

I nodded, hope rising within me.” I have to believe it's possible. It’s called Iceshade Berry

in my country, Sylvaris.”

Amara's words sparked a spark of hope in me. "I think my sister might know this plant.

She is a healer. She is well-versed in a wide range of medications. " Her voice was tinged

with optimism as she spoke.

The prospect made my heart skip a beat. "Really? Do you think she'd know about it?" My

excitement was almost unbearable. All of this could be worth something. All of this could

mean something.

"Yes," Amara replied, her voice still a little unsure. "If we can persuade her and the rest

of them that you--- we are not a criminal." There was a brief pause as her words lingered

in the air, and the gravity of the situation struck us once more. We were locked up in a

cell, accused of a crime we didn't commit, and our fate was in the hands of strangers who

didn't even know who we were.

I felt a pang of disappointment in my stomach. That, of course, would be the issue. How

could I convince them of our innocence? I had no idea who they were or what they wanted

from me. But Amara was correct; if we could persuade them, we might be able to bring

the plant back to our village and help my mother.

"I'm not sure how we can do that," I muttered, a sense of defeat washing over me. "They've

already made up their minds about us."

Amara placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder and smiled. "We simply need to make

them see the truth. And we have plenty of time to figure it out."

I nodded, a glimmer of hope returning to me. We had both time and each other. Maybe

we can work something out. Maybe we'll be able to get away.

But for the time being, we were confined to this cell. I looked around, taking in the

cramped quarters we were in. It was damp and musty, with dirt and cobwebs strewn

about. The only light was a small source of light high up on the wall, which cast a dim

glow over us. The walls were rough and cold to the touch, made of stone.

I frowned, a feeling of frustration rising within me. It was all so pointless. We were just

two people caught up in something over which we had no control.

But when I looked over at Amara, I knew we had each other. And maybe that's all we

needed to get through this.