---- If Lavinia had been taken through here, my poor child must have been terrified.


    Panting, my clothes clinging to my sweat-drenched body, dirty and still shaken, I finally emerged into a slightly more open space.


    Still small, but I couldnt see much around meit felt circr.


    T looked up; faint beams of light filtered down from high above, many, many meters overhead.


    Was this the bottom of an empty well? It seemed so, but nowhow do I climb up? There had to beadder, maybe another dumbwaiter, I didnt know.


    Though reluctant, I had no choice but to start feeling the cold walls blindly.


    I nearly vomited when my fingers sank into something slimylike mold mixed with filth, wet, disgusting, slippery.


    "Aah!" Lyanked my hand back, shaking it wildly as something crawled up my arm.


    "Please, show up soon.


    Goddess of the supernatural, help me," I whispered, running my hands frantically along the walls, pacing in circles.


    Something fell on my shoulder and into my hairI shook it off, trying not to feel the tiny legs nearly slipping down my neckline.


    My face contorted in absolute disgust, barely breathing in the stench, dizzy, and struggling against the darkness ---- Atst! Covered in grime, trembling, and itching from bites, my handstched onto a cold metal pipe.


    Asurge of relief flooded meit seemed to be adder anchored to the wells wall! I clung to it, ced my feet on the lower rungsthey seemed sturdyand began climbing toward what I hoped was an exit.


    "You can do this.


    Come on, Kath, you''re almost there," I encouraged myself.


    I nced down into the dark abyss below.


    A fall from this height would be fatalI couldnt imagine how they had transported Lavinia up.


    Tkept climbing and finally reached the top.


    Something was blocking the entrance; a slight breeze filtered through the cracksit looked like a wooden nk.


    Holding onto thedder with one hand, I stretched out the other, praying they hadnt weighed down the exit with something too heavy.


    I pushed with all my strengthit was heavy, but it moved.


    Slowly, I began sliding it aside.


    Sweat dripped down my forehead, running to the tip of my nose.


    I huffed from the effort, but my perseverance paid off.


    A rush of air hit my face, making me gasp for breath, reviving me.


    ---- With renewed strength, I kept pushing, creating a gap big enough to squeeze through.


    I pulled myself up thest few steps, gripping the thick stone edge, and managed to hoist my torso out.


    I realized it was a wend there didnt seem to be anyone waiting for me.


    Letting myself drop over the edge, I tumbled onto the wild grass of the forest with a dull thud.


    I groaned at the impact, my senses on high alert.


    I couldnt forgetthe enemy was still near.