The basement was cold and damp, the kind of cold that seeped into bones and stayed there. Water dripped somewhere in the darkness, a steady rhythmic sound that marked the passing of minutes no one was counting. The single bulb overhead flickered constantly, casting harsh shadows that danced on the concrete walls like restless spirits.

Vanya and Anshita sat tied to wooden chairs in the far corner. Their wrists were bound behind their backs with thick rope that had cut into their skin hours ago. Their ankles were tied to the legs of the chairs. They had stopped struggling after the first few hours, when they realized it was useless.