I groaned as consciousness slowly returned. My head throbbed, and for a few seconds, I couldn't remember where I was. I opened my eyes and stared into darkness.
I tried to move my arms.
They didn't budge.
My wrists were chained to the arms of a wooden chair. The chains were old and rusty, and they dug into my skin whenever I pulled against them. I shifted in the chair and immediately felt something around my neck.
A device?
I reached for it with my fingers and felt the cold metal casing wrapped tightly around my neck. I recognized it almost immediately. It was the same kind of device the guards had used on me when I was punished and sent into the Circle.
A spell suppression device… I tried to cast Shadow Leap but just like I thought, nothing happened. I tried again, focusing on the skill and forcing the system to respond, but there was no activation. The device was blocking it.
"Ah…" I groaned, rubbing my head against the back of the chair. "Fuck… where… ah…"
