Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 59

Chapter 59: ’Imprisoned’

Florian shivered, curling himself tighter in the corner of the dimly lit room. His arms were wrapped around his knees, his body hunched as if making himself smaller would somehow make him invisible.

The scent of damp earth filled his nostrils, mingling with the dry, musty stench of hay. The only source of light came from the eerie green flames flickering on the torches along the stone walls, casting unsettling shadows that stretched and twisted with every movement of the fire.

It had been an hour. Or at least, he thought it had. Time felt strange in this underground prison, buried deep within the dead forest. There were no windows, no shifting of the sun to track its movement, no sounds of the outside world. Only the distant drip of water echoing through unseen hallways and the low, constant crackle of the unnatural flames.

His heart still hadn’t slowed. He had spent the first several minutes pacing, his breaths coming fast and shallow, fingers trembling as they raked through his hair. Panic had hit him hard the moment the door shut behind him, sealing him in. He had clawed at the wooden surface at first, testing its strength, running his hands along the cold stone walls as if he’d miraculously find a hidden exit.

He hadn’t.

Now, he sat still, his back pressed against the cold stone, staring at nothing. His mind oscillated between frantic desperation and forced rationality, his thoughts looping in relentless cycles.

’This was stupid. I was stupid.’

It had felt noble at the time. Throwing himself to the wolves so the princesses could escape. That had to count for something, didn’t it? He had made a choice. A brave one.

’So why do I feel like a complete idiot?’

His fingers clenched around his sleeves, gripping the fabric like an anchor. His breathing was still too fast. He tried to slow it, inhaling deeply through his nose, exhaling through his mouth.

’Calm down. Stay calm. They haven’t come for you yet. That’s good. That means they aren’t in a hurry to hurt you.’

But that thought wasn’t particularly comforting. What were they waiting for? Ransom negotiations? Orders? Something worse?

He shook his head violently. No. He wasn’t going to let his mind spiral into worst-case scenarios. He had to stay logical. Had to think of a way out, or at the very least, a way to survive until help arrived.

’They will come for me. I still matter. Heinz wouldn’t let them just take me. I’m part of his harem. Even if he doesn’t particularly care about Florian, he won’t ignore this. He can’t.’

That was true, wasn’t it?

The doubt slithered in like a whisper against his ear. What if no one came? What if Lancelot decided he wasn’t worth the trouble? What if Heinz considered him replaceable? He swallowed hard, forcing himself to breathe, to not let the rising nausea overtake him.

He squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his forehead against his knees. ’No. That won’t happen. Someone will come. They have to.’

He exhaled slowly and tried to focus on something else. The hay beneath him was rough and smelled old, but it was at least something to sit on. The room was cold, but not unbearably so. The fire, eerie as it was, gave off some warmth. He wasn’t bound. That was the biggest relief.

’They don’t see me as a threat.’

That was something he could use. If they weren’t worried about him escaping, maybe he could catch them off guard. Maybe he could play the part of the helpless captive, make them lower their guard.

But then what? He had no weapons, no idea how many guards were stationed outside. Was there even a way out of this underground warren?

His thoughts circled back to something darker. ’They could do anything to me.’

’You just have to survive until then.’

’This is for the greater good. For the princesses, and to gain their trust, and to gain my freedom.’

Florian’s pulse thundered in his ears. ’They’re here.’