The Cardinal Forbidden Zone twisted time in unpredictable ways, leaving Nora's experiences vastly different from Chiron's.
Nora, with her broken leg, had been crammed into a dark container with other beast people. The resilience of the beast people meant their captors did not bother with providing food or proper conditions.
Days and nights merged into an endless blur in the container, where bodies pressed against each other in the stifling darkness.
At first, the stench of urine and feces was overwhelming. The putrid smell clung to the air, making it hard to breathe.
Nora, like the others, had no choice but to relieve herself where she sat. The fetid mix of bodily waste soaked into her clothes and skin, creating a permanent reek that filled the small, oppressive space. The air was thick and sour, each breath a reminder of their dire situation.