Work Text:
You stood up straight, trim and proud, chin up: such confidence, for a man blindfolded and chained to a wall. But that's why, you see. You'd been robbed of agency; you'd had no options. There's no dignity attached to helplessness. Agency lost isn't recovered; it's created anew. You're both curious (your downfall) and creative (your saving grace).
The first threat materialized; you were alarmed how persuasive pain is. The second threat was a taunt; you believed it utterly. At last you decided to regain yourself at any cost. The final threat was death, already imminent, but on your own terms.