Prologue-prison walls

Prologue-prison walls

The clang of steel seals my fate. The sound splits the air, sharp and final.

Well. I really did it this time. A sigh escapes me—half anger, half defeat—as I bury my face in my hands. My skin feels tight, my eyes raw and swollen from another round of tears that fix nothing.

The irony burns: somehow, this feels right. Like every step I’ve taken has led me here—alone, caged, stripped of everything except the echo of my own breath.

After everything I’ve survived, how did I ever believe freedom was possible? Hope was a luxury, and I spent it carelessly. Now, it’s gone—just like everything else.

A guard lingers in the doorway. His grin spreads slowly across his face, the dim light slicing across his features—half shadow, half sickly glow.

He looks like something out of a comic book villain’s origin story. Only there’s no hero coming to save me.

My life has started to feel like one of those tragic panels—ink smeared, pages torn, the villain always a step ahead. And I’m the fool who never learns the twist until it’s too late.

His gaze crawls over me—slow, assessing, hungry. Don’t look afraid, I tell myself. Don’t give him that satisfaction.

I sit up straighter, folding my trembling hands in my lap, pretending composure I don’t feel. His grin deepens before he finally walks away.

The echo of his boots fades, leaving me in silence thick enough to choke on. My cell is a box—cold concrete walls, a narrow cot, a metal sink that drips just enough to mock me.

The air smells faintly of bleach and something metallic. Every sound—the distant shouts, the clatter of keys, the occasional sob—feels too loud in the emptiness.

I lean back against the wall, its chill seeping through my thin shirt. I close my eyes, just for a moment, and the memories crash in like a tide.

You can’t run from this forever, Amara. His voice—Killian’s—slips through the cracks of my mind, low and possessive.

It’s been weeks, maybe months, but he still haunts every quiet moment. I’ll always find you, little one.

Even here, locked away, I can feel his shadow stretching across my skin. He doesn’t need bars to trap me; he’s already built a prison inside my head.

I run my fingers through my hair—tangled and wild now, a far cry from who I used to be. The woman in the mirror back then had hope in her eyes, fire in her chest. Now all that’s left is the flicker of survival.

I never wanted this life. I didn’t choose the bruises or the lies, the endless cycle of fear disguised as love. But somewhere along the way, I stopped fighting.

Maybe that’s the cruelest part—realizing I walked myself right into his cage, even before the bars closed around me.

Footsteps echo down the hall again. Another guard—different face, same uniform—stops outside my cell. He doesn’t leer like the other one; his eyes are tired, distant, maybe even kind.

“Dinner’s in ten,” he mutters. I nod but say nothing. He moves on.

Ten minutes. Enough time to pull myself together, to remember who I am—or who I used to be.

I splash water on my face, the shock stealing my breath. The reflection that stares back is a stranger: hollow eyes, lips pressed tight, a ghost wearing my skin.

You’re still here, I remind myself. You’re still breathing. That means there’s still a chance.

The clang of the mess hall bell cuts through the air, sharp and final. I step back from the mirror, wiping my hands on my pants. One step at a time—that’s all I can manage now.

When the cell door slides open, I follow the line of women down the corridor. Some glare, some whisper, others don’t bother to look at me at all. New blood doesn’t last long here; they can smell weakness before you even open your mouth.

In the cafeteria, I keep my head down, tray clutched tight, eyes scanning for an empty table. The room hums with noise—metal trays clanging, guards barking orders, laughter sharp as glass.

I find a corner seat and sink into it, trying to disappear. The food is barely edible, but I force it down. I need strength, even if it tastes like dust.

Across the room, two women watch me, heads bent together, smirking. I pretend not to notice. Let them stare.

Still, a whisper curls in the back of my mind, dark and familiar. You can’t hide from me forever, little one.

I glance toward the barred windows, the last scraps of daylight fading beyond the walls. The world outside feels like another lifetime. Freedom isn’t just distance—it’s forgetting. And I’m not sure I’ll ever forget.

When the guards call time, I rise with the others. My tray clatters against the bin, my hands trembling again despite my resolve.

As I walk back to my cell, I tell myself a lie I almost believe: This is temporary. I’ll find a way out. I’ll never let him own me again.

But as the bars slam shut behind me, the echo rings like a promise I’m not sure I can keep......