MasukThe prison gates slid shut behind them with a heavy, echoing clang that seemed to linger long after the sound faded.Lily flinched despite herself.The late afternoon sun was lower now, casting long shadows across the parking lot, but the warmth of the light did nothing to ease the chill that had settled deep in her bones. She stood still for a moment, breathing in the open air like she had been underwater and had finally surfaced.Lucas was the first to speak.“Okay,” he said tightly, unlocking the car with a sharp click. “We’re leaving, now.”No one argued.They climbed into the car in near silence. Lily slid into the back seat between Maya and Liam, her hands folded in her lap, fingers laced so tightly her knuckles ached. Graham took the front passenger seat, his jaw clenched, one arm braced against the door as if holding himself back from turning around and marching straight back inside.The engine started and the car rolled forward.Only when the prison disappeared from the rea
The moment Alex sat down on the opposite side of the reinforced glass, the air in the visitation room seemed to tighten.Lily felt it immediately, like an invisible hand closing around her chest.The guards stepped back into their positions, arms crossed, eyes watchful but uninterested. To them, this was just another normal visit, but to Lily, this was the past walking back into her life with a calm expression and a knowing smirk.Alex leaned back in his chair slowly, deliberately, as if he had all the time in the world. His prison uniform hung loosely on him, but there was nothing weak about his posture. His eyes, sharp, dark, and calculating, never left Lily’s face.“Well,” he said at last, his voice smooth and unhurried, “this is… unexpected.”Lily didn’t answer right away.Lucas stood close to her left, his arms folded, jaw tight. Liam was on her other side, shoulders squared, eyes cold and assessing. Graham lingered just behind, his presence solid and imposing, while Maya stay
The high, gray walls of the prison loomed ahead, stark and imposing against the pale morning sky. Each stone seemed to radiate years of anger, regret, and secrets. Lily’s stomach tightened as the car slowed near the entrance, her pulse hammering in her ears. She hadn’t seen Alex in what felt like a lifetime, and though she was no longer in love with him, the memories of trust, closeness, and hope mingled uneasily with the fear and anger she now carried.Maya, sensing her tension, reached over and placed a gentle hand on her arm. “Deep breaths,” she said softly, her voice calm and steady. “We’re here for you. Just… stay calm. Focus on why we’re here.”Lily nodded, taking in the sight of the guard and the tall fences topped with coils of razor wire. The barbed wire glinted in the morning sun like a crown of thorns, a stark warning to any who dared cross it. “I know,” she whispered, her voice tight. “It’s just… strange, you know? Standing in front of him after all this time.”Lucas,
Lily stood in her dorm room, staring at the prison schedule on her phone. The room was quiet, the soft hum of the air conditioning mixing with the occasional creak of the old building. Sunlight spilled across the floor in thin, golden strips and despite the warmth of the sun, Lily felt cold inside. Her mind was too full of everything she had to do today.The Moon Festival was only two days away, and the dorms were buzzing with activity. Students hurried past her window, carrying decorations, practicing music, and discussing their plans, but Lily barely noticed any of it. Her thoughts were elsewhere, fixed on a person she had never expected to confront again.She had already informed the rest of the decoration team that she couldn’t join them. While everyone else would be busy putting up lanterns, testing lights, and perfecting music, Lily had something far more personal, far more dangerous, to deal with. She was going to see Alex.Her heart thumped in her chest. Years had passe
The pictures refused to leave Lily’s mind.No matter how hard she tried, the picture of Lena standing beside Alex burned behind her eyes. Lily lay awake long after the campus lights dimmed, staring at the ceiling of Lucas and Liam’s room while the moonlight filtered faintly through the curtains. Lucas and Liam slept beside her, their arms draped protectively over her waist, their breathing slow and steady. Normally, that would have grounded her but tonight, it didn’t.Her thoughts circled relentlessly.She carefully slid out from under Lucas’s arm, wincing slightly when he shifted, but he didn’t wake. Pulling on a hoodie, she padded quietly out of the room.Maya sat curled up on the couch, knees to her chest, a mug of untouched tea in her hands. Graham stood by the window, arms crossed, his reflection sharp against the glass.Maya looked up instantly. “You can’t sleep either.”Lily shook her head. “Not even close.”Graham turned. “You’re thinking about the pictures.”“It explain
The campus park had never looked more alive.Colorful lanterns were already being strung between the tall oak trees, glowing faintly even in the daylight as students tested the lights for the Moon Festival. For once, everything felt… normal.Lily lay stretched out on the grass, her head resting on Lucas’s thigh while he absentmindedly ran his fingers through her hair. Liam sat beside them, leaning back on his elbows, his gaze half on the sky and half on Lily, as if reassuring himself she was really there. Maya was perched cross-legged nearby, Graham sitting behind her with his arms loosely wrapped around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. Aiden and Chloe sat a little apart on a picnic blanket, fingers intertwined, their heads bent close together as they talked quietly.Lily closed her eyes, listening to the sounds around them. “If I didn’t know any better,” she murmured, “I would think nothing bad was about to happen.”Lucas snorted softly. “That’s exactly when bad thin







