Shadows In Steel

We laughed over the half-meal, talking about old times, our first dinner. The rude waitress who seemed to be into me. The one time I bought an overpriced wine and lied It was cheap because I was scared she would scold me. She laughed whole heartedly, stealing quiet glances "You remember that one time when we went snowboarding and I almost got lost in the snow ?" I laughed hard. That particular memory was really a blast. She almost cried looking for me everywhere in the snow, while I on the other hand was a fudging snowball at the mouth of a cage. "I do" she smiled. Her vibe felt somewhat off. Shaky. But I brushed it off. "You've always taken care of me." She said quietly. I shrugged stuffing a piece of chicken into my mouth, "that's what you do when you love someone." She smiled but, I noticed a crack. Her hand tightened slightly around her wine glass. "Are you okay ?" I asked. "Sure." She said, she sounded tense. "Jess..." I tried to touch her hand but she pulled back, "Je

—Present Day— I was back in my cell. My cellmate, Bruce, watched me with eerie stillness. “What is it?” I asked without even sparing him a glance. “Is it true?” he asked. “Speak properly, Bruce.” He looked around, then moved closer to my side. “They say you defied Aaron’s order.” I finally looked up from my sketchbook. “I did.” I went back to sketching. “Do you know what that means?” he asked, the amusement fading from his voice. “I do.” “He’s got this whole place under his feet. Meals. Water. Free time. People. Everything. He could revoke your patrol time too.” His voice flickered with worry. “Don’t worry, Bruce. Nothing’s going to happen to you.” “I’m worried about you,” he said. “Fear is a weakness,” I replied, setting my sketchbook aside. “When you show fear, they feel delight. Fear means they can control you.” “Isn’t that how it’s supposed to work?” he asked, confusion written all over his face. “No idea, man. But one thing I know is, if you want to survive here… th

The men’s room was quiet.Too quiet.The kind of quiet that pressed against your ears, where even the drip of water from a loose tap sounded louder than it should.Aaron stood behind me.Watching.Not the usual way—no irritation, no bored authority.This one was different.There was no hiding it.Just… hunger.Raw. Unsettling.“What do you want this time, Aaron?” I asked, my voice low, steady—but not respectful. Not anymore.“I see you forget I’m your warden,” he said, stepping closer.Too close.The scent of whisky clung to his breath as it brushed my cheek. Warm. Sharp. Real.I inhaled slowly, trying to ground myself.“We could get caught,” I muttered, shifting back a step.“Did we do anything?” he replied, almost amused.Through the mirror, I caught a glimpse of him—his chest rising slowly, his uniform stretched tight across it, like it couldn’t quite contain him. I looked away quickly.This was dangerous.Not just the situation.Him.And the worst part?For a split second—just

Night pressed hard against the windows.The office lights were low, but not soft. Just enough to show everything, not enough to hide anything.Cole stood by the window, shoulders tight, eyes fixed outside like he could disappear into the dark if he stared long enough. His breathing was steady, controlled—but there was something held back in it.Aaron watched him from behind the desk.Not sitting now.Standing.Waiting.“You’ve been pushing the system again,” Aaron said.Cole didn’t turn. “I’ve been following it.”A pause.Aaron gave a short laugh, quiet and sharp. “That’s not true.”Cole finally turned slightly. “Then what is it?”Aaron stepped away from the desk.Slow.Measured.“You test everything,” he said. “Rules. People. Limits. Like you’re waiting for one of them to break first.”Cole’s jaw tightened. “Maybe I just don’t trust blind control.”That made Aaron stop.The room felt smaller immediately.He walked closer.“You think I’m controlling you?” Aaron asked.Cole met his eye

The night of the party finally arrived.The following days after orientation seemed to blend. Classes, library, games, back to the dorms.Things went on smoothly with the girls.I had chickened out last minute.I wasn't a party guy.Back in highschool, i'd feign sickness to skip all the unnecessary (fun) activities. Because I didn't like being in crowded places. But my mum once said I deserved to live to. And Ben would have called for my head if he had missed this because of me.So I manned up.Put on my best party outfit. A pair of Jeans and full length shirt of course.I had Chestnut coloured 3A hair, but I always dyed it pure black. But this time, I decided to go natural. With a bit of a different of-course.Ben advised me to go for modern mullet.Said it would "make Clara more I interested." I only tried it because I was tired of carrying the same hairstyle from highschool.It came out great, paired with my outfit shoes.I felt weird standing outside my dorm, waiting for the