Saint Petersburg, RussiaThe boy across from him stared at the floor like it might crack open and swallow him.“Look up,” Matteo said.The other boy didn’t. His hands tightened around the edge of the plastic table instead, knuckles pale against brown skin.Matteo leaned back in his chair, metal legs scraping softly across the concrete. The visiting hall smelled like disinfectant and boiled cabbage. A hundred voices layered over each other, families pretending they weren’t in a cage with their loved ones, laughter that tried too hard to be real and crying that was swallowed by the noise.“Do you always ignore people,” Matteo went on, bored and sharp, “or is that just for strangers in prison?”The boy finally lifted his head.He had dark lashes, the kind that made people think you were gentle even when you weren’t. A thin scar cut through one eyebrow, still pink. His glasses slid down his nose, and he pushed them back with a nervous tap.“I’m not ignoring you,” he said. “I just… I didn’
Last Updated : 2026-01-16 Read more