•Shadow Ridge Prison•
[Kai's POV]
We had arrived at Shadow Ridge Prison just before the last sliver of daylight vanished behind the jagged, black peaks that gave the place its name. The transfer of the prisoners had been a tense, silent affair conducted under the watchful eyes of Zane Asher's guards. Now, more than an hour later, Shin and I were still waiting in the sparse, stone-walled waiting room, the only furniture a pair of hard wooden benches and a small, cold fireplace.
The official business was done. The prisoners were logged, processed, and locked away. But the real work—Zane's work—was just beginning. Even from here, insulated by thick walls and heavy doors, we could hear it. Not constant, but intermittent—a sharp, ragged scream would pierce the silence, cut off abruptly, only to be followed minutes later by another, more desperate one. It was a grim soundtrack that made the chilly air feel colder.
