♥ PROLOGUE ♥
22:40 - Golden Horizon. - Zephyria.
Aurelia Dusk.
I closed my book with an exasperated sigh, my trembling fingers marking the accelerated rhythm of my heart. I knew I was late again. I hurriedly got up, gathering my belongings as a mixture of anger and worry bubbled inside me. In the city where I live, Zephyria was not known to be friendly at night, especially for a young woman alone.
"Damn it!" I cursed in frustration and irritation. "I always miss the damn bus! Why do I have to get so absorbed in the book? Damn it!"
As I hurried through the empty corridors of the library, my footsteps echoed like a constant reminder of my race against time. I cursed myself quietly for being so stupid as I thought about the recent reports of robberies and violence haunting the streets of Zephyria. It wasn't safe to be out at this hour of the night, and I hated the feeling of vulnerability that accompanied me on my nightly walks.
I'll never feel safe in this shithole city!
Upon reaching the library exit, the cold night air hit me like a blow, and I huddled into my coat, cursing my own foolishness for being so focused on my studies. It's been happening a lot lately, I'm always at risk of being killed or mugged.
"Damn it!" I muttered as I watched the last bus I could catch drive away. I knew there was no time to catch it. "Shit! Fuck! You're an idiot, Aurelia."
I cursed myself frustrated, feeling the helplessness mix with my anger as I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to walk home again. I let out a heavy sigh, starting to trace my way through the dark streets of Zephyria, feeling my heart pounding in my chest as I forced myself to remain vigilant against the hidden dangers lurking in the darkness.
The first thing to do, never let your guard down in this city.
I was almost home when I saw the red-blue lights of a police car flashing behind me. My stomach knotted nervously as I watched the car approach, and then, with a touch of sirens, the car stopped beside me. I swallowed hard, feeling a chill run down my spine.
"Pull over there, now!" The officer shouted, his voice laden with authority and rudeness.
Without hesitation, I obeyed his orders, my heart racing as I approached the wall. He got out of the car with a stern expression, his eyes fixed on me with suspicion.
"What are you doing out so late?" He asked, his voice rough and suspicious.
"I'm heading home after spending a long time in the college library I'm a part of, sir. I just want to get home soon." I replied, trying to keep my voice firm despite the growing fear within me.
There are always rumors that say the police are planting drugs in people's bags and taking them to jail. I really hope it's just a rumor, for God's sake.
The officer rolled his eyes as if he didn't believe any of my words. With a brisk movement, he ripped my backpack off my shoulders and began to rummage through it unceremoniously.
"Put your hands behind your back and turn around while I check your belongings." I swallowed hard, feeling that something bad would happen if I turned around, but I couldn't disobey him.
I stood with my back to him as he checked my belongings.
"What is this?" He growled, pulling a small packet of marijuana from my backpack and holding it up in front of me.
My eyes widened in shock as I watched helplessly.
My heart sank in despair when I realized what he had done. It was a trap, a cruel lie.
"Please, I swear I didn't use marijuana, I don't know how this ended up in my backpack!" I pleaded, my words coming out in a torrent of despair. "I didn't do anything wrong, I swear!"
He did this to me!
The officer just gave me a skeptical look, his lips tight in a hard line.
"Spare me your lies," he replied coldly, completely ignoring my plea. "You're going to the station, and there we'll find out the whole truth."
I was in shock when, unceremoniously, he handcuffed me and took me to the car, his look of disdain cutting me like a sharp blade. As we were taken to the station, I was very scared, frustrated, and helpless in the face of the brutal injustice being inflicted on me. All I could do was wait, pray that justice seeks to know the truth.
Hands behind my back, suddenly I was being brutally pulled out of the police car. The officer held my arm tightly, his face contorted in disgust for me.
"Out of the car, you thug!" He growled, pushing me towards the entrance of the Horizon Police Center.
My feet dragged on the ground as I tried to keep up with the officer's fast pace. My heart pounded hard in my chest, a mixture of fear and indignation bubbling inside me.
"Please, I'm not a criminal!" I pleaded, my words being drowned out by the noise around me. "You're making a mistake!"
The officer just scoffed in disdain, his expression impassive as he led me into the police station. The Horizon Police Center loomed imposingly in front of us, a dark fortress of authority and control.
I felt small and vulnerable in contrast to the grandeur of the building, my mind spinning with the injustice of the situation. I didn't belong in this place, I didn't deserve to be treated like a criminal. But, despite my protests, I knew I would be forced to face the justice system that now engulfed me.
I was forcefully pushed into the chief's office, my heart hammering in my chest as I looked around, feeling surrounded by authority and despair. The officer accompanying me pushed me in front of the chief with a brisk gesture.
"Chief, I found this one with marijuana in her backpack," he said, his voice dripping with contempt.
I looked at the chief, my heart sinking even more when I saw the cynical smile on his face.
"Please, I swear I didn't do this!" I pleaded once again, my words coming out in a desperate mix of fear and despair. "It was the officer, he put the marijuana in my backpack!" I tell the truth, hoping he can believe me.
The chief just laughed, a cold and cutting sound echoing in the tense silence of the office.
"How many times have I heard that story, girl?" He said, his voice hard and unyielding. "Many say the same thing. But the evidence speaks for itself."
My legs trembled under me as I fought back tears of frustration and injustice. I knew I had no way to prove my innocence, not against a system that seemed so determined to convict me.
With a gesture of his hand, the chief gave the final verdict.
"Take her to Horizon Penitentiary. That's where she'll learn her lesson never to use drugs again."
The air became heavy around me when I heard the officer's words, and despair took hold of me. I screamed, begging with all my might not to be taken to that infernal prison.
"Please, I can't go there!" My words came out in a sob of despair. "I beg you, have mercy!"
But the officer just laughed, his laughter sharp like a blade piercing through my already torn heart.
"If you didn't want to go there, you shouldn't have committed this crime," he said with a cruel smile.
Tears streamed down my face, my voice becoming a wail of pure agony as I found myself being brutally dragged towards my bleak fate. I knew what awaited me in that prison, a lawless land where chaos reigned supreme and humanity was abandoned to its own savagery.
Panic seized me as I realized I was about to enter the belly of hell. I knew that once inside, there was no hope, no justice. It was the place where the desperate became even more desperate, where the law was just a distant memory.
And as I was dragged into the abyss of darkness, the feeling of helplessness enveloped me like a shroud, announcing the beginning of my torment in Horizon Penitentiary.