In the depths of the prison, the air was thick with the stench of rot and decay. Kenneth’s body, still draped in the shadows, lay undisturbed in its cell. The dark, cold walls of the dungeon-like prison seemed to absorb the smell, making it part of the structure itself. A place long forgotten by warmth and life, it was a grave disguised as a cell.
The guards stationed outside had grown used to the smell. They barely noticed it anymore, their senses dulled after weeks of dealing with the grim task of maintaining this dark secret. They followed orders, and that was all that mattered. Whether Kenneth was dead or alive was not their concern. They had one job—keep people out.
Today, however, the usual quiet was broken.
At first, it was just a subtle tremor, barely enough to cause alarm. One
