Sage’s POV
I wish time had stopped in that cell.
Just me and Mark. Quiet. Close. Breathing the same air. His skin still warm against mine, his heartbeat steady beneath my ear. We didn’t sleep—how could we? We just held each other, like maybe if we stayed that way long enough, the world would forget about us.
But the world didn’t forget.
The guards came right as the sun broke through the bars. Boots stomping. Keys jangling. Orders barked.
I didn’t let go of him. Not until they dragged me off him. I screamed. Fought. But they were stronger. Colder. And I could still hear Mark shouting my name as they shoved me into a hallway that smelled like metal and death.
They marched us through winding corridors. Dim lights. Concrete floors. Cameras on every wall. I had no idea where we were. Some
