The world outside the prison gates looked the same, yet everything felt different to Jacob. The sun still shone over the familiar streets, the cars still passed by in their usual rush, and people still hurried about their business—but for him, everything had changed. He stood quietly, staring at the open road ahead, a small bag slung over his shoulder, holding the few belongings he had brought into prison five months ago.
Five months.
That was the length of his sentence for assaulting his best friend, Paul Landon, on prom night. Five months that felt more like five years.
As he took his first steps outside, the wind hit his face, warm and free. For a moment, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, letting that long-missed sensation of freedom wash through him. But even that didn’t last
