CHAPTER 3. Behind Iron Bars
1221 Words
Armida's Pov
The corridor stretched endlessly before us, illuminated by dim lights fixed high along the stone walls. The further we walked, the colder the air became. Moisture clung to the ancient stones, and somewhere in the distance, water dripped steadily against the floor, the slow rhythm echoing through the otherwise silent hallway.
Every footstep the Beta took bounced off the walls, each measured stride reminding me there was no escape.
At the end of the corridor stood another enormous steel door.
Just like the first, thick strips of silver had been forged into its surface.
The Beta released my wrist long enough to press his thumb against the fingerprint scanner mounted beside it.
A sharp electronic beep cut through the silence and a second later, a mechanical click echoed from somewhere inside the wall. The locks disengaging as the doors slowly swung inward and the moment they opened, an even colder gust of air rushed toward us.
I shivered.
This part of the prison felt completely different.
Rows upon rows of reinforced cells stretched into the distance, disappearing around a bend too far away for me to see. Every door was constructed from thick steel bars intertwined with silver, making them impossible for any ordinary werewolf to break.
The silence here felt unnatural. Not peaceful, it felt hopeless.
As though every ounce of hope had been swallowed by these walls long ago.
I swallowed hard before gathering the courage to speak.
"I thought..." My voice sounded much smaller than I intended. "I thought you were taking me to your Alpha."
The Beta continued walking.
He didn't acknowledge my question.
I hurried after him.
"Please..." I tried again. "I haven't done anything."
Still nothing.
He walked as though I hadn't spoken at all.
Frustration slowly replaced my fear.
"I don't even know why I'm—"
He stopped so abruptly that I nearly walked into him.
Slowly, he turned.
Those cold grey eyes settled on mine without the slightest hint of emotion.
"If you value your ability to speak," he said quietly, "I suggest you stop talking."
His voice never rose. The calmness with which he delivered the warning frightened me far more than anger ever could.
"I wasn't asking for conversation," he continued evenly. "I was escorting a prisoner."
A lump formed painfully in my throat.
Prisoner.
"I..." I began weakly. His expression hardened almost imperceptibly.
"The Alpha will decide whether you're innocent."
A brief pause followed.
"Until then, you are nothing more than a potential threat to Black Moon."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and continued walking.
This time...
I didn't ask another question.
The further we ventured into the prison, the more occupied the cells became.
Some prisoners sat silently against the walls, staring blankly into space with empty eyes that no longer held hope.
Others paced relentlessly behind their bars like caged animals.
One older wolf gripped the silver bars with trembling hands before quickly letting go, his skin hissing where it had made contact. No one called for help, no one begged for freedom.
It was as though every soul imprisoned here had already accepted their fate.
A strange heaviness settled inside my chest.
Could this become my future?
Would I spend months...
Years...
Trapped behind these walls?
The thought made it difficult to breathe.
The Beta finally stopped outside an empty cell.
He unlocked the heavy door with a small metal key attached to his belt before stepping aside.
"Inside."
I stared at the room.
Calling it a room felt generous.
It was little more than four damp stone walls.
A thin mattress rested on the floor beneath a narrow blanket that looked almost as old as the prison itself. A rusted bucket occupied one corner, while a small drain had been built into the centre of the floor.
Nothing else
No window, sunlight or any signs of comfort.
Only silence.
"I..." I hesitated.
"I've never—"
His eyes lifted to meet mine.
"I won't repeat myself."
The quiet authority in his voice erased the last of my courage.
Slowly, I stepped inside.
The instant both feet crossed the threshold, the heavy door slammed shut behind me. Metal crashed against metal with a deafening clang that echoed throughout the corridor.
A second later...
Click, the lock was engaged.
The sound seemed impossibly loud.
I stared at the door.
Then at the silver bars.
Then back at the empty cell surrounding me.
My legs suddenly felt too weak to support my weight. I sank slowly onto the worn mattress, wrapping my arms around myself as the silence pressed heavily against my chest.
This wasn't another sleepwalking episode, this wasn't a nightmare. This was real. Somewhere beyond these walls, life in Blue Crescent was continuing without me.
Home suddenly felt farther away than ever.
A sharp ache settled inside my chest.
I closed my eyes.
No.
Thinking about home now would only make this harder.
I had to stay calm. Panicking wouldn't help me escape nor would it convince Black Moon I was innocent. Panicking wouldn't change anything.
A shaky breath escaped my lips.
I rested my forehead against my knees.
The silence stretched endlessly around me until exhaustion slowly claimed me.
...
I wasn't sure how long I had been asleep when the sound of approaching footsteps stirred me awake.
For a moment, I couldn't remember where I was. Then the cold stone walls came into focus.
Reality returned all at once.
I rubbed my arms, trying unsuccessfully to chase away the chill that had settled deep inside my bones.
Someone stopped outside my cell.
I looked up.
A young woman stood quietly on the other side of the bars. She looked only a few years older than me, dressed in simple black clothing embroidered with the Black Moon crest. Dark hair had been tied neatly behind her head, and although her expression remained carefully neutral, her warm brown eyes carried a softness I hadn't expected to find inside a place like this.
She glanced once over each shoulder before kneeling beside the small opening beneath the cell door.
Without saying a word, she slid a wooden tray toward me. It had a piece of dry bread, a bowl of thin vegetable broth and a jug of water.
It wasn't much.
But after everything that had happened...
It looked like a feast.
I looked back at her.
"What's your name?" I asked quietly.
She hesitated.
Almost as though answering would get her into trouble.
Finally, she spoke.
"Olivia."
The name was barely louder than a whisper.
"I'm Armida."
She gave the faintest nod.
"You should eat." There was urgency in her voice now.
"You'll need your strength."
A knot tightened painfully in my stomach.
"For what?"
olivia's eyes flickered toward the corridor behind her. For the first time since she'd arrived...
Fear crossed her face.
She stood quickly.
"I shouldn't be talking to anyone here, it is forbidden.”
"Wait."
She stopped.
"The Alpha..." she whispered without turning around.
“He is very mean to prisoners”
Before I could ask another question, she hurried away, her footsteps disappearing into the endless silence of the prison.
I looked down at the untouched tray before me and for some reason...
The bread no longer seemed quite so appetising.
What exactly was waiting for me?
- Writer
