**[Present – Elysium Utility Closet]**
The mop water stank of bleach and vodka.
Aileen crouched near the back hallway, scrubbing the marble floor. Her wrists ached, the faint scars on them tingling from pressure. Someone passed by—heels clicking, perfume thick—and scoffed at the sight of her.
She kept scrubbing.
Behind her, a security guard murmured into his radio: “Convict girl's on bathroom duty. Again."
She clenched her teeth.
The chemicals burned her fingers. Still, she scrubbed harder. Because it was the only thing she could control.
But the smell… the staleness… it brought her back.
---
**[Flashback – Graystone Women's Correctional Facility]**
“Wake up, Keller."
The guard's baton slammed against the bars.
Aileen blinked awake, blinking against the flickering overhead ligh
