Smith’s POV

The hallway reeked of bleach and despair. It was sterile, too clean, like they were trying to scrub away the sins that soaked these walls. Every step I took echoed off the cold white tiles and concrete walls like the ticking of a bomb getting ready to blow. The guard ahead didn’t say a word…not that I wanted him to. I couldn’t hear anything over the roaring in my ears anyway.

My fists were clenched so tightly, the skin had split at the edges of my nails. A bead of blood ran down the side of my palm, unnoticed. My throat burned from the acid sitting there, my...