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“How long have you both been here?” Khalani cut in, trying to steer the conversation away from themselves.

Elise glanced up in thought. “It’s hard to keep track of time down here, but I’d say at least a couple months. When we first arrived, there weren’t many people, but they’ve brought a lot more over the past few weeks.”

Khalani shifted forward, forgetting her bowl. “Why are you—why arewehere?”

“Some prisoners have theories, but no one really knows. I was at home, making food for my dad when the Dealers barged in. They said they only wanted me, but I made such a fuss—punching and scratching multiple officers—that they took my dad too, as punishment.” Elise’s voice hardened at the end, her fists clenching.

A response lodged deep in Khalani’s throat. The thought of someone like Winnie being brought there because of her actions, forced into the worst conditions every day…she might’ve ended everything herself to escape the guilt.

“What theories?” Takeshi leaned forward intently.

Elise’s eyes still held a steely edge, but she explained, “Some think we’re mining copper for new electrical devices in Hermes. Others believe the gangs ordered hits on the prisoners andmaking us disappear is the Dealers way of maintaining control. The best one I’ve heard is that the prison will eventually be used as a fertility camp and they’ll make us fuck each other, have kids, and brainwash us. So, like I said, there’s a bunch of crazy ideas but no solid answer yet. Try asking the Dealers and they’ll just shock you. They love doing that.”

“Key. Ring. Save. Key. Ring. Save,” Elise’s father kept mumbling against the backdrop of despair.

Suddenly a distant scream pierced the air.

Khalani lifted her head, scanning the cavern to pinpoint the source.

Her attention fixed on the ominous black building across the expanse.

“What happens over there?” she asked, her voice tight as the building seemed to stare back at her.

Elise’s face paled as she followed Khalani’s gaze, her expression turning grave.

“Listen to me, both of you.” She turned back, her voice low and urgent. “If you want to survive, stay as far from that building as you can.”

“Why? Who is that man from inspection? Dr. Strauss? What will happen to the prisoner they took this morning?”

“Key. Ring. Save. Key. Ring. Save.” Clyde spoke a little louder, his eyes widening as he stared at the floor like it was about to rip open and swallow him whole.

Elise placed a calming hand on her father, cooing gently, “It’s okay, Dad. It’s okay. I’m here.”

Clyde’s shoulders slumped and he leaned into his daughter, his repeated words slowly becoming a faint murmur. Elise drew a deep breath, steadying herself before speaking.

“Dr. Strauss is the biggest mystery in this wretched place. He’s the camp’s undisputed leader, but no one knows much about him. We only see him in the morning for inspectionwhere he always picks one prisoner to be taken. He stays in that building all day, doing God knows what. All I know is that whoever goes inside doesn’t come out.”

The gravity of Elise’s warning sank in as Khalani glanced back at the building.

“Hey.” Elise snapped her fingers, grabbing her attention. “Don’t even look over there. There are cameras all over, and I just know that psychopath of a doctor is watching us. If you want to survive, keep your head down, do the chores they require of you, don’t piss off the other prisoners, and never,ever, go near that building.”

Khalani agreed. But as she sat there, forcing herself not to peek at the black structure, she felt an unsettling pull, a magnetic force looking back at her across the expanse.

Takeshi continued to shoot her wary looks, but she ignored him, counting down the seconds to the end of the week.

604,800…

604,799…

604,798…

A loud bang interrupted her counting. Her brows furrowed as a couple of Dealers placed two large red bins in the center of the cavern, twenty feet apart. The scene grew even stranger when they haphazardly tossed a yellow ball onto the ground.

Prisoners began to rise, dusting off their uniforms. Some approached the ball, lips turned down and their expressions grim, as if they’d rather tear off their own skin and vanish rather stand there.

Another smaller group of prisoners ventured toward the grey building, where Elise said the showers were located. They were open showers, with no rules against men and women bathing together. Because of that, Khalani doubted she’d be showering that entire week.

The rest of the prisoners gathered toward the back of the cavern, forming a large crowd. When a few cheers echoed back to them, Elise snorted.