Chapter 18: Shadows of the Past

The morning air is thick with tension as I step out of my quarters, the cold biting into my skin. The gray sky above is heavy with clouds, casting everything in a dull, lifeless light. It feels like the world itself is holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. And maybe it is.

I pull my coat tighter around me, trying to shake off the unease that settled in my chest overnight. Last night, as I lay in bed, I couldn’t stop thinking about Sev—about the way his eyes locked onto mine, like he was trying to see right into my soul. There was something electric between us, something that I can’t quite explain. And as much as I try to push it aside, it’s still there, gnawing at the edges of my thoughts.

But I can’t afford to get distracted. Not now. There’s too much at stake.

The guards are waiting for me outside, their expressions unreadable as they fall in step beside me. We walk in silence through the narrow, dimly lit corridors of the prison, the walls echoing with the distant sounds of clanging metal and muffled voices. Every step I take feels heavier than the last, like I’m being pulled deeper into the shadows of this place.

Finally, we reach the main building, where Captain Hayes is waiting for me. He’s leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, his sharp eyes scanning the hallway as we approach. There’s a tension in his posture, a tightness in his jaw that I haven’t seen before. It’s like he’s expecting something to go wrong.

“Good morning, Professor,” he says, his voice clipped and formal. “I trust you slept well?”

“As well as can be expected,” I reply, trying to keep my tone light. But there’s an undercurrent of anxiety in my voice that I can’t quite hide.

He nods, not pressing the issue. “We have a lot to cover today. The first phase of the experiment begins tomorrow, so I want to make sure you’re fully briefed on everything.”

“Of course,” I say, trying to focus on the task at hand. “I’m ready.”

“Good.” He pushes off the wall and gestures for me to follow him. “We’ll start with a tour of the security systems and the monitoring facilities. After that, I’ll introduce you to the team you’ll be working with.”

As we walk through the prison, Hayes explains the intricate security measures in place—the cameras, the motion sensors, the audio recording devices hidden in the walls. Every inch of this place is monitored, every word recorded. There’s no privacy here, no place to hide. It’s all designed to keep the inmates in line, to prevent any potential uprisings or escape attempts. But it’s also a reminder of just how little freedom anyone has on this island. Even me.

“The system is designed to catch anything out of the ordinary,” Hayes says as we pass by a row of screens displaying live footage from various parts of the prison. “If there’s a disturbance, we’ll know about it immediately.”

I nod, watching the screens with a mix of fascination and unease. The inmates are like ants in a glass cage, their every movement observed, analyzed, and recorded. It’s both impressive and terrifying.

As we move on to the next area, my thoughts drift back to Sev. I wonder where he is right now, what he’s doing. Is he thinking about me, the way I’ve been thinking about him? The thought sends a shiver down my spine, and I quickly push it aside. I need to stay focused.

The rest of the tour passes in a blur of gray walls and security briefings. I meet the team—a group of scientists, psychologists, and security personnel who will be assisting me with the experiment. They’re all professionals, each of them an expert in their field, but there’s an underlying tension in the air, a sense of unease that no one wants to acknowledge.

Finally, we reach the briefing room, a cold, sterile space with a long metal table and rows of chairs. Hayes gestures for me to sit, and I do, my nerves buzzing with anticipation. The guards take up their positions by the door, their expressions still unreadable.

“We’ll begin with an overview of the experiment,” Hayes says, his tone all business as he takes his seat across from me. “As you know, the goal is to observe the effects of introducing a female presence into this all-male prison environment. We want to see if it can reduce violence, improve behavior, and potentially lead to rehabilitation.”

I nod, my mind racing as I try to process everything. This is it. This is what I’ve been working toward for years, the culmination of all my research, all my theories. But now that I’m here, on the brink of it all, I can’t help but feel a surge of doubt.

“What about the risks?” I ask, my voice steady but my heart pounding. “There’s a reason women aren’t typically placed in facilities like this. These men… they’re dangerous.”

“Yes, they are,” Hayes agrees, his eyes darkening slightly. “But that’s why we have such strict security measures in place. You’ll never be alone with the inmates, and you’ll always have a team of guards nearby. We’ve taken every precaution to ensure your safety.”

I nod, but his words do little to ease the knot of anxiety in my chest. “And what about the Sevens?” I can’t help but ask. “They seem… different from the others.”

Hayes leans back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. “The Sevens are highly organized, highly disciplined. They’re not like the other gangs here. Their leader, Sev, is particularly dangerous. He’s smart, ruthless, and commands absolute loyalty from his men. But they follow a strict code of conduct, and that could work in our favor.”

My thoughts drift back to the yard, to the way Sev’s eyes burned into mine. “He’s not like the others,” I murmur, more to myself than to Hayes.

“No, he’s not,” Hayes says, his tone almost sympathetic. “But that doesn’t make him any less dangerous.”

I swallow hard, trying to push the image of Sev out of my mind. “So, what’s the plan?”

“We’ll start by introducing you to the inmates in a controlled environment,” Hayes explains. “You’ll be observing them, interacting with them under strict supervision. The goal is to establish a baseline for their behavior before we begin the more intensive phases of the experiment.”

I nod, my nerves jangling with a mix of excitement and fear. This is what I signed up for, what I’ve been working toward. But now that it’s real, now that I’m here, it’s all so much more intense than I ever imagined.

“We’ll be monitoring everything closely,” Hayes continues, his voice steady and reassuring. “If at any point you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, you let us know, and we’ll pull you out immediately.”

“Understood,” I say, my voice firm even as my stomach twists with anxiety.

The rest of the briefing is a blur of details—security protocols, schedules, contingency plans. I listen, nodding in all the right places, but my mind keeps drifting back to Sev, to the way his eyes seemed to pierce right through me. I can’t shake the feeling that he’s going to be a problem, that this experiment is going to be a lot more complicated than I anticipated.

When the briefing finally ends, Hayes escorts me back to my quarters. The walk is silent, the weight of what’s to come hanging heavy between us. As we reach my door, he pauses, his expression softening slightly.

“Get some rest, Professor,” he says, his voice gentler than before. “Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”

“Thanks, Captain,” I reply, trying to muster a smile. “I’ll be ready.”

He nods, his eyes lingering on me for a moment longer than necessary. Then he turns and walks away, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I close the door behind me, leaning against it for a moment as I try to steady my racing heart. Tomorrow, it all begins. Tomorrow, I’ll be face-to-face with the inmates, with Sev. And I have no idea what’s going to happen.

But one thing is clear: this is just the beginning. And I have a feeling that things are about to get a whole lot more dangerous.

As I move through the cold, silent rooms of my quarters, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being watched, that someone is out there, waiting for me. And as I crawl into bed, the image of Sev’s piercing blue eyes is the last thing I see before I finally drift off to sleep.