At the bottom, fluorescent lights buzzed to life, casting sterile light over the vast underground facility. Guards stationed along the perimeter gave her brief nods. She returned them without slowing.
She moved past the first level of standard cells—steel bars and silence—before reaching the stairs to the lower floor.
Here, the cells were different.
They were glass encasements, each lit with harsh white lights. The kind of light that stripped you raw.
Ephyra moved toward the third glass cell, where Jania was already waiting. When their eyes met, Jania gave her a small smile and pressed her hand to the identification scanner beside the glass.
With a quiet hiss, the thick glass slid open. Jania tilted her head toward the interior.
Ephyra stepped inside.
The room was empty… at least at first glance.
