His hand rises.

Then it passes my arm, unbothered by my words, and wraps around my throat.

In my panic, I grab at his fingers, trying to push him away. This only makes him bring his other hand to help, choking me even harder.

I scratch at him, but not even that makes him let go.

"When I let go, you’ll obey me!" he commands, loosening his grip just enough for me to breathe.

Gasping for air, I feel like a fish out of water.

"Remember, you obey me! Same deal! Let it happen, and nothing will happen to you! Resist, and I’ll kill you!"

Does he seriously think I’ll just lie still and let him have his way?

That I’ll reward him for releasing me by giving in?

Determination sparkles in my eyes.

“We are in a prison here, and today, I’m in charge of the rounds. It won’t be hard for me to arrange it so that the prisoners get blamed if something happens to you! Especially with that piece of jewelry you’re wearing!”

Laughter echoes from the walls.

His right hand releases my throat to gently stroke my cheek.

“Come on, be nice to me!”

After what he deems a justified punishment, he follows with a caress meant to reward me for obedient behavior. As if he’s well-practiced in subjugating others.

No! My heart pounds against my chest, panic whipping it into a rapid beat. I don’t want this!

I glance at Nora, who is crouching near the door, whimpering. I can’t expect any help from her.

I have no intention of playing the obedient little plaything. He can forget that!

My eyes close as my body arches in defiance. My hands lash out at him.

Even if we girls give in to him, there’s no guarantee he’ll let us live. We could try talking this out!

I don’t think he’s too dumb to factor that in, but I do think he’s cold enough to get rid of a burden.

“Stop it!” A scream is directed at me. “What are you worth, anyway, if someone sent you down here? Expendable trash! Maybe sent here to spy on this Zeitstürmer, given how attached you are to him. Or what other reason could there be for sending you down here?”

“I heard the prison is more like an emergency shelter these days!” comes a voice from the door, accompanied by a long yawn. “Terrible planning on all sides. It keeps causing problems! The rooms are packed, and right at that moment, orders come from above to squeeze a few more in. What are they thinking?!”

That voice!

My eyes snap open and I see a young man.

He’s leaning against the doorframe, looking like he needs a cold shower even more than I do.

His eyes are half-closed, so I can barely make out their color. One hand runs through his raven-black hair and then rubs the back of his head.

Disheveled strands fall messily across his face.

He’s so tall he almost bumps into the doorframe—and does, as he stretches with another yawn.

The man startles, his gaze darting around the room. He looks as though he’s just woken from a dream and is wondering where he is and what he’s doing here.

He’s wearing a guard’s uniform.

Maybe that’s why his voice sounds familiar.

When my eyes were closed, for a moment, I felt like I was back in the forest with that stranger.

That can’t be! What would someone in his position be doing down here?

He can’t be the same person for another reason, too.

The man’s eyes are hazel brown.

I estimate his age to be mid-twenties, maybe even older than our attacker.

In terms of physique, he doesn’t fit my image of a guard.

He’s not bulky. More the opposite.

His muscles are defined in the uniform. He spends more time training than necessary for this position.

As for his looks, if they held a competition, despite tough rivals, he’d have good chances of winning.

Is that some kind of hiring criterion here?

Tall, fit, model type!

“And what do you want now? To stop me?”

The younger man turns to the other.

The grip on my throat loosens, and I use the chance to jump past him to Nora, where I huddle beside her.

Sobbing, she throws herself into my arms.

I try to calm her, which is difficult as her body trembles in fear, increasing with every word from our attacker.

“We’re two; they’re two! What’s your preference? Light or dark? Let’s split them up before the prisoners get ahead of us!”

I glance sideways at the newly arrived guard.

“Why not? They are cute, after all!”

My heart sinks to the bottom of this structure, punishing me for actually hoping for rescue!

What a scoundrel, seriously considering it!

But when he looks at the other, his face hardens, as does his voice.

“Tch! Do I look like I’m that desperate?” He crosses his arms. “As for the prisoners, rest assured I’ll personally make sure nothing happens! I’ll take it as my duty if necessary! Now leave!” He issues a stern warning to his colleague, a threat echoing behind it. “If you’re not gone in five seconds, you can reserve yourself a cell! I’ll report this incident to people who really don’t like it when someone gets too pushy with women!”

The younger man snorts.

“One… two…” his colleague begins to count.

Only then does he move.

For a fleeting moment, our attacker’s gaze meets mine, and within his curse at his colleague, a promise of revenge on me flares up.

That’s when I start trembling, too.

Just a brief admission of weakness.

Because I want to be strong—for Nora.

“I want to go home!” she sobs.

My head rests on hers, my gaze fixed on the floor.

As unbelievable as it still sounds in my ears, if my family hadn’t landed on this planet sixteen years ago, she could be with her father right now or hiding with her boyfriend from all this.

I can’t even understand it myself, why she awakens the desire in me to protect her and why I feel these tormenting pangs of guilt toward her. At home, we weren’t close. She meant so little to me that I barely noticed her, and my clique made her life difficult.

“Are you both alright?” asks the guard, who is apparently our savior.

I hope!

I still can’t quite gauge him.

I look at Nora, who nods in my arms. After confirming she’s not just doing it reflexively but means it, I do the same.

“Thank you for saving us.”

Did he? I look at him doubtfully.

My view is blocked by a towel. He’s taken two and now throws them over us.

“If you have any concerns or problems, come directly to me in the future!” he instructs us. “I’ve been assigned to look after both of you.”

I immediately accept the offer.

While moving us to a more comfortable and secure area is excluded, a transfer might still be possible.

“I have a request. Could she swap her cell with the one behind me? I have nothing against my cellmate, but she doesn’t even dare sleep on her bed.”

“No problem! That can be arranged!” He shrugs.

“Thank you!” Nora thanks the man.

That’s one less problem.

The guard is about to turn away from us and leave the shower when I stop him.

“Dry clothes!” I hastily call out. When he turns back, I point to the soaking pile in the corner. “It would be great if there was a way to get some dry clothes.”

“We’ll see!” He turns to Nora. “When you’ve dressed, girl, I’ll take you back to your cell. And you…” His gaze shifts to me. “Next time, remember to take your clothes off before showering!”

My hand slaps the wall next to me. I grab the bar of soap just as it’s being pulled out. But by the time I’m ready to throw it at him, he’s already gone.

What a guy!

As if I chose to step into the shower fully clothed.

“Nice guy!” Nora says about him.

“That’s probably what you thought about the other one earlier!” I respond.

Something inside me tells me I can trust him. Maybe even that his voice not only reminds me of that cold night when I last saw my parents, but for some reason also of the warmth of summer.

I’m just glad Nora has calmed down enough to dry off and now picks up her dress.

I should have asked him for clothes for her, too.

“What’s that thing?”

At first, I don’t know what she’s referring to.

Then I follow her pointing finger to my wrist, where the bracelet rests.

Similar to hers, but still different.

As she slips into her dress, I wrap the towel around myself, which is fortunately large enough to cover me, and lean against a dry part of the wall.

“Oh, that! No idea!” My fingers brush over the stones. “Would you be so kind as not to mention the bracelet?”

She nods before leaving the shower.

For me, it means waiting.

 ⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

When the guard enters the shower again, he observes me for a moment with an interest that makes me uncomfortable. A slight blush spreads across my cheeks. I push myself away from the wall and snatch the clothes he’s holding in his hands. Pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Both gray, shapeless, and so far from my taste that I pull a face in disgust. Instead, I should probably thank him for bringing me anything at all, as his comment makes me realize.

"I could have brought you a dress! Short or long; girly or provocative—whatever suits you best!” At first, he complains about me, but then his tone quickly changes. He even winks. “I’m sure the other prisoners would appreciate that!”

In response, I mutter a grumbling remark to myself, luckily too low for him to hear. He probably already thinks I'm conceited or arrogant anyway. It's the wrong reaction! Instead, I should thank him for giving me anything else to wear. Especially since he can hardly intervene if we provoke the prisoners in any way and they try something. So, I steer the conversation toward another topic.

“So, you're supposed to watch over us,” I mention, waiting eagerly for his response, though I already suspect the answer.

“Actually, just you,” he admits, turning his back to me. “But since you’ll probably always be near her, I can keep an eye on both of you.”

“And does my personal protector have a name?” I ask as I pull on the pants.

“That shouldn’t concern you!” he replies curtly.

What’s his problem? I wonder, looking around in confusion.

“But I would like to know the name of my rescuer.” A second attempt. “I'm Janine.”

“Let me know when you're dressed, kid,” he says.

Anger starts to bubble inside me as I wordlessly put on the shirt and button it up.

“I'm dressed,” I announce, my frustration spilling out in a sulky tone.

“Oh, if you’d like to thank me, I wouldn’t mind,” he mentions, turning back to face me. “Don't people usually thank their rescuers with a kiss?” A wide grin spreads across his face.

“In your dreams!” I snap at him. After he saved me and Nora, I honestly thought he was a decent guy, but that impression is slowly crumbling with nearly every sentence he utters.

I walk forward, intending to pass by him, but he stops me. He grabs my arm and pushes up the sleeve, revealing the bracelet. First, he turns it around, then presses a few of the stones.

Could they be more than just decorative?

“Girl, do us both a favor!” he sighs. “Keep your hands off that thing!”

“What’s it even for?” I demand to know.

“Normally, it’s to spy on prisoners down here,” he explains. “But in your case, it’s more for your own safety. So, don’t touch it in the future!”

“Understood!” I murmur with a sigh.

“So!” he shouts. “If you press these buttons…” He examines the bracelet more closely and starts thinking. “Or was it these ones?” He lets go of my arm. “Well, if you press a certain sequence of stones, you can call me. I’ll check which ones exactly. But only in emergencies!”

As I attempt to leave, he stops me once again.

“There’ll surely be something for your friend soon,” he says. “As for you, I have an offer.” That grin again. “Rooms are limited, as I’ve mentioned, but if you say yes, you’d have a nice soft bed, a shower with hot water, and multiple meals a day from now on.”

Something about this offer bothers me deeply. I give him a skeptical look, waiting for the catch.

“And nice company to wake up to.”

“And who would that be?” I ask, though it’s hardly necessary.

“Your dream guy!” His wide grin says it all. I can imagine he means a supposedly good-looking guy—according to Kaia—with black hair and gray, almost black, eyes.

“No interest!” I start to leave the shower.

“Don’t get too friendly with Kaia!” he calls out after me, with a warning tone. “That girl will corrupt a nice girl like you entirely!”

I head in the direction of my cell. The guard follows me part of the way but eventually veers off toward a door. Before he leaves the room, he claps a hand on the wall.

“Mealtime!” he shouts just before leaving the room.