Jamie stared around at the broken-down solitary cell. He sighed, grabbing the shredded pillows and spreading them out on the hard floor to create a makeshift bed. He glanced at the small bowl of rice Kenjo had brought him and hurriedly gulped it down, but it barely filled him; his stomach rumbled in protest.

Lying back on the battered pillow, Jamie forced himself to sleep through the cold, harsh night. When he woke, a sharp, gnawing pain twisted his stomach. He lay still, nearly paralyzed, and fought through the agony as his body weakened from days without proper food. Hours passed in the same position, the pain only growing.

Suddenly, he heard Kenjo shout, "Jamie! Are you a-awake?"

Jamie summoned his last bit of energy to respond. "I'm awake…"

Kenjo's face popped up in the tiny window, concern etched in his eyes. "I brought you food, Jamie."

Jamie leaped up from where he lay, snatching the bowl of rice from Kenjo, devouring it in seconds. Kenjo stared, hesitating before he spoke, "A-are you… hungry, Jamie?"

Realizing he had shown weakness, Jamie scoffed, feigning indifference. "I'm good. I don't need any more food."

Kenjo, clearly worried, offered, "Jamie, I can go get mor—"

"Anyway, Kenjo," Jamie cut him off, his voice stern, "how's the situation with Shika?"

Kenjo, glancing at Jamie's fragile frame, sighed before sharing what he knew. "Shika's furious. You're on their hit list. A couple of new guys came to the prison a few days ago; they're working with Shika. Tough guys—beat up a cop because Shika told them to. They're not here for fun, Jamie. These guys are trouble."

Jamie chuckled coldly, showing no sign of fear. "Interesting."

Kenjo tried again, desperate, "Jamie, are you sure you don't need more food?"

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"Shut up, Kenjo. I don't need anything," Jamie snapped, eyes hard. "I'm good, damn it."

With a defeated sigh, Kenjo stepped away and returned to his cell. Jamie listened to the silence after he left, the faint growling of his stomach filling the void. "Damn… I'm starving," he muttered to himself, clenching his fists to ignore the hunger pangs.

Time passed, and Jamie's focus wavered as his stomach cramped. Suddenly, a heavy knock echoed through the cell, and then another. He stood, moving to the door's tiny window, peering out to see two officers standing outside. They opened the door, stepped inside, and without a word, grabbed him by the arms and dragged him down the corridor.

"Where are you taking me?" Jamie struggled, trying to break free, but his body was too weak from hunger.

They pulled him along until they reached the warden's office, forcing him to stand before the stern-looking warden.

"Jamie," the warden warned, "you're on thin ice. One more incident, and you're looking at another trial."

Jamie clenched his fists, swallowing his frustration. The fatigue in his body left him no choice but to nod and agree.

The warden leaned back in his chair, nodding in approval. "Very well. You're released from solitary confinement. Back to your cell, with Kenjo."

Escorted back, Jamie trudged into his cell, collapsed onto his bed, and drifted off into a restless sleep.

But elsewhere, in the darkness, new arrivals slipped a note toward Shika, informing him that Jamie was free.

The silence in the cell block was unnerving, every prisoner on edge. Suddenly, the lights shut off, plunging the block into complete darkness.

Kenjo jumped, panicked. "Wh-what's going on, Jamie?"

Jamie remained calm. "Probably just some issue. They'll fix—"

Jamie jumped up to investigate.

The sound of footsteps broke through the silence, and suddenly, all the cells unlocked with a heavy, metallic click. Jamie heard the faint echoes of feet closing in on his cell. He felt something cold press against his neck a sharp Knife. His body froze, his mind racing.

A voice, barely a whisper, spoke against his ear. "This is where you perish, Jamie."

Jamie's muscles tensed, mind racing as he searched for an escape, but his arms and legs were firmly held in place. He struggled against the grip, but pain shot through his body as the knife pressed harder, digging deeper into his neck.

The voice chuckled darkly. "Oh man, you really messed up…haha."

The block was pitch-black, guards nowhere in sight, leaving Jamie cornered and helpless. His breaths came in shallow gasps, his mind going blank as the blade sliced deeper.

"Jamie…" the voice taunted, almost relishing the tension, "you're done."

Jamie opened his mouth to shout, but another assailant's hand clamped over his mouth, silencing him, stifling any hope of calling for help.