*BEEP* the loud sound of certain doors in the prison.

Everybody in the prison was used to that sound.

"Opening the isolation cell for two" Said one guard while escorting Mike and Joshua.

"Two? Another fight?" Asked the guard behind the armored window.

"Yes, this one is also here for breaking prison property" He signaled at Joshua.

The one in the cabin behind the armored window scanned the files given to him.

"Joshua Perez, 4 days. Mike... Blood, 1 day... curious last name, it sounds like that man from Aotheles, never guessed there were more people with that name"

"Stop shouting nonsense. Open the door, I want to get my food" Said the other guard.

They were thrown in a different cell each, those cells were already in the basement and the surroundings were dark.

However, each isolation cell had the property of getting the prisoners isolated. Once they threw Mike and Joshua into a cell each, there was no light once the door was closed.

But Mike had no need for light when in the cell, he had his ability; sadly, the bed was just a wooden plank with a dirty blanket and the toilet was very close to the "bed".

The cell was very small to start with.

He had nothing more to do anyway, so sat on the "bed" and scanned around.

They had no need to treat his injuries since Mike needed to pay for the medicine himself later, and since in prison were no banks, he had no option but to reject the medical attention.

Also, Joshua and Mike were guided there with handcuffs and thrown in the cells without taking them off, but it made no difference for Mike to use his ability to scan.

In any case, it became a little harder to concentrate on it.

He scanned the door too. The door had a food slot on the lowest side, probably to pass food.

It also had a peephole, where the guards would open it to see the prisoners if needed.

Aside from it, there was nothing more in the cell.

Solitary confinement only.

It even had nothing to pass the time, and the cell was so small that he got bored after using his ability.

While being in absolute darkness, most people lose track of time, lucky Mike because he was used to keeping his eyes closed.

He had no need to see with eyes while he could "see" around him in a way human eyes don't allow one to see.

But it was just the beginning, while training at home, Claire always had advice for him.

Also, when the time arrived, she would tell Mike the food was ready.

Without a clock and no sight of light, it was still hard to tell how much time passed.

He felt like hours passed already, and still, there were no signs of life, only the casual barely audible noises from outside.

He would try to sleep, but from time to time, one of the guards knocked on the doors of every cell.

The sound was heavy enough to wake him up.

He cursed in a low voice but made sure to not be loud.

After who knows how much time, a guard opens the peephole.

*SWOOSH*

The light was hard to the eye, and the guard aimed a flashlight directly at the hole.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Since he saw no trace of light for some time it almost got his eyes hurt.

"Lunchtime! Hope you don't have money for it" Said the guard with somehow the voice of a swindler.

Mike closed his eyes, why would he need to bear the light intensity when he could just "see" with his ability?

"So?" Asked Mike.

The guard saw nothing weird when Mike closed his eyes. Some people did the same, and some others just tried to bear the intensity, mostly the second, actually.

"Oh, you are new, right... 10 ethers more for food in the isolation cells, so to summarize, 35 for breakfast and 45 for lunch or dinner, take it or leave it, I have to offer the same to other prisoners in the isolation block"

"I don't have any money on me"

"I know, you are the new guy, then let's talk business. Debt with 10% weekly interest. You in?"

"..." Mike started making numbers in his head.

He could not stay all day without eating, he needed to survive, not to die of starvation.

Plus, the food was necessary to give him the energy to fight if needed again.

"Decide quick, I have one more client in the block waiting for lunch" The guard had no patience to do business.

But that was fine, after all, the one on the losing side was not him but the prisoners.

"Deal"

"Great" The guard closed the hole and after a little noise, passed the food through the food slot in the door.

The tray had some food, but it was barely enough for lunch, and from Mike's perspective it was not exactly delicious.

Actually, the taste was bad, but not that much.

The guard also talked about a plus for 10 more ethers.

He soon heard some noises beside the cell, the guard was doing business with Joshua too.

The same happened for dinner, he returned the tray through the food slot and received the same tray with the diner,

It was the same food as lunch.

Just some soup and some tasteless rice, and also some water.

He never asked about the plus, not because the food was bad; it was bad, but because without movement, the food would go to waste.

Time passed and he finally got released the next day after breakfast.

While leaving, it was hard for him to see due to the light, it looked like the guards had the intention of turning on more lights at the maximum intensity when someone was leaving the isolation block.

So he closed his eyes.

The guard told him to not forget his debt.

"Mike Blood, 115 ethers. Remember it, isolation guard number 3, that was me the one you got your debt with"

"Understood, not gonna forget it. With that high weekly interest rate who could forget it?"

"Just to make sure, now get out of here"

The guard handed Mike to the other guard to take him.

He still had his eyes closed, the guards were stunned at how could he walk like that.

The other guard placed Mike in front of a hole in the wall where he placed his hands and saw how they took off his handcuffs after the man left.

He opened his eyes then since he was already getting used to the light.

They took him to the yard and left him alone.

Most people were in the yard after breakfast.

It was the sight he wanted to see yesterday but got interrupted.

While getting in there, he got glances from everybody.

Some were looks of admiration or approval, some of hatred.

He even saw that those who held hatred were the ones who got thrown away by Joshua while fighting Mike.

"Some think I am a hero at least, I will take it then. Is impossible to get everybody happy" He searched around the yard,

Trying to study the place, he would spend here some months after all.

The cell blocks 1 and 2 were all in the yard, or maybe mostly.

And there was another part of the yard, separated by a high fence, the side of the prison for female prisoners.

He had no need to search for anything there; as long as he knew, it was the only place where the female's section and the male's section meet.

Also, there was not just one fence, but two, and a path in the middle of it, from where guards used to patrol.

But strangely, there were no guards while looking around.

In the fence that separates the two sections, some people were talking to the other side, one of those, was Oliver.

The man who gave him money for the food before.

"Seems like he's busy now, will take a chance to talk with him later"

For now, he wanted to feel like the hero who had returned from hell in front of the other's eyes.

"Yes, the look of approval and jealously, is not my fault but the world's, thanks world"

And just like that, time passed by. He learned how to contact the outside and get money in the prison.

He learned the best strategies for him to survive and how to get on the guard's good side.

In the blink of an eye, two weeks later...