The solitary confinement block was minimalistic, yet effective. It was just a plain hallway with ten cells on each side. Heavy iron doors with the bare minimum of a window made it almost impossible to look inside, by just passing by. Usually, one would see this as a flaw. However, there was a clear intention behind this design.

Total isolation. Keeping the prisoners as lonely as possible was the goal. Social interaction is kept to a bare minimum. Many are not even allowed to talk to their neighboring cellmates, making them stay silent for the duration of their stay.

That's why I've decided to do the same as well.

After the successful negotiations, a guard led me here. Put simply, the plan was that I would just have to wait until whatever they've planned against the riot started, and both sides massacred each other. When the guards are preoccupied with their worries, I'll slip away to finally gain my freedom.

I really was happy about how far I've managed to come, even if sometimes only through sheer luck. The only misfortune I've experienced till now was my solitary confinement neighbor. That guy was talking like crazy, and even after the guard shouted at us to be silent, he still pestered me. I didn't really listen to him, but something he said fell into my ear like a punch.

"Your parents are dead, right?"

This sentence immediately bothered me to no end. The plain ignorance in tone and the way he just asked a sensible question without thinking about the consequences made me sick. I lowered my voice and prepared to answer him, to even threaten him if needed. However, before I could he continued.

"Seems like I guessed right. My condolences, losing family at that age is something I wouldn't wish for anyone to experience." His voice sounded sad, heartbroken even. But that didn't matter to me.

"Why would you care?" I returned with an ironic undertone, not stopping there.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"After my parents died and the executions in my hometown calmed down, nobody gave a single shit about me. People I considered friends looked me in the eyes and told me to fuck off. Some of them even betrayed me without any consideration. So, why would a stranger like you care about something that only matters to me!" I felt like my chest shrank as I started to shout. Tears were forming in the corners of my eyes.

"How does it benefit you to care about me? If it doesn't, just shut the fuck up and look at your own shit. I have enough to take care of. I don't need condolences from some mere stranger!" Frustration built up. I didn't even know why I said so much. I had known that I could've just ignored him.

'Guess it was the relentless talking he had done," I concluded to be the reason for my outburst.

After a short period of silence, I thought he had surrenderd and our confrontation was over, yet he still continued.

"Do you know why you've fallen so much?" He asked me.

'That guy seriously is provoking me,' The rage in me returned, and I knew. If I ever got out, that man would be the first head I would take. However he didn't seem to care, as he even started laughing

"It's because you're hopeless. Do you think your mother and father would've supported your choices till now? If I knew that my child killed multiple innocent people for his own cause, I would've let him be punished accordingly. Something as egoistical as that isn't tolerable. What you're doing is a mistake." He said, a smug undertone evident in his voice.

"How dare you provoke me. How dare you judge me! What did the soldiers even do for the sake of the kingdom and its people! They were the ones betraying us. The corrupt deceived their own supervisors and massacred them, just like that! Not even a shred of mercy was given that day. The one committing these crimes wasn't the Isha kingdom. They weren't strangers to our home! It was a fucking inside job!" I paused, needing to take a desperate breath.

"Now tell me! How are they innocent? The answer is simple and hurts, doesn't it? They just aren't, and you know it!" I replied emotionally. Tears were flowing out my eyes as goosebumps formed on my whole body. Just as I thought he would answer again, the guard shouted threateningly.

"Shut up! If not, I will punish you according to the law!"

To my surprise, the other guy went silent. I just continued to sit there, gaging the things that happened in my life, the things I've done, the events that led me to become who I am today.

Before I could tire myself to death, I just stopped myself. Though a sour taste lasted in my mouth, I hesitatingly went to bed.