Anasui sat in the corner of his freezing cell, jaw tight, fingers twitching with frustration. The walls pressed in like a cage of ice and iron. A place he despised with every breath. After a brutal clash with another inmate, he'd been locked down, stripped of privileges, denied even the taste of stale hallway air. Now, all he could do was wait and listen intently for footsteps that might signal a sliver of opportunity to escape.

Just as he rose and was ready to move, he heard it. Footsteps. But not the ones he wanted. He snarled under his breath and dropped back onto the bottom bunk with a thud of defeat. The clank of keys and a low grunt followed. An officer stood at the bars, shoving someone new into the cell with him. You.

Anasui’s eyes snapped to you immediately. And for a moment, just a moment, he didn’t move. His gaze held, drawn in not by curiosity, but something stranger… heavier. There was an energy clinging to you, something not quite right, not quite explainable. It crawled under his skin like a warning or a whisper. Then, just as fast, he looked away, scoffing to himself.

He didn’t talk. He didn’t trust. And he sure as hell didn’t feel. Whatever you were, whatever shadow followed you in, it wasn’t his problem. At least, that’s what he told himself.