Kai stared at the ceiling.
The ceiling stared back.
It had been several hours.
Possibly longer.
Prison was surprisingly boring.
No interrogations.
No torture.
No dramatic speeches.
Just walls.
Bars.
---
Night eventually fell.
The prison grew quieter.
Most guards had settled into predictable patrol patterns.
Kai sat in the corner of his cell.
Watching.
Waiting.
Thinking.
Not because he was planning an escape.
At least not initially.
He was simply observing.
Then an opportunity presented itself.
A lone guard approached.
Yawning.
Looking exhausted.
A ring of keys hung from his belt.
The guard stopped outside Kai's cell.
Stretched.
Then leaned against the wall.
Kai's eyes drifted toward the keys.
An idea formed.
A terrible idea.
The kind of idea that usually got people killed.
Unfortunately, it was still better than staying in prison.
Kai slowly lay down.
Closed his eyes.
And pretended to sleep.
---
Several minutes passed.
The guard glanced inside.
Then shrugged.
Nothing unusual.
Just another prisoner sleeping.
The guard relaxed.
Exactly what Kai wanted.
The moment the man's attention drifted elsewhere—
Kai moved.
Fast.
The cell bars became leverage.
His hand shot through the gap.