Chapter 2

Thorne' s visits became less frequent, his cruelty more inventive.

He needed to break her, to prove her "gift" of soothing souls was a sham, or that it was gone.

One morning, Captain Miller and Deputy Graves, Thorne' s brutal enforcers, dragged a large, wild-eyed inmate into Sarah' s section.

His name was Pike. Known for sudden violence.

Sarah recognized him. Years ago, she had found him shivering in a corner, feverish. She had shared her thin blanket and a piece of bread. A small kindness, quickly forgotten by most.

Miller smirked. "The Warden wants to see your magic, Sarah. Heal this one."

Graves shoved Pike towards her. "Or he' ll tear you apart."

Pike lunged. His eyes were glazed, his hands curled into claws.

Sarah braced herself. There was no escape.

Then, a shadow moved.

John Doe.

He stepped between Sarah and Pike.

Pike, twice John' s apparent size, roared and swung.

John moved with a speed and precision that shocked everyone. He didn' t fight like a broken lifer. He deflected Pike' s blow, used the man' s momentum against him. Pike stumbled, confused.

John didn' t strike back to injure. He simply contained Pike, a calm strength against wild fury.

Pike, disoriented by the unexpected defense, suddenly stopped. He looked at John, then at Sarah. A flicker of something, maybe memory, crossed his face. He backed away, muttering.

Miller and Graves stared, mouths agape.

Thorne, watching from a hidden observation slit, felt a surge of fury. This disfigured mute was protecting her.

Sarah rushed to John' s side. "Are you hurt?"

John shook his head, his eyes on her.

Thorne' s voice boomed through a hidden speaker. "Impressive, Doe. But she' s mine to test."

Sarah turned towards the sound of Thorne' s voice.

"He is not yours to command. And I am not yours to break."

Her defiance echoed in the cold hall.

Thorne was silent for a moment. Then, the speaker crackled.

"We' ll see about that."