The first thing that hit her as she stepped through the gate was the smell, sharp, sour, heavy, like rust and sweat mixed together.

It clung to her throat, making her want to gag.

Then the sound. The noise. The clanging of metals. The shouts.

The clanging shut of the gate behind her made her flinch a little.

The sound echoed like the end of her life. The image of her plans flashed across her eyes, her planning for the prom dress, her plan to confess her love, and her plan for the college interview.

But each step deeper into the prison felt like being stripped of all that. Of all her dreams.

Maybe she was already stripped when she got sentenced to life imprisonment.

Ariel followed the guard quietly, trying to steady her trembling hands and her heart that was pounding so hard with fear and pain but it was impossible.

The uniform they gave her was rough against her skin. Faded grey uniform that smelled of disinfectant. It was stuffed and oversized. With a pair of worn-out rubber slippers, the kind that slapped loudly against the floor with every step.

Her body flinched each time she looked somewhere and saw women either sitting on the ground in clusters staring, or leaning against the cell gate, with their eyes following her.

Their gazes were sharp, curious, and cruel, like predators sizing up a new prey.

Ariel felt like she was walking into a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. Her heart thud painfully in her chest.

Every step she took felt heavy.

" Keep moving." The guard trailing behind her barked orders, pushing her forward.

His voice was hard and bored, as if she were just another number in a long line of lost souls.

She swallowed hard, her grip clutched tighter against the small basket between her hands as if to steady herself.

They'd handed her the small dented basket before leading her to her cell. Inside it was a thin blanket, a toothbrush, a cracked plastic plate and cup, and a spoon that felt flimsy enough to snap. A small bar of soap, and a tube of toothpaste so tiny it could be finished in a week.

'Her property' they called it, like some kind of welcome gift.

The sound of distant banging never stopped, voices shouting names, guards yelling back. Somewhere, someone was crying. Someone else, someone was laughing at the crying.

Finally, they reached her cell, and the guard opened the door with a loud screech.

Ariel stepped in.

The room was small with just a bunk, peeling walls, and a faint stench of mold.

She glanced at the huge lady sitting on the upper bed. Her cellmate. She stared blankly back at her with her short, black, and rough hair.

The guard slammed the door shut behind her.

She flinched a little.

And slowly her head dropped. Her legs remained glued to the floor.

Her throat aches. Her eyes burn.

She just wanted to curl up in a corner. Where no one would see her, where no sound could reach, where no air would touch her.

" What's your name?" Her cellmate asked. Her voice, rough and cold.

She opened her mouth to speak but her cracked voice was barely audible. " Ariella."

She said nothing to that.

Ariel wanted no feedback. She appreciated it when the inmate just turned away.

She dragged her feet to her bed, then sank onto it with a slumped shoulder, like the world had ended, but she was still forced to keep breathing.

Every heartbeat ached with pain, every breath burned with the weight of abandonment. Her name was stained. Her truth is buried.

She lay down on the bed, faced the wall, and curled up into herself.

Her chest tightened so painfully it was hard to breathe. Heat surged up get throat until her nose began to sting, that sharp, burning ache that came before the tears.

They broke out of her eyes freely, hot, and endless.

Her lips trembled, her breath hitched in small, uneven gasps

Each sob scraped her throat raw, leaving behind a hollow sound that filled the cold cell. Her nose ran, her face flushed, and her hands shook as she pressed them over her mouth to muffle the broken cries. It wasn't just sorrow - it was the kind of pain that made her body ache all over, as if her heart was trying to tear its way out.

" Swallow it this instant if you don't want to die."

Ariel froze.

She'd heard her inmate ordered sternly.

Die? Was she going to kill her? For crying?

The inmate added. " I'll tell you the same thing I told the girl before you. Keep your head down and your mouth shut. The ones who cry at night, are the first to disappear."

Cold chills run down Ariel's spine. ' What does she mean by disappear?'

She asked in her mind with her heart pounding against her rib.

" What do you mean?" She asked weakly, hesitantly, not sure if she was allowed to ask questions.

But once again. She got no answer. Even though she wants one this time.

Fear crawled up her skin. Her head was spinning for clarification.

Her chest thudding with fear as she remained still on the bed, with the words echoing over and over again in her head, till she fell asleep.

***

When the night was lifeless. Dark and silence. Heavy and cold. It crawled up to her.

Her body sensed it before her mind could.

That feeling.

The unmistakable weight of being watched.

It crawled along her skin like a phantom touch, raising every hair, sending a cold shiver down her spine.

Her chest tightened, her pulse quickened. The darkness around her wasn't empty.

She could feel him. His presence. His gaze.

Watching her.

Ariel remembered what her inmate said. Have they come to take her away? Because she cried last night?

Fear clung to her like a second skin. Her eyes flung open, but nothing moved. No shadow out of place. Yet her heart thudded violently against her rib.

Then...a faint creak.

One step.

He was closer.

The sound froze her veins. She could feel him before she saw him.

His presence. Heavy. Dark. Commanding.

Like the shadow of the night.

Then she felt him tower over her. Like a predator planning to seize his prey.

She trembled on the bed, looking at him, but his face was blurred, like a man carved from the shadows.

Then she caught his scent. Rich and magnetic, the kind of cologne that screams of money, sins, and power.

It filled her lungs, wrapping around her like a silk, dangerous and alarming.

Then the shadow did the unexpected. He didn't strangle her, or drag her out of the bed. Rather, he pulled the blanket over her, slowly, like he was memorizing the seconds.

Her breath hitched. Fear sliced through her-sharp, cold, real. But beneath it, deep where logic couldn't reach, something softer stirred. His scent, his presence, the quiet control in the way he moved. It didn't just frighten her, it soothed her.

How could something so dangerous feel like comfort?

She opened her mouth to ask who he was, but no sound came.

As suddenly as he came, he slipped away, back into darkness, back into the shadow, as if he had never been there.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Ariel sprang out of bed, panting and sweating. The loud, sudden sound of the guard banging against the cells was waking them all up.

Then the noises started. The curses. The grunts.

But none of that matters.

All that filled her thoughts was him.

' Was that a dream? Hallucination? Or imagination from her pain and loneliness of how much comfort she craves...'

Her thoughts halted instantly.

She inhaled deeply, and her body shivered.

He was here. It wasn't a dream or a hallucination.

The shadow was indeed here.

His scent still

lingers in the air. That rich, dark scent.

When her gaze fell on her body and saw the blanket, she knew instantly.

That something was coming for her. Someone was hunting her.

Ariel knew that morning that silence was a luxury in prison.

There was never a quiet, peaceful moment. The clanging of gates, the constant echo of footsteps, endless chatter, curses, and screams all blended into a harsh hum that crawled under her skin.

She walked down the hallway with her body still stiffened from the dream. Her arms clung tightly to her sides, her head bowed as she tried to reach the bathroom unnoticed.

The women inside were wild in their own ways, hard, loud, and unapologetically cruel to anyone new. Some stared at her with blank faces, others with mocking smirks. A few whispered things she couldn't quite hear, but their eyes said enough.

She flinched when a metal cup banged against the bars in angry rhythm, then someone demanding attention and asking for food.

The guards barked over the house, their voices sharp and cold.

" Could he be a guard?" She pondered, and a cold shiver ran down her spine.

But it can't be.

Can a guard smell that way?

Do guards even wear black suits?

' There's no way that's real,'' she convinced herself.

No way a man can sneak into the prison, to what? Stalk her? Watch her?

Her knees weakened; she could barely breathe, as if fear itself gripped her spine.

Though it felt so real, the more Ariel thought of it, the more it didn't make any sense, unless her stalker is a guard, which she needs to find out right away...

" Ah." Ariel yelped, startled by the sudden jump of a woman in front of her.

She looked at her fearfully to see her grinning and showing off her tits.

Ariel stood frozen. She couldn't believe another woman would shamelessly stand in front of her, bouncing her tits for her to see.

Her jaw dropped when another woman rushed over to grab them and began sucking.

' What's going on?' she cried in her mind and quietly sneaked out of her presence.

Finally, she found the bathroom.

But the moment she stepped in, she turned away instantly. Her chest was pounding painfully against her rib.

There were a lot of women right there. Naked. Some dancing while they bathe. Some kissing and sucking each other.

The bathroom was filled with nothing but noise and moans.

' Am I? Am I supposed to bathe with all of them here? Like this?' She stuttered in mind, her shoulders tensed from discomfort.

' No, I can't.' She immediately attempted to get out when a woman's harsh voice stopped her.

" Hey, pet!"

Ariel froze. ' Is she.. calling me?'

She asked herself, but then, she's not a pet, nor is her name. But she did feel like she'd trespassed.

The noise faltered. The moans stopped.

" The new pussy toy has come to the bath."

Laughter followed, sharp and cruel.

Ariel swallowed, she turned to see everyone's gaze on her and quickly lowered her head.

" She thinks she's too good to sweat like the rest of us." The same woman, who seemed like the boss added.

She later found out her name was Rita.

" I.. didn't mean to disturb anyone. I'll just.." Ariel took a step back, but a hand suddenly shoved her from behind, causing her knees to hit the hard floor with a smack that sent pain shooting up her legs.

She groaned and winced in pain while they erupted in laughter.

" No, no. You came to join us, didn't you? What's the matter? Scared?" Rita asked with a mocking smirk, crouching to her level.

" I'm sorry." Tears welled up in her eyes. " I-I didn't mean to interrupt," she murmured.

"Interrupt?" another woman snickered. "Sweetheart, you belong here, don't you? You think you're better than us?"

Rita grabbed her chin, water sliding down her body as she forced her to look up. " What's wrong? Never seen naked women before?"

Laughter rippled through the room as she added. " Miss innocent can't even look at a body."

Ariel shook her head, her voice trembling. " Please, I just want to leave..."

The slap came so fast it cracked through the bathroom. The sound echoed against, Ariel's head whipped to the side, her cheek burning.

" You don't get to act shy here." Rita hissed. " You don't get to pretend you're different. You're one of us. A criminal. A dirty, lying whore who thinks tears make her pure."

Ariel trembled, her throat burned and her chest ached.

" Look at her cry," Another woman mocked, laughing. " Why don't we treat her like whore she is?"

They cheered in support, laughing and giggling.

" Sure." Rita supported. " You'll become my new pet, my pussy sucker." She grabbed her blonde hair and yanked her head to her pussy side.

Ariel held her hand, struggling and pleading.

" Take your hands off her!" A voice barked.

Everyone paused and looked towards the direction the order came from, including Ariel, who felt a sting of relief that someone had come to her rescue.

Rita pushed her head, letting go of her hair as she turned to the red-haired girl. " Move aside, Rust Girl. You're staining the floor with that hair of yours."

Her minions burst into another round of laughter.

" Hand her over," the red-haired girl demanded.

Rita looked at the women behind her as if to confirm she had just heard that right.

She turned back to her." Who are you talking to? Huh? Hedgehog?"

She didn't speak. Her eyes went to Ariel who was being held by the shoulder by one of Rita's minions.

Rita added mockingly. " So now you want to act like a hero, huh? You that's always curling up to yourself, now you've grown pussy, huh?"

" Like I said, hand her over."

" Whoa! Hedgehog thinks she's through now, come on, show us those quills."

Ariel watched in fear for Hedgehog as a fight broke out. Dashing at each other with weapons gotten from broken buckets.

Her body trembled as she saw blood on her arm. " Please stop." She cried to the redhead girl, afraid she'd only get hurt because of her. " You don't have to do this."

Hedgehog smirked. " I'm not doing it for you. My boss will murder me and dumb my corpse where no one would ever find me if they touch a hair on you."

She shouted before attacking Rita.

Ariel furrowed her brow. " Her boss? Is that another cellmate?"

She didn't get any answer until the fight was over and Hedgehog was able to drag her out of the bathroom.

" Stick with me if you want to survive here," Hedgehog told her, wrapping her arm with a piece of cloth to stop her bleeding.

" Thank you so much, I really appreciate it, Miss...?" Ariel appreciated, walking fast to keep up with her pace.

"Just call me Hedgehog and like I said before, I didn't do it for you."

She nodded. " Can you take me to your boss, let me thank her?"

Hedgehog paused and looked at her. Her eyes scanned her body like she doubted she'd survive with such a frail body. " She?"

" Hm?"

She started walking again. " My boss is not a she."

" Huh? He's a man, a guard?"

" Seeing how clueless you are, I guess he doesn't want you to know."

" Who are you talking about?"

" I'm sure you must have met him before." Hedge paused again and turned to her.

Ariel's innocent expression told her enough. She furrowed her brow in disbelief before clearing her throat and beginning.

"Forget everything I said about my boss. The real monsters are locked in here with us - laughing, eating, breathing, waiting for the next weak thing to break.

Soon, Ariel... tears will be the least of your worries."

Cold shivers crawled down her spine.

And that was when Ariel knew, that every breath she took was owned.

Three (3) years later..

Surviving everything was something Ariel had to learn harshly through the years. The prison, monsters, the cruelty, except for one thing.

Him.

The shadow.

The only danger she couldn't hide from. Nor know how to survive.

Like her anchor, like the only thing that made her pulse quicken, instead of her chest tightening.

Ariel had made herself believe that he wasn't real, that it was all her imagination, probably as her coping mechanism. But she couldn't deny the realness of his presence.

Or the scent of him that lingers every morning.

Apart from the first day she ever saw him, he never got close to her again.

But he was always there.

By the cell gate.

Standing.

Watching.

With his face blurred. With his hand tucked in his pocket.

Same position. Same black dress.

She couldn't ever reach him. She couldn't ever speak to him.

But tonight was different. He stepped closer, close enough she could feel him standing by the bedside.

His aura was terrifying, his presence felt more real, more rigid than it ever had in the past few years.

Every breath she took felt stolen, like she was inhaling him-smoke, cologne, and heat.

Fear coursed through her, cold and electric...yet beneath it, something else coiled in her stomach. Something dark. Something that I wanted to know what it would feel like...if he touched her.

She opened her mouth to speak, but like always, no sound came.

Then she felt him crouched beside her and the air shifted instantly.

A tremor ran through her as she felt his breath brush the side of her cheek.

He was breathing. He was real. He wasn't a coping mechanism imaginative man. He wasn't just a shadow. He was a real man.

Her breath grew heavy, her pulse racing. She wanted to pull away, to run, but her body wouldn't respond.

Her eyes widened, darting. Her mouth opened to scream but all effort was futile.

She felt him lean closer, brushing the side of her neck with his breath. Slowly. Deliberately.

Like he purposely wanted her to feel him, feel his heat, his dominance, his power over her.

Ariel clenched her fist when her breath shuddered in response. Her throat bobbed with an unsteady swallow.

She didn't have to see his face to feel his eyes burning into her, tracing her like a secret only he was meant to know.

Her breath trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes when his finger trailed across her chin to her jaw, like he was memorizing her skin.

" See you soon. Ariel Hort."

Ariel froze up. Her eyes widened in shock and horror.

He spoke.

For the first time in years, he spoke.

His voice, rich and deep, rolled her name out of his tongue smoothly.

Then, just like always, the presence slipped away.

When she finally gasped awake, it was morning already. Her sheets were damp with sweat, her skin still tingling where the air had touched her.

But the scent of him lingered. Rich. Intoxicating. Impossible.

That's when she realized, it was never a dream. She was being haunted.

Fear coursed through her veins, but that wasn't the only thing she realized. It wasn't only her sheet that was damp.

Her fingers trembled as they slowly went to her pink folds.

Her breath hitched.

She was soaked. Dripping. And worse. Aching.

Her lashes fluttered.

She should be scared, she should be running off to report to the guards about her stalker, but the way her body had betrayed her left her more stunned, more speechless, and scared.

But who would even believe her? Who would believe a man was sneaking into the prison and stalking her?

It doesn't make any logical sense. Unless he's a guard?

She jumped off the bed, waited impatiently for the guard to come and open the gate before storming off to find Hedgehog.

" Hey, princess," Hedge called, smiling as she saw her run up to her. She never stopped calling her princess.

Across the years, she'd become the only friend Ariel has, more like best friends who rely on each other.

" Hedgehog," Ariel called urgently, causing Hedge's face to twist with worry.

" Everything okay?"

" No." She shook her head and grabbed her arm, dragging her to sit with her on a bench.

" Whoa. Someone seems so impatient."

" I think I'm being stalked." She dropped with no delay.

Hedge paused, looked at her for a second before feeling her temperature. " You sure, you're okay? Someone is stalking you? in here? Is any cellmate bothering you?"

" No, not a cellmate. A man. A real man."

Hedge chuckled. " A fake man cannot stalk."

" I'm serious."

" There's no guard here that'll stalk you, Ariel. They won't dare. Though we might have some prying and ogling since the majority are fucking the women here, but I'm very certain, none of them would touch you."

Ariel furrowed her brow. She understood Hedgehog is a strong lady, but the way she says it, the certainty and assurance, even when the guards are not afraid of her, made her feel suspicious.

" Is it possible for someone else, someone outside to be gaining access into this prison?" Ariel asked.

She shook her head. " No, except the government? And everyone would know if they're around. Come on, what the fuck is going on?"

Ariel's shoulder slumped. " I don't think so." Her brow wrinkled. " He's not a guard, he smells far more expensive."

" Who?"

" The shadow haunting me."

" Okay now, you're only confusing me, tell me what the fuck is going on before time for breakfast, cause once they open that gate, I'm ditching your ass."

Ariel nodded and glanced around before leaning closer and keeping her voice low. " I thought it was just an imagination. I was very lonely and afraid when I arrived, so I thought it was my mind projecting. Though...I suspected it was real, but he was always watching only from a distance, he never got close enough for me to confirm."

" This is getting creepy, but I'm listening."

" Until last night."

" Last night?"

" Hm." She nodded. " He touched me last night."

" What?!" Hedge began checking her body for any bruises, her heart thudding fast.

" No, no, he didn't hurt me. He never hurts me. But it's like...he strives on making me scared, afraid of him."

Hedge sighed in relief. " Why didn't you scream then?"

" I tried; anytime he arrived, I wouldn't be able to move my body or speak."

" Is this sleep paralysis?"

" I don't know." Ariel shook her head in confusion. " But what scares me more...is..."

" Hm?"

" How my body, my mind...is reacting." She looked up at Hedge, as if wanting her immediate assistance. " I was soaked. My nipples were hard..."

" What?! Fuck,!" Hedge burst into laughter. " Is this some kind of wet dream or do you want a stalker to fuck you?!"

" No, no, no, I don't. I.." she paused. Unsure. " But the thought that he might...makes me scared...and...fascinated."

" Oh girl, you're fucked!" She said unsugarcoated.

Ariel's face dropped, saddened and confused. She rubbed her palm against her face as Hedge laughed at her.

" Don't worry, maybe it's this place that's messing you up. It's over already girl, hold on tight."

" What's over?" She asked, raising her head to look at her.

Hedge paused and looked behind her.

Ariel furrowed her brow, wondering what she was looking at, and turned to see a guard approaching them.

" I don't know what exactly you did, girl, or the charm you use, but you'd better thank him enough when you meet him."

" Who?"

" My boss." She smirked.

" You never told me who that is, you..."

" Ariel Hort?" The guard interrupted.

" Yes?" Ariel threw him a questioning gaze.

" You've been released."

" Excuse me?" She demanded, like the

guard had just uttered a very impossible statement.

Her heart started racing as she looked from Hedge back at the guard who gave her a cheeky smile.

" Today's your last day here, Miss Ariel."