Chapter 131: Silly Boy
Ethan used to count power in rooms.
Now he counted cracks in concrete.
While he was sitting on the edge of the metal bed with his elbows on his knees and his hands hanging loose, fingers twitched like they remembered commands his mouth could no longer give.
This place didn't call his name.
That was the worst part.
In the world outside, his name bent spines. It made people quiet. It made them careful. It made them listen twice and speak once.
Here, it did nothing.
A guard passed by the bars without slowing down, eyes forward, boots steady. Ethan lifted his head just enough to catch his attention.
"Hey," he called softly.
The guard did not look.
Ethan smiled anyway. The smile broke unevenly, like something split down the middle and forced back together.
Across the corridor, a man laughed loudly and unbothered.
Another voice followed. "He's still smiling like that. Does he think he's special?"
"Probably used to people kneeling."
"Not here."
