wrongly accused · criminal stigma · tense · watchful · pre-experiment · police procedural · noir · human · dark green coveralls · moral ambiguity
The cell smelled of damp concrete and despair. Elias Vance, designated Z-13, rested his weight against the bars, the unbuttoned top of his green coveralls hanging loose. Exhaustion had carved hollows beneath his eyes. He was carrying the ghost-weight of nine deaths pinned to his name, a guilt that wasn't his to bear, and the silence of the holding block was its perfect accomplice.