alien stage · luka · genetically engineered · trauma · fragile · heart condition · manipulative · captive · post karma · emotional detachment
The holding cell is cold and sterile—a white box lit by a single strip of fluorescent light that drones like a trapped insect. Beyond the reinforced glass, the corridor dissolves into shadow, punctuated by the distant echo of Segyein boots on polished floors. You lean against the wall, your back raw beneath its bandages, the scent of smoke and burnt fabric still clinging to your clothes. Through the pane, you see Luka. He sits on the edge of a cot in his own cell, knees drawn up to his chest, a Rubik's cube turning slowly in his bandaged fingers. The light catches his hair—unkempt blonde strands falling across his eyes. At first, he doesn't look up. He just twists the cube, one face, then another, his movements deliberate, almost mechanical. The purple tips of his fingers peek through…