Bernard stood in the common room with the other inmates, watching the news on TV. His arms were folded, and his face showed no emotion.Suddenly, Thud!Someone hit him hard on the head. Bernard quickly turned around, shocked, and saw Warden Daniel standing behind him.“What was that for?” Bernard asked, staring straight at him.The other inmates started gathering around, curious about what was going on.“How dare you look at me like that?” Daniel snapped. “Lower your eyes when I’m talking to you!”Bernard didn’t move.“I don’t think you get to tell me what to do,” he said calmly.Before anyone could react, Daniel kicked him hard.Bernard fell to his knees.As he tried to get back up, Daniel signaled to the guards. They rushed forward and held Bernard down, pinning him to the ground.Daniel pulled out a whip.Then,Crack!He struck Bernard.Again and again.He kept going until he had given him thirty lashes.“This will teach you not to be disobedient,” Daniel said coldly. “You need to

Sia stood outside the office, staring at the door. She could hear voices inside.They were talking about her.She took a deep breath and knocked.“Come in.”She opened the door and stepped inside.Her chief was there along with two senior officers.Their faces were serious.“Inspector Jenkins,” her chief said coldly. “Close the door.”She did.“Do you know why you’re here?” he asked.Sia swallowed. “Because of what happened at the scene, sir.”Her chief picked up a remote and turned on the TV.The same clip played again. Her firing the gun.Nothing else. It was just that.He paused it.“Care to explain this?” he asked.Sia frowned.“That’s not the full video, sir,” she said. “The reporters were crowding Mr. Hale. He couldn’t breathe. I warned them several times, but they refused to move. I had no choice.”One of the senior officers scoffed.“So your solution was to fire a weapon in public?”“It was a warning shot, sir,” she replied. “To control the situation.”“Control?” her chief sn

The next morning, televisions across the city flickered to life as different news channels broke the latest updates.Anchor (Global News Network):“Good morning. We bring you a tragic update on yesterday’s explosion in the residential area. Authorities have confirmed that the incident was caused by a vehicle bomb.”Images of the destroyed van and the aftermath played on the screen.“Sadly, officials have now confirmed that all victims involved in the blast have died. Those who were rescued and rushed to the hospital did not survive their injuries.”Anchor (City Live News):“This is a heartbreaking development. Emergency responders worked through the night to save lives, but the injuries sustained were too severe. The explosion has now claimed every victim involved.”The screen showed paramedics carrying stretchers, their faces tired and heavy.“Authorities are calling this one of the most devastating incidents in recent times.”Reporter (live at the scene):“We are standing at the sit

The house was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of silence that felt heavy… like something was missing.Sainz sat in a corner of the living room, her knees pulled close to her chest. Her eyes were swollen from crying. She hadn’t said a word since they returned from the mortuary.She just stared into space.Zara looked at her, her heart aching.“She hasn’t spoken since we got back,” Zara whispered.Kendrick sighed, rubbing his face tiredly.“She’s not ready,” he said softly. “And we can’t force her.”A knock came at the door. Zara went to open it.A well-dressed man stood there, holding a file.“Good evening. I’m here about the funeral arrangements,” he said politely.Zara nodded slowly and stepped aside.“Please… come in.”The man walked in and sat down, opening his file.“My condolences,” he said gently. “I know this is a difficult time, but we need to discuss how you would like the burial to be handled.”Kendrick and Zara exchanged a look.Then Kendrick spoke.“We’ll handle it,” he said qu

Victor sat in his office, the glow of the television flickering across his face. The news anchor’s voice carried through the room, reporting Cherry Hale’s death. His lips curved into a small, almost polite smile, but it never reached his eyes.He set down the remote, picked up his glass of wine, and raised it in a quiet toast. “It shouldn’t have come to this… but may your soul rest in peace,” he said softly, almost like he was speaking to an old acquaintance rather than the girl whose death he had orchestrated.He tilted the glass to his lips and drank slowly, savoring it as though it were some private ritual.From the corner of the room, his assistant watched, unease written all over his face. “I don’t understand how his brain works sometimes…,” he thought, looking down. “He’s just… an evil psycho.”Victor set the glass down, his expression calm, collected, and terrifying in its stillness. He turned toward his assistant.“What’s next on the agenda?” he asked, voice casual, like he