nownovels Chapter 32: Celestial Penitentiary
Chapter 32: Celestial Penitentiary
Chapter 32: Celestial PenitentiaryThe AeroVan hummed as it ascended, the city of Astraeus unfolding beneath them like a glittering treasure land. Xavier pressed his face against the reinforced glass, his breath fogging the surface as he took in the view.
The city sprawled beneath him, a labyrinth of neon and steel, its towering spires piercing the clouds. Hovercars darted between buildings like fireflies, their ion trails painting temporary constellations in the sky. The Celestial Haven floated in the distance, its massive form casting a shadow over the city like a silent guardian.
The AeroVan banked sharply, its engines roaring as it approached the Celestial Penitentiary. The prison loomed ahead, a jagged asteroid of reinforced steel and glowing force fields. Its surface was pockmarked with docking bays, each one pulsing with energy as ships came and went.
The AeroVan descended, its engines whining as it maneuvered into a docking bay. The doors hissed open, and Xavier was hauled out, his boots clanging against the metal grating.
The guards marched him through a series of airlocks, each one sealing shut behind him with a hiss. He was stripped of his belongings, his clothes replaced with a standard-issue prison jumpsuit. A scanner hummed as it mapped his biometrics, its red laser tracing the contours of his face.
A guard barked orders, his voice echoing in the sterile processing chamber. "Hands on the wall. Legs spread."
Xavier complied, his fingers pressing against the cold metal as the guard patted him down. A neural inhibitor was clamped around his wrist, its blue light pulsing softly.
"Welcome to the Celestial Penitentiary," the guard sneered. "You’re gonna love it here."
"Oh, I am sure," Xavier replied with a smug look on his face.
The doors to the main cell block groaned open, revealing a cavernous space filled with the hum of alien chatter. The air was thick with the scent of ozone and something faintly metallic, the walls lined with glowing force fields that pulsed with energy.
The inmates were a riot of colors and shapes—hulking Draconians with scales that shimmered like oil slicks, lithe Zolakians with iridescent skin, hunched Klie with their chitinous exoskeletons. Humans mingled among them, their faces a mix of fear and defiance.
The cell block was a maze of catwalks and platforms, the walls covered in graffiti that glowed faintly in the dim light. The hum of conversation was a symphony of alien tongues, the occasional burst of laughter cutting through the din.
Xavier was shoved into a cell, the force field flickering to life behind him with a crackle of energy. The Draconian in the neighboring cell eyed him, his slit-pupiled gaze assessing.
"Fresh meat," the Draconian rumbled, his voice like gravel. "You won’t last a week."
Xavier didn’t answer. Not because he didn’t know what to say in response, but he simply didn’t hear what the Draconian said.
The hours dragged on like a broken clock, each second ticking by with agonizing slowness. Xavier sat on the thin cot in his cell, his fingers tracing the neural inhibitor on his wrist. He had already re
The hours dragged on, the prison falling into a restless silence. Xavier sat on his cot, his stomach growling. He had hoped for something—anything—to eat at night. But as the hours ticked by, he realized the grim truth: the prison only fed its inmates once a day. That’s why everyone had been shoveling down that revolting slop at lunch—because eating shit was better than dying starving.
The force fields of several cells deactivated with a hiss, and prisoners began to file out, their chains rattling as they moved. Xavier hesitated, then followed, assuming this was some kind of nightly routine.
But as he stepped into the common ground, he realized his mistake.
The space was a chaotic mess—prisoners from different cell blocks mingling, their voices a low, dangerous hum. Some were trading contraband, others were gambling, and a few were just brawling, their fists flying as guards looked on, indifferent.
Xavier’s fingers twitched. His research hadn’t mentioned this.
Prison brutality was about to begin.