The Million-Dollar Heart

In Rivenwood, in the depths of an off-the-grid prison unlike any other, the inmates were not your garden-variety criminals. Not even the hardened murderers found solace within these walls.

At present, this prison housed a mere trio of prisoners.

Flynn, Scott, and Fiona Ellington.

Fiona, though her body was a patchwork of decay, possessed sensory faculties that rivaled a healthy man in his prime. However, this heightened perception meant she also endured agonies far beyond the ker of ordinary humans.

Flynn, too, lived each day in excruciating pain, a modern-day Prometheus, his vitals ravaged daily, only to regenerate each dawn anew. This was Vivienne's brand of retribution.

Scott, in contrast, seemed almost content. Free from the physical torment, his punishment was a Sisyphean task of endless paperwork. He accepted his fate with a disarming calmness, even pointing out errors for correction by his wardens from the Vanguard Agency.

Many said Scott was the quietest of the three.

Vivienne and Karen arrived to find Soren and Anna waiting at the gate.

"Ms. Vivienne, Ms. Karen," Anna greeted as she adorned their wrists with security bands.

Back then, Vivienne was Percival's wife, and Percival was the deputy. Thus, she had never needed such measures before, but times had changed.

Soren collected all their communication devices, casting curious glances at Karen. She gave him a playful warning, "Hotshot, any more staring, and you'll be crossing a line."

"My apologies, Captain," Soren blurted a tad too quickly.

His curiosity stemmed from wondering why Percival respected Karen so much to call her master.

"Don't call me Captain; I have no plans of returning to the Vanguard Agency," Karen said with a smirk before stepping through the threshold.

Agency's rigid structure and protocol. Freedom was what Karen thrived on, and the Agency was anything but. "Mom, this way," Vivienne gestured toward a cell

eyes were drawn to the left, to a cell secured with a

Flynn's cell, the former head boss of

merely nodded, but something about that cell made

Karen's unease and offered, "Mom,

reality. "No, let's

making the most of his confinement by exercising in a meticulously clean hundred-square-foot

to be enjoying

and had not been Belle's stand-in, he and Karen might have been good friends, like she was with Micah. They shared an unspoken understanding that came from

tensing up. Without turning, he knew it was her. But he could not bring himself to look, fearing

feelings toward Karen were,

probably did not care about that at all, and neither would

Scott could be considered Karen's old flame, it was only polite to give them

took a seat. "Old friend, long

with disbelief. Approaching the bars that separated them, his hands shook as currents zapped from the metal.

was her.

up, reaching out as if to touch her face like old times, but the electric barrier was a cruel reminder of

characteristic smile. "Looks like

the current vanishing from his nerves. "Karen, have you

cracked, betraying

been fine,

sadly, words failing him. Thousands of

sat in silence for a moment before Karen spoke