Vengeful Desires

16-

In the center of the corridor, Amirah stood unnaturally still as the guards approached her. Her coveralls were torn and disheveled, hanging loosely from her slight frame.

Despite her unkempt appearance, her hair remained pulled back into a tight bun, a jarring contrast to the chaos of her attire. Only her eyes betrayed the seething fury within, glinting with a cold, ravening light.

Across from her, a dazed and bloodied Han Lee was being hauled to her feet by two other guards. The belligerent inmate cradled her jaw, eyes wide with a mesh of indignation and elemental fear as she stared at Amirah's eerily calm figure.

"That psycho attacked me out of nowhere!" Han slurred, her voice trembling slightly. "She's lost her damn mind!"

The guards approached Amirah cautiously, unnerved by her lack of reaction. Even as they gripped her arms, she remained utterly still, her gaze never leaving Han's battered face.

"4592, stand down immediately!" One guard, burlier than the rest, barked the order like a percussive cannon-shot.

Amirah's eyes flicked to him briefly, a humorless scoff ghosting across her lips. When she spoke, her voice was soft, almost gentle - belying the chilling words.

"Yah, Lee Han-ssi. Are you dumb?" She paused, before she turned to the guard. "I told her to leave me alone," Amirah murmured, each word precise and deliberate. "She stepped on my son's picture."

The guards tensed, unnerved by the eerie calm of her delivery. As they began to guide her away, Amirah turned her head to look at Han one last time.

Amirah paused, her voice low and steady. "You know, if I'm being completely honest..." She fixed Han with an unwavering gaze, her words dripping with icy venom. "You should consider yourself lucky that I didn't fucking stab you." She tilted her head slightly, a mirthless smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "You are pathetic."

"Hey!" The guard yelled, his grip on Amirah's arm tightening painfully. "Cut it out, inmate!"

Amirah's smile widened, but there was no warmth in the gesture. She shook her head slowly, her eyes never leaving Han's. "Oh, Han..." she drawled, her voice eerily calm. "You're absolutely right. I am a psycho."

She leaned forward, her face mere inches from Han's. "But let me make one thing very clear. If you ever lay a finger on my son's picture again..." She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. "They'll have to chain me to the wall to stop me from ripping you apart. Limb by limb."

Amirah's voice dropped to a chilling whisper. "You aren't the scariest thing I've seen in my lifetime."

Han's eyes widened in fear, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. "Keep that crazy bitch away from me!" she screamed, struggling against the guards holding her back.

Yun stepped forward, bending down to pick up the picture of Dami from the ground. She dusted it off gently before turning to face the guards.

"Hey, please," she said calmly, holding out the photograph. "This is all just a misunderstanding. Amirah didn't mean any harm."

The burly guard scoffed, his grip on Amirah's arm unwavering. "Misunderstanding? She nearly beat another inmate to death over a damn picture!"

Yun's jaw clenched, her eyes hardening as she met the guard's gaze unflinchingly. "And wouldn't you, if it was the last thing you had of your child?" she asked quietly.

The guard hesitated, his brow furrowing as he glanced between Yun and the photograph in her hand. For a moment, it seemed as though he might relent.

But then his features hardened once more, and he shook his head brusquely. "Rules are rules. 4592 is going to solitary until she can learn to control herself."