Sapphire.

Chapter Thirteen

SAPPHIRE'S POV

As I lay in my cell, the void enveloped me, suffocating me with its oppressive embrace. I kept tossing and turning as I struggled to find comfort amidst the eerie silence of the detention center. The flickering light bulb above me cast erratic and ominous shadows on the cold, gray walls, rendering the cell a menacing dungeon and only served to fuel my unease. I couldn't help but feel that my life was in shambles, and I was probably destined to spend the next two decades behind bars like a helpless captive. In this enclosure, I was nothing but a bird with clipped wings, a creature that was trapped in a cage. I would be surrounded by individuals who were likely guilty of their crimes, and who had lost their freedom and independence just like me. While I would receive daily meals and a bed to sleep in, these were only basic necessities that wouldn't bring me joy or happiness. The one thing that was missing was my liberty, and I was to be confined to a maximum-security prison. Freedom was a distant memory, i was going to trapped in the four walls of this place with no hope of escape. A question plagued me and all I kept asking myself was, "why me?" It gnawed at me, a constant reminder of my plight. My thoughts wandered to Kai and Astrid, the thought of them seared through my mind but the pain was too much to bear.

As the officer arrived to pick me up from my cell, I stood up and straightened my clothes. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach, knowing what was coming next. The officer didn't say a word, just motioned for me to follow him out of the cell and down the hallway.

The ride to the courthouse was silent, the only noise coming from the radio in the car. I sat in the back seat, staring out the window, lost in my own thoughts. The officer seemed to be avoiding eye contact with me, as if he couldn't bear to look at me.

When we arrived at the courthouse, I was escorted to a holding cell to wait for my hearing. I sat down on the cold metal bench and took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. The thought of facing a judge and potentially being sent to prison was overwhelming.

After what felt like hours, I was finally called into the courtroom. I walked to the stand, feeling every eye in the room on me. I took a deep breath and prepared to defend myself, to prove my innocence once and for all.

I tasted the acrid flavor of treachery seeping down my throat and piercing my heart, but I swallowed it down, bracing myself for the judge's verdict. The judge strode into the courtroom, and all heads turned to her. "Please stand," she ordered me, and I rose, my legs weak with anticipation. "After careful consideration, the court has found you responsible for the murder of Miss Zaara Malik. You are hereby sentenced to twenty years in a maximum-security penitentiary." My scream echoed through the courtroom as the police officers came to haul me away.

"I didn't do it!" I yelled, trying to break free from the grasp of the police officers. "Please, let me go! I'm innocent!" I kicked and struggled, but it was no use. Tears streamed down my face as I realized that no one was listening to me. "Please, I beg of you," I cried out, my voice becoming hoarse. "I didn't do it. Don't take me away!" But my pleas fell on deaf ears as the officers forcibly pulled me out of the room. "Stop! Please!" I begged, but they paid no attention. As I lay on the ground, defeated and broken, I held out my trembling hands and whispered, "Please, don't do this." They were my last words, my last hope. But it was too late. The officers handcuffed me and led me away to a place I never thought I'd see: prison.