The rumble hit like distant thunder, vibrating through the walls of the south wing. Dust shook loose from old ceiling vents, and half the prisoners lounging around looked up from their dice games and crude arm wrestling contests.
"...What the hell was that?"
Seul paused mid-step, her brow tightening.
From somewhere above—far north—a muffled crash echoed again, more distinct this time. A few of the inmates started to rise. Some whispered. Others, already on edge from the earlier warning about possible intruders, moved faster.
"Yo, did they say something was happening in the north sector earlier?" a bulky guy grunted, pushing off the wall and heading for the nearest stairwell. "Whats with all this noise so late."
"Nah, there was no announcement," another barked—but he was already standing, eyeing the path northward. And then—
A sharp whistle cut the air.
Across the corridor, a tall woman in a grey-marked jumpsuit stepped onto an overturned bench, her voice booming.
