After a bumpy ride, the vehicle stopped beside a tall perimeter wall. Seeing the heavily guarded compound, Talan Raider knew he had come to the right place.
What he did not know was that this prison, known as "Kartenord," was infamous among the locals. Rumor had it that anyone sent inside would either die or lose a layer of skin.
For example, the young man with hyena tattoos who had been arrested alongside him had gone weak in the knees when he got out of the vehicle, barely stopping himself from wetting his pants.
Escorted by several guards, Talan passed through the imposing gates, underwent layer after layer of security checks, completed all the procedures for entering a cell, and was eventually assigned to a tiny windowless room barely large enough for a single bed.
After waiting in the cell for around ten minutes, a grim-faced Velander soon came and took him to an interrogation room nearby.
The moment he entered, a beam of harsh light struck his face, followed by a stern voice from ahead.
"Confess honestly! What are you here for?!"
Thinking the interrogation was surprisingly convincing, Talan blurted out.
"Tourism."
His calm demeanor left the two interrogators unsure how to handle him, and their aggressive momentum faltered.
The slightly older guard coughed and played the good cop in an unhurried tone.
"I advise you to confess honestly. Your accomplices have already talked. Denying it is meaningless. All you will do is lengthen your sentence."
Talan sneered inwardly.
They had coordinated their stories on the forum long ago. He could barely keep from laughing at that kind of bullshit.
Apparently sensing his disdain, the two Velander guards conducting the interrogation both darkened.
"I'm warning you, take this seriously!"
Talan snapped back without any courtesy.
"I'm warning you too.