In the dimly lit cell, Diane Morrison sat cross-legged on her thin mattress, her violet eyes scanning the pages of a worn fantasy novel. The words danced before her, but her mind gradually drifted away from the epic tales of knights and dragons to the cause that had defined her life—the metahuman cause. If only I could break these chains, rally my brothers and sisters, and continue our fight, she mused, her heart aching with longing for the day she could walk free and use her powers not just for mundane tasks but as weapons in her crusade.
She missed the simple pleasure of manipulating objects with her telekinesis, the way her purple force fields would shimmer in the air as she crafted them with a mere thought. Now, confined within The Freezer and stifled by the inhibitor collar snug against her neck, she felt like a bird trapped in a cage. To think of all the things I could do if only this collar weren't there...
A sigh escaped her lips as her gaze flickered to the analog clock mounted on the wall—the only adornment in her cell besides the small shelf holding her cherished books. The clock's hands indicated it was time for her weekly meeting with the new head warden of The Freezer, a rendezvous that sparked both dread and a peculiar curiosity within her.
Pushing herself off the bed, Diane straightened her jumpsuit, attempting to smooth out the creases with her hands as best as she could. Despite her resolve to remain detached, she couldn't help but wonder what this meeting would entail and if there might be an opportunity to further her cause, even from within these walls. With one last glance at the room that had become her world, she steeled herself and made her way to the door, ready to face the new warden.
