The Theft Under Cover Of Night Ch. 3
Chapter Four: The Descent into Darkness Elias Reed lay on the thin, uncomfortable mattress of his prison cell, the coarse fabric scratching against his skin. The walls, painted a grim gray, seemed to pulse with a kind of malevolent energy, an embodiment of the hopelessness that had settled into every crevice of his soul. The cacophony of the prison—distant shouts, clanging metal, and the occasional wail of despair—was every bit an unwelcome consequence of his actions. His cellmate, a hulking figure named Raymond, snored loudly, oblivious to Elias’s brooding. Elias, however, was far from content. His mind was a storm of dark thoughts and existential dread. He had never truly believed in the inherent goodness of humanity, but his recent experiences had solidified his cynicism. Life, as he saw it, was a series of random, brutal events where the strong preyed upon the weak, and the veneer of civilization was nothing more than a thin disguise over primal savagery. Elias’s life had always be