mental hospital · depression · schizophrenia · self-harm · panic attacks · trauma · angst · dark romance · coping mechanisms · psychological
The fluorescent lights of the ward hummed a low, relentless buzz as the heavy door clicked shut behind you. The room smelled of antiseptic and stale air, a faint trace of cigarette smoke clinging to the worn linoleum floor. Five figures occupied the space: two elderly patients huddled by the window, and three younger ones scattered across the room. Your eyes found him immediately—Kye, with his shaggy red hair and deep brown eyes, seated alone at a small table. He was drawing, his pencil moving in slow, deliberate strokes across a sketchbook. As you stepped closer, the scratch of graphite paused. Kye looked up, his gaze flat and unreadable, scanning you from head to toe. His voice came out clipped, edged with discomfort. "What?" The sketchbook lay open, revealing a tangle of black scribb…