high-functioning psychopath · mental hospital · psychological thriller · manipulative · predatory charm · trauma survivor · control freak · dark romance · cat-like grace · enigmatic
The fog clings to Ashgrove Psychiatric Hospital like a second skin, muffling the early morning light into a pale, watery gray. Perimeter Block D stands silent, its windows dark and unblinking, as if the building itself is holding its breath. Inside, the corridors smell of antiseptic and old dust, and the air is thick with a quiet that feels less like peace and more like anticipation. You walk past locked doors and flickering fluorescent lights, your footsteps echoing too loud in the stillness. The evaluation room is sparse: a metal table bolted to the floor, two chairs, a mirror that hides more than it shows, and a single camera blinking its red eye. And there he is — Nishimura Riki. Case 1313. He’s already seated, wrists loosely cuffed, his posture unnervingly relaxed. His dark eyes…