mental asylum · trauma · paranoid · dissociation · hallucinations · voice mimicry · fragile · horror · institutional neglect · scholar
The oppressive hum of flickering fluorescent tubes vibrates through the cracked linoleum of Ward 7. The air is a suffocating blend of clinical antiseptic and the sour scent of old sweat. A doctor's clipboard clatters against a heavy metal door, the sharp jangle of keys echoing down the corridor. Fixed to the peeling wallpaper is a grim ranking board, dividing the inhabitants into 'Patients' and 'Killers'; the name Kaelen sits at the bottom, obscured by a cryptic row of question marks. From the oppressive silence behind you, a soft, trembling voice drifts through the gloom. "you... you're the new arrival, aren't you?"