Prologue
The walls seemed to breathe, pulsing with a sickly hum that mirrored the uneven rhythm of my heartbeat. Time had lost its meaning in this place; what felt like years had only been four months. The reality was distorted and fractured beyond recognition. The flickering lights cast shadows that twisted into faces I knew too well, mocking me. They whispered my name, crawling under my skin like parasites.
Every night, I heard the sound—metal scraping against stone—just outside my padded door. No one else heard it, and the nurses dismissed it as nothing. But I knew better. I always knew. Abandonment and betrayal—those words summed up my entire existence. Everyone I ever loved left me to rot here, trapped in this hell, labeled as something beyond saving. To them, I wasn’t just mad. I was fear itself.
Then, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway. A visitor? After months of isolation, I couldn’t help but turn towards the bars, heart racing with a flicker of hope. And there she was—Aria. My eyes lit up. "Long time no see, huh Aria?" I said, gripping the bars.
But something was off. Her silence was unsettling, her eyes unable to meet mine, her body trembling. She wasn’t here for a friendly visit. "You didn’t come just to visit, did you?" I asked, stepping back. Aria leaned against the wall, her voice shaking as she told me about the disappearances. People I once knew, people we both knew, vanishing one by one. Just like before. She was terrified, seeing things, hearing things—haunted, just like me.
She wanted my help. Why? How could I help, trapped in this white room, powerless? She thought someone was continuing Brad’s work, though it couldn’t be him—he was locked away for good. Whoever it was, they were driving her—and everyone else—into madness.
"I don’t want to die, Ellie. That’s why I’m here. But this person knows everything, and they won’t stop until we’re all gone," she pleaded.
"What am I supposed to do, Aria? I warned you all, but no one listened. Now, the killer’s out there, finishing the job, and I can’t even help myself."
She slammed her hand against the bars, tears falling to the floor as she begged me to help. She’d do anything to get me out, to end this nightmare. But there was no getting out. Not for me. I’d rather rot in here than face what waited outside. I didn’t care anymore. Aria had abandoned me, left me here—just like Kevin.
“Ellie! Please, we can’t go through this again! I want to li—”
Before I could respond, a sickening sound echoed through the room. Blood splattered against the walls, seeping through the bars. I froze, too far back to be hit but close enough to watch in horror. A figure stepped out of the shadows, yanking a knife from Aria’s back.
My body went cold. Aria—my best friend—was dead, her lifeless body crumpled on the floor. I stumbled forward, my eyes locked on the figure standing over her. “What’s wrong, Ellie? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” the person said with a smile.
I wanted to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. My mouth felt sealed shut, and the scene before me made my head spin. Why? Why would they do this? They picked up the bloodstained knife, wiping it clean with their bare hands.
“You want a motive? How adorable. I wish I had one for you, Ells. If I had one it would have been —you belong to me.”
“You’re sick. Just like he was,” I managed to say.
“The word you’re looking for is psychotic,” they said, their smile widening as they stepped closer to my cell door.
My heart pounded as they pulled a set of keys from their pocket and unlocked the door. I knew this was how I would die—I just didn’t expect it to be by their hand.
