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Chapter One: Welcome to the Madhouse

The iron gates of Blackthorn Asylum loomed tall against the overcast sky, their rusted bars groaning as they swung open. Dr. Kim Sunoo swallowed hard, clutching his briefcase tighter as he stepped onto the worn stone path leading to the entrance. His heart pounded against his ribs—first-day jitters mixed with an eerie sense of unease.

The building itself was a relic of another time, its gothic architecture weathered yet imposing. Vines crept along the stone walls, curling around barred windows that cast long, distorted shadows against the courtyard. Sunoo exhaled sharply, forcing his nerves to settle. This was just another hospital. Just another job.

A stern-looking nurse met him at the doors, her uniform crisp and her gaze unwavering. "Dr. Kim, I presume?"

"Yes," Sunoo answered, offering a polite smile.

She nodded once, efficiently turning on her heel. "Follow me. Dr. Choi is expecting you for orientation."

The halls were dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of antiseptic and something else—something metallic, almost like blood. The faint echoes of distant laughter and murmured voices made the fine hairs on Sunoo’s arms stand up.

Dr. Choi, a seasoned psychiatrist with graying hair and deep-set wrinkles, greeted him with a firm handshake. "Welcome to Blackthorn, Dr. Kim. I won’t waste your time with pleasantries—you’ll find this job is unlike any other. Our patients are not ordinary. Some are violent, others deeply disturbed, and then there’s..." He trailed off, glancing at Sunoo as if debating whether to continue.

Sunoo raised an eyebrow. "Then there’s…?"

Dr. Choi sighed. "Then there’s Nishimura Riki."

Sunoo frowned, flipping through the patient files he had received earlier. He hadn’t had time to read them in detail, but the name stood out. "Patient 082? Diagnosed with extreme psychopathy, violent tendencies, delusions of grandeur?"

Dr. Choi gave him a grave nod. "That’s the one. You’ll be overseeing his case."

Sunoo blinked. "On my first day?"

"You’ll learn quickly here, Dr. Kim."

The solitary ward was isolated from the rest of the asylum, its heavy doors reinforced with steel. The moment Sunoo stepped inside, a chill crawled up his spine. The silence here was heavier, more oppressive.

The guards led him to a single cell at the end of the corridor, where a small plaque read: Nishimura Riki. Sunoo inhaled sharply, straightened his coat, and nodded for them to unlock the door.

The sound of metal scraping against metal rang through the air, and the door swung open. Sunoo stepped inside.

And there he was.

A boy—no, a young man—sat on the edge of a thin mattress, his hands resting on his lap, his head tilted slightly as he regarded Sunoo with an amused expression. Tousled dark hair framed his sharp, almost feline features, and his eyes, dark and unreadable, held an unsettling glint of mischief. He looked… too normal. Too pretty to be dangerous.

But Sunoo knew better.

"Well, well," the boy drawled, a slow grin spreading across his lips. "They finally sent me a new doctor. And a pretty one, at that."

Sunoo stiffened, but he kept his expression neutral. "Patient 082, I’m Dr. Kim Sunoo. I’ll be overseeing your case from now on."

The boy—Nishimura Riki—leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Sunoo," he mused, as if testing the name on his tongue. "I like it." His grin widened. "But I think I’ll call you something better… How about pretty doctor?"

Sunoo ignored the way his ears burned at the nickname. "You can call me Dr. Kim."

Riki chuckled, low and lazy. "Mm, but that’s so boring." His gaze raked over Sunoo slowly, as if dissecting him piece by piece. "You look nervous, pretty doctor. First day?"

Sunoo hesitated for half a second—just long enough for Riki to catch it.

The boy smirked. "Knew it. You smell like fresh meat."

Sunoo’s fingers twitched at his side. "I read your file, Patient 082."

"Riki," the boy corrected smoothly. "Come on, if I’m gonna call you pretty doctor, you should at least call me by my name."

Sunoo exhaled. "Fine. Riki. I read your file. You’ve been here for three years, transferred from three different facilities due to… behavioral issues."

"Mm, behavioral issues. Such a fancy way to say I don’t play well with others," Riki hummed, stretching his arms above his head. His sleeves slipped down, revealing faint scars along his wrists. "But you’re different, aren’t you, pretty doctor? You’re not scared of me."

Sunoo met his gaze head-on. "No, I’m not."

Riki’s grin was slow and predatory. "Good. That’ll make this more fun."

Sunoo didn’t like the way he said that.

He straightened his clipboard. "Let’s start with something simple. How are you feeling today?"

Riki’s smile didn’t waver. "Oh, so concerned about me already?" He sighed dramatically, placing a hand over his chest. "My heart is fluttering, pretty doctor."

Sunoo fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Answer the question."

Riki cocked his head. "I feel..." He dragged the word out, pretending to think. "Bored. Lonely. But now that you’re here, I think today might be interesting." His eyes gleamed. "Are you interested in me, pretty doctor?"

Sunoo’s grip on his clipboard tightened. "This session is over."

Riki laughed, the sound low and full of amusement. "Aw, running away already? You’ll be back, pretty doctor. I always get what I want."

Sunoo turned sharply on his heel, exiting the cell without another word. The door clanked shut behind him, but even with the thick steel between them, he could still feel Riki’s eyes on him.

A shiver ran down Sunoo’s spine.

Welcome to Blackthorn Asylum.

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Im actually proud of this wow, im shocked. I love this AU so much brah....