He thought he’s slick enough to follow me around and he is. But here’s one thing he didn’t realize. I know the pathways of this hospital so well that I could walk through them blindfolded.

  He must be wondering how I vanished into thin air. The thought makes me crack up and almost reveal my hiding place.

  Right now, I’m hiding inside an old storeroom — dust thick in the air, stacks of forgotten boxes collapsing into each other, the smell of rust and damp seeping through the walls. There’s a narrow gap behind the aquifer. If you’re small enough, you can slide right through without a sound.

  This store looks abandoned though, they might have had forgotten about it. I guess I’ll stay here for a while until the coast is clear and then I’ll go where they keep all the records. Why? You ask? You see, I really need to find out about my professor who worked here. The one I sedated…

  Everything about my past is connected to this hospital.

  Buried secrets. Hidden Crimes. All of it.

  Finding a sturdy box, I dust it off sitting on it for a while. For some reason, this room feels strangely eery, as if some entity is watching me, observing my every move. Like something is standing just beyond the moonlight slanting through the window.

  Like something is holding its breath with me.

  I’m thankful for the moonlight filtering through the window but I have the urge to switch on the lights, that is, if there are any.

  I look around in the dim moonlight, trying to make out the figure of a light switch somewhere

  Found it.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  Walking over to it, I flip the switch and hope they haven’t cut off the power supply of this room.

  At first, nothing.

  But then, a small bulb, fixed in the middle of the ceiling turns on. It’s slight enough to illuminate the room. Looks like this place isn’t fully dead, is it?

  As I wait for the coast to clear, curiosity peeks at me and I can’t help but start looking through the boxes. Of course, I don’t expect to find anything interesting, just a way to deal with boredom.

  Papers, papers, files, used patient’s clothes, smelly sheets and what not. Fuck, this room has more trash than a damn dustbin.

  Gods, I need to take a shower as soon as I get out of here.

  As I’m shuffling through the boxes, my gaze lands on something kept behind it. A chips packet. I turn it over in my hands, looking

  at the packaging date and what I see makes my eyes widen with fear or confusion, I don’t know. 16/5/25

  So someone has been in here recently, wait no, someone has been fucking living in here and there’s a high chance they’re watching me right now. The sheets, the clothes it all makes sense now. My pulse spikes.

  I reach into my pocket, fingers curling around my pen — a pathetic weapon, but better than nothing. Swiftly turning around, my eyes scan the room before letting out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

  Still considering the fact that someone’s been here recently, I don’t think it’s a good idea to stay. Riven must’ve had gone back to his room by now which means it’s safe for me to come out. Turning off the light, I squeeze out from behind the aquifer.

  Just before the bulb dies, I catch a flicker of movement.

  A glimpse of a black cloak behind the boxes…

  And then the room goes dark.