Chapter 1

"No! You cannot leave me inside this hellhole!" shouted the young man as he pounded his fists agains the steel door.

"That's what every first-timer says, prissy," said the guard as he locked up yet another insane human inside his new home.

"Do you have any idea who I am? My friends will pay this damn place to get me out!"

"Sorry mate, but as of today you're on your own." The buff man in his crisp uniform shut the peephole close and stuffed the keys deep into his pocket.

More screaming and banging could be heard from the madman before he finally collapsed on the hard bed and cried himself to sleep. There was no longer a world-famous musician named Roderich Edelstein. Only patient no. 2610.

The brunette's sleep was disturbed when a loud clanging of metal rang throughout his cell. His vision was still blurry and bright fluorescent lights were blinding him. He did manage to catch a glimpse of someone else in the room.

When his sight finally cleared, his assumption was right. There was a girl, in a light blue uniform resembling that of a nurse, wiping away some spillage on the floor. An overturned tin pan lies nearby, which was the source of the small noise earlier. The orange flower on her hair stood out against her long, light brown hair and forest green eyes.

He closed his eyes again, hoping to fall asleep again, when a sharp pain on his hand snapped him back to reality.

"Oh my god, you're actually awake," said the girl, who had to cup her hand over her mouth to keep herself from squealing. "Gosh, what the heck did you do to get this?"

She was holding a ball of cotton that had the strong scent of antiseptic. She pressed this against his hand and he hissed between clenched teeth. He noticed that parts of his own flesh on his knuckles had been grazed off and pus and a little blood were pouring out. He remembered how he was screaming his lungs out while pounding his fists against the door last night.

After cleaning up his wounds, she wrapped up some bandages around them. "You really shouldn't try to hurt yourself, sir. You're not gonna get out of this place that way."

Get out? What hope is left of him to see the sun rise again? He'd rather die sooner.

"Well, I think that should do the trick." She turns her head around to check the time on the wall clock. "Looks like it's time for breakfast. Since this is your first day, we'll go easy on you, but try not to get on anyone's bad side ok?" She helped him get up from the bed and he nearly fell down on her, but she managed to catch hold of him on time.

"I know you're tired and upset about all this, but cheer up okay? I'm a nice person." She flashed a smile at him.

"By the way, the name's Elizabeta, but you can call me Liz. And your name is…?"

He only stared at her blankly with dull-colored eyes.

She took a peek at her file. "Roderich. I think that's a lovely name." She then put his glasses onto him.

The sounds of moaning echoed throughout the hall as caretakers ran about. Roderich walked slowly, almost limping, with one arm around his companion. Thank god he had a strong woman for a partner.

By the time they arrived at the cafeteria, all eyes turned on them. He now wished he could have his meal delivered to his room and eat there in peace.

"Ignore them. They're like that with newcomers." She led him to a table with not much people sharing it, picking the spot next to the wall. "Stay here and be a good boy. I'll go fetch your meal."

While she left him alone, he silently observed his inmates. Some people were silently eating their food while others were being fed by their caretakers, for they were strapped in straitjackets. Some had guards with them, probably to keep them from misbehaving. A few were indulging on their food without manners, as if they were hungry wild animals. The sound of a plate breaking and patients banging their fists on the table ranting out loud that their food was taking long or it tasted horrible would be heard from time to time. It felt more like he was in a prison than an asylum. Almost everyone looked like criminals.

There was one man who stood out from the rest. At the farthest corner from where he was, there was a man sitting alone on a table, his head leaning on both of his hands clasped together. He had silver-white hair and his skin was as pale as falling snow. His eyes were closed and he was whispering. There was a plate of good food right in front of him and he could have simply chowed down on it anytime now. What was he doing thanking God for the blessing when he had cursed the man to suffer?

Unfortunately, his was disturbed when another man smacked his hand against the back of his head. He started to mock him and even spat on his face, and started to curse the Almighty for abandoning humanity. Two guards had to drag him out before any more trouble would occur. Meanwhile, the man simply wiped his face clean and ate.

His observance of the stranger broke off when Liz was back with his breakfast. "Sorry for taking long, Roddy. Oh, I hope you don't mind me calling you that. Roddy, I mean."

"It's fine," he said to her.

"Oh hey, you're finally talking. Keep it up!" She flashed another smile at him as she placed a mug of Viennese coffee and a plate of soft boiled eggs and bread coated in jam.

As he ate his meal, he continued to look at the man at corner. Liz noticed this and looked back at where he was looking. "That's Gilbert Beilschmidt, if you're curious to know. If I were you, I'd stay away from him. He's the worst of all the insane people." She said all of this with a disgusted frown on her face.

To Roderich, he looked like the saddest person in the world.