Courtyard

They were standing outside the Male Ward, but not out of the Asylum, they were in a Courtyard. It was dark, very dark. No lights, just the thunder from the storm and the rain.

"We're… We're not out yet…?" asked Naegi, but it was more of a confirmation.

"It… seems so."

The brunette raised his camcorder and put on the night vision, he cursed as he saw that even with the night vision on, he couldn't see much of the garden. He told his partner that they should keep going, she nodded and grabbed his hand.

They went through the courtyard, ignoring the cold weather and rain as best they could, only to see a plaza with a fountain in the center. Kirigiri looked right and saw a light, she pointed at it so Naegi could guide them there. The light was coming from some sort of a shed, on the roof of it was a patient, looking aimlessly at the sky and humming a little song. The male detective tried to open the gridded door of the shed but it was locked.

"Damnit."

"Let's look around, there might be another shed around here." the lavender haired woman said.

But when they turned around, whispers were heard, on Naegi's screen was a ghostly appearance that approached them and flew up into the skies. Kirigiri saw nothing but did hear the scream of a patient.

"Oh God help us! It's here!"

She looked up and with a thunder light, she saw that the patient that was humming on the roof was now in a fetal position and trembling, and with another thunder, she saw her companion, frozen in place, a horrid look on his face. Not moving.

"Makoto?"

He didn't answer. But he turned to face her.

"Makoto. What did you see?" she asked slowly.

"The Walrider!" he answered.

And after that they looked around, together, and indeed they found another shed. Inside was some batteries that Naegi used immediately as he was almost out. And a key, there was nothing else useful that they could use to defend themselves. They walked out of the shed and more whispers. Kirigiri felt Naegi's grip on her hand tighten in one instant. She asked him if it was the Walrider again. He said yes and started to mumble something. As they walked back to the other shed with the locked door, the female detective knew that her fiancé was slowly losing his mind. She couldn't let that happen! She won't be able to live with herself if she let him go down the path of insanity.

They used the key to open the door and they walked in. The first room was illuminated but the rest was in the dark but with enough light to wander through the shed. There was even a hole on the ceiling, letting in rain drops to the inside. Then in front of them was another closed door. Naegi grabbed the handle and opened the door.

But as soon as he saw what was waiting behind, he closed immediately, backed away but tripped on something and fell to the ground. He immediately started to kick his feet to make as much distance as possible between him and the thing that appeared on his screen. His mind was screaming too loudly he couldn't hear the worried yells of his lover.

A ghost, a block ghost, the Walrider. It was floating towards Naegi as he opened the door. And when he closed it, the creature was crawling its way under the gap of the door. Reaching out for the young man.

"Wowowowowow! NO! NOOO!" screamed Naegi in fright, startling Kirigiri.

She couldn't see what Naegi could see but she did see him suddenly fly a few meters, as if he just got punched. She ran to him, and quickly made sure he was okay. His mouth was bleeding.

"Makoto! Are you alright?" she asked.

"Hehe… I… I saw it! Am I…? Am I becoming one of them?!" he exclaimed, tears running down his cheeks.

"Makoto!"

"I don't want to become one of them! I don't want to be crazy! I do-"

*SLAP*

The brunette was silenced by the gloved slap from his fiancée. He looked at her with wide surprised eyes. What did he just said? Oh God, this place was really getting to him! He opened his mouth to apologize but she grabbed his head with both hands and talked first.

"Makoto! Listen to me! Please! Listen to me!"

She was staring at him with angry eyes, not the first time Naegi saw her displaying such a strong emotion (along with worry) but it always surprise him.

"Don't let this place get to you! I can't lose you! We promise not long ago that we'll get through this together, remember?! We'll get out of here! Get married and take a long break off dangerous cases like this one. Alright?!"

He nodded weakly, feeling bad for making her worry like that. She pulled him into a hug, a lot of things have happened to him in less than two hours. He needed to rest, and not just a 2 minute rest. A longer one.

"Let's… Just rest for a bit… Okay?" he asked her.

She agreed and they stood like that for a while. They wish they could just stay still until the next day, but it was a bad idea. The Walrider just attacked him, who knows when it will come back. And there's still Chris Walker and the Variants. They stood up, they have rested for long enough.

"Makoto… Let me take care of the camera for a while." Kirigiri said.

He wanted to say that it was okay, but he couldn't lie. It was not okay. He gave her the camera and she grabbed his hand, being careful as alway to not injure him on the cut wounds, a little smile appeared on her face as she started to guide them in the dark.

They reached the end of the shed, the Walrider was nowhere to be seen, which it's a very good thing. There was an exit leading to another part of the courtyard, a very small one. They found a ladder going to the rooftops, a trail of blood leading up. Martin was still guiding them, it seems. They got up the ladder. On their way up:

"Kyoko… I'm sorry."

"Hm? About what?"

"I… Lost mysenses. It was really unprofessional and I wish you would never see me like that." he said.

"Makoto, it's normal to be scared and about to lose it. I'm also scared and on the verge to lose it. There's just so much happening and danger everywhere."

"I know… And that's why I'm apologizing. We must help each other but I just…"

"Not a word. Let's just go home." she concluded.

"Yes. Let's go home! I'll make you a good coffee when we're home."

"Now that's what I'm talking about" she smiled, and even if he couldn't see it, he knew she was smiling.

Once they reached the roof, they started to walk along the roofing, making some jumps to avoid the holes and reached the ledge of the building, after more jumps (Naegi almost fell once but Kirigiri was there to catch him). They had to shimmy along a wall to be able to walk through the thin ledge. And finally jump down on a large garbage bin.

They came out and Kirigiri looked around, only to see that the only door to get out of the garbage cornerwas locked, but they could climb up another garbage can in front of them to reach a hole on the upper floor's fence. After more climbing and jumping, they finally reached the upper floor. Presumably where guardians wandered to keep an eye on the patients when they were in the courtyard.

But there was no guardians, just blood. And the fact that there was a hole in the fence just shows that something big was there. And there was only one name in their mind:

"Chris Walker"

As they walked around the upper floor, they found multiples doors leading to inside the building but they were boarded. As they explored, they saw two delusional Variants, too busy doing their stuff to mind the couple. One was on the ground, whispering 'Have to get out.' while the other was glued against the fence, whispering 'I can see his ghost…'

They found a note near a wall where 'HOW ALIVE ARE YOU?' was written on blood on it. It was a note from Father Martin:

"I don't even know your names. But I've come to think of you as ones of my blood, I hope you don't mind. And I hope you don't indulge in the vanity of self-pity, the fear that you're suffering more than others'. We all must endure this, and you are nearly done. There's no way to heaven but by the cross. And every man needs another to help drive the nails in. I am here for you two. I am waiting up ahead."

Just what on Earth was he talking about?

More walking, more blood on the walls and floor, more guards bodies. A Variant in a straitjacket told them something they wish they hadn't heard as they walk pass him.

"How do you know you're not a patient?"

But they must ignore it, he's just getting to them. Kirigiri intertwined her fingers with Naegi's to reassure him, fearing he might crack again. But he squeezed her hand to tell her that it was fine. They found another hole on a fence, and of course, a trail of blood was pointing at it. It seems like a pretty big way down. Kirigiri looked down and saw that there was garbage bags right under the hole. No choice then. They jumped together and landed in another garden area with a little pond. The female detective could see at the other end of the area a stack of pallets leading to an open window. She guided Naegi once more through the garden until they suddenly hear chains noises.

Chris Walker was here.

"Watch out…" whispered Kirigiri as she started to look around for the threat.

The ahoge man did the same, looking around when the lightning illuminated the area in an irregular rhythm, but the giant Variant was nowhere to be seen. They reached the stack of pallets without any trouble, and it only made them worry even more. They climbed and had to shimmy again against the wall of the building since the once open window was now closed and impossible to open.

They reached another area of the courtyard. It was similar than the previous one, but instead of a small pond there was a monument. Kirigiri noticed an alley at the other side of the area. It was leading to their next destination it seems. As they walked down the alley, thunder struck and in the enlightened alley, a big form appeared at the other end.

"FUCK!" shouted Naegi in fear as Chris Walker charged at them.

They immediately turned back and ran back inside the garden. Thankfully the area was very big, so it was easy to evade the giant bastard who was rather slow. They quickly got back inside the alley and turned right, leading straight to a dead end! They could have turn back if only Chris wasn't tailing them. Fortunately, there was a hole on the wall. They quickly went through it and escaped the big guy.

Chris roared in anger for the umpteenth time.

The couple walked around the new area and discovered that they were in front of the Female Ward building. Of course, the main entrance was locked and blocked. They had to find another way in. There was another garden accessible near the entrance. Maybe there's a way in around there?

They approached the fountain that was in the center of the garden and immediately regretted it. They both covered their noses. The water was blood and instead the usual coins thrown in for a wish there were body's was so much blood they could smell and taste it. Like putting a penny in your mouth when being a kid.

"Look! Over there!" said Naegi as he pointed at an open window, right under another stack of pallets.

"Good job. Let's go."

They climbed and finally entered the Female Ward of the Asylum. And it seems that this place was way more dilapidated than they could have expected. The state of the hall they landed was in ruins. They looked around. And as they were examining a giant board of wood that was blocking their way, a flashlight at the other side of the 'wall' flashed at them. They looked at it source and found Father Martin, staring down at them from another floor, which has collapsed, explaining the wood blocking their way. He shouted at them.

"You saw the Walrider, didn't you? You're beginning to understand, but not yet. Even Abraham had to cast his eyes to the ground. But soon… Soon!" He was about to leave but thankfully for once, he listened to his 'apostles'.

"Wait! Martin! Please tell us the way out! No more detours!" shouted Naegi.

"... You must first see everything, my child. Once you'll know the truth! You'll be free to leave and spread the word…" answered the fake priest.

"...When will we see the truth, then?" interrogated Kirigiri.

"...This way, my children. Revelation is at hand!" concluded Martin before going into the darkness behind him.

Revelation… heh? They must find a way up to the corridor Martin just took.

The nightmares continues…

To be continued…

In the next chapter of Survival at Mount Massive Asylum…

"Wow! H-Hey there…"

"Why do we always have too look for missing stuff here?"

"STAY BACK!"

"'Pray for Revelation'...'Invite the Walrider'. Did Martin wrote all those 'instructions'?"

"Wait, Kyoko! Don't!"

"NO MOOOOOORE!"

1 shot part since the courtyard is very short!
Next the Female Ward! They are getting close!
Survive detective duo! You will find the light