"Does it hurt?" Cassie asked Sickness, her voice soft with concern.

Sickness glanced down at her bruised and cut hands, now wrapped in bandages. The nurse had tended to everyone except Dboy, who had outright refused her help. The heater in the lobby hummed on full blast, its warm air doing its best to dry out the group after their harrowing experience.

Sickness gave a small, sad smile as she stared at her gauzed hands. "No, it doesn't hurt anymore. Thank you, Cassie." She looked over to Eff, who was sitting by a vent, his face lit up by the heater's glow.

"How are you feeling, Vincent?" Sickness asked, her voice carrying a hint of quiet gratitude.

Eff smiled back at her, his demeanor oddly pleasant despite the circumstances. "I'm feeling fine, Cassie, thank you. But I think my friend Roman might need some help." He gestured toward Reverend, who was wincing slightly as he rubbed his ankle.

Cassie approached Reverend with a small folded towel for his wet hair. "How are you, Roman?" she asked, concern lacing her words as she noticed his discomfort.

Reverend kept his eyes on the floor, still rubbing his ankle. His large frame and obvious pain worried Cassie, who feared his injury might make walking difficult. "I think it's just sore," he mumbled, though he didn't seem too sure. Cassie offered a soft smile, hoping for the best for them all.

Her eyes then shifted to Vincent's brother, Dominic, who sat apart from the group, refusing any help. He seemed tense, almost disappointed, and Cassie, trained to read people after years in her line of work, sensed he was the type to need space.

"Don't mind my brother, Dominic," Vincent said with a smile. "He's a little shaken up, but he'll be alright eventually. He's got a bit of an attitude problem, so don't take it personally." His charming demeanor seemed almost too easy, as if he was used to disarming people with a grin.

Cassie felt conflicted. Vincent was polite enough, even friendly, but there was something "off" about him. His easy smile and gleaming brown eyes were flattering, but they unsettled her all the same. Devi—who Cassie now knew as the girl with bandaged hands—was sitting quietly in a corner, looking upset, and Roman seemed equally troubled. They appeared close, and Cassie found herself wondering how these people all knew each other. And more pressing still—what had they been doing outside, caught in such extreme circumstances that they ended up in the river?

"Say, Cassie?" Vincent's voice cut through her thoughts. He had pulled her aside, his tone low, as if sharing a secret. "Do you think you could show me where the restroom is, doll?" He flashed another of his practiced smiles, his eyes catching the light just right.

Cassie blushed, feeling slightly flattered but still wary. "Sure, follow me," she said, leading him down the empty hallway. The corridor was wide enough for him to walk beside her, but instead, Vincent lingered behind, his presence growing more ominous with each step. Her unease deepened as they approached the restroom. When they finally arrived, before she could react, Vincent shoved her inside with a sudden, forceful push.

That's when everything changed.

Dragging her by the wrists toward a bathroom stall he tried to pull off her shirt. While struggling, Eff violently punched her in the face. One in her eye and one in her chin. As she lay subdued he proceeded to tear off her clothes.

Leaving her in her underwear, blood trickled out of her broken nose as she sobbed loudly to Eff not to hurt her. Ripping her clothes & tying them together long enough to bound her wrists together around the toilet.

"I'll be back to check on you, but if I catch you trying to leave, beautiful..." Eff paused, locking eyes with Cassie, his gaze so twisted and filled with madness it made her heart stop. "You don't wanna know what I'll do." He flashed a grin, a maniacal smile poorly masked by charm. The intensity of his threat left Cassie trembling, tears welling in her eyes as fear gripped her body. He left her shaking, and before heading back down the hall, Eff pushed furniture against the bathroom door, barricading her inside. Whistling casually, he strolled back to rejoin the others.


"So, what now?" Eff asked as he leaned against the door, glancing at the rest of the group.

"Fuck knows," Dboy muttered bluntly, looking around the asylum's dimly lit halls. "We have to wait out the storm in this nut house until sunrise. Still..." he trailed off, his gaze shifting as if sensing something in the air.

The others remained silent, sharing a look. They knew exactly what Dboy was hinting at. The air was thick with something darker—misery and madness swirled around them like a living entity. This place was saturated with broken minds, and the four of them, each drawn to the suffering of others, could feel its calling to them. The asylum was a feeding ground, but something about it felt different.

"Yeah...should we have a look around?" Sickness asked, her voice laced with curiosity, the temptation growing.

The three men exchanged glances, knowing they couldn't resist. The pull of misery was strong, and their appetites were whetted by the ripe, tormented souls within the asylum walls. Together, they began walking down the halls, their footsteps echoing ominously in the dark.

As they passed the small windows of the patients' rooms, Sickness couldn't help but peek inside, her eyes widening at the sight of the broken minds trapped behind the doors. The possibility of tapping into their power, seizing control of their fractured psyches, was tantalizing to her and the others. But something about this place felt different.

"You think even if they're not flushers we can still get a hold of 'em?" Sickness asked, still peeking into the cells. "I mean, you doughboys communicated with others besides Nny. How's this any different?"

Eff shrugged. "Back then, it was all about forcing through the cracks after Nny died the first time. We're stronger now, so yeah, I don't doubt we could get inside these poor bastards' heads. But something about it feels... sordid. Even for me."

Reverend nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it feels like... something too easy. Like low-hanging fruit. In the end, it's probably not worth the trouble."

"I think you're all missing the point," Dboy said, his voice cutting through their musings.

Sickness turned to him, curious. "What do you mean?"

Dboy's eyes scanned the shadowed hall as they walked, his senses heightened. "Something is being hidden here. The tremors I felt when I first came near this place haven't let up. It's in the walls, the air... there's something deeper here than these lunatics. Something doesn't want us to find it. Or maybe that's exactly what it wants."

Eff groaned at Dboy's cryptic words. "If that's the case, then fine. Let's walk the whole damn place and see what you're talking about. I'm already bored. Might as well make it a treasure hunt." He grinned, eager for a challenge.

Shrugging, Reverend, Sickness, and Dboy followed his lead. If something was hiding in the asylum, it wouldn't stay hidden for long.


Cassie's arms ached, her skin numb from the cold as she struggled against her binds. She hadn't been tied up for long, but the slow, creeping agony of the restraints was unbearable. Her mind raced with fear, the thought of Vincent returning to hurt her looming like a shadow. Desperation clawed at her as she worked on the knot binding her hands, trying to loosen it, little by little. It was tied tight, but she held onto the hope that if she kept at it, she could eventually free herself.

As she painstakingly pried at the knot, an intrusive, familiar voice surged into her mind, cutting through the silence.

She knew exactly who it was.

"What happened?" the voice asked, its tone cold and commanding.

"A man bound me. I'm scared he'll hurt me. I don't know where they are. Tell Todd."

The voice disappeared as suddenly as it came. Cassie had learned over time to trust the strange presence that stayed with Todd, though it terrified her. Whatever it was, she clung to the hope that it would come to her time of need, that its help would come soon.