I arrived at the compound during sunset, sunshine covered the concrete building in dusky yellow. Took me a few hours driving on an unmarked road in the mountains and a couple wrong turns to get here, so remote that it looks like the building spawned in this luxuriant valley magically. Barbed wire and metal fences cut through tree lines, extended farther than I can see. The electric warning signs hanging on it showed its main purpose, preventing anyone from breaking in — or breaking out.

Two armed soldiers greeted me at the gate, and led me in after a thorough inspection. As we walked towards the main building I took a closer look at it. With so few windows it looks like a giant concrete brick, almost nothing on the wall other than some spotlights overlooking the surroundings. The soldiers guided me to avoid the minefields around it, making sure I can leave with two functional legs.

“So, professor. Who asked you to come to this hell of a place?” One of the soldiers asked after finishing the question list.
“ Well, I got an email informing me me that my request to visit had been approved.” I said in awe of this place. “So basically I’m the one who sent me.”
“Then you must be lucky. We don’t get many ‘visitors’ here.” He said sarcastically.
“People usually come here in a cage and leave in a body bag.”

We entered the facility from an empty loading bay, others were filled with army lorries. Stacks of barrels lying around, with only a handful of men moving them.
“It’s our supply day, it costs a fortune to bring those here yet the meal still tastes terrible.”
“ I got styrofoam in my rice once, and they didn’t give me a new one, just took that shit out and told me to eat it.” Another added, these soldiers won’t stop complaining.
“Last week they even gave me a molded bread. Man you better put that in your report.”
“…I’ll see what I can do.” I replied, trying to end the conversation.

“Welcome to the Asylum, professor.”
As we walked in the main hall, the smell of forest and dirt was replaced by cold man-made air conditioning, mixed with a faint of new paint. The entire room is well illuminated, different from the walls outside; these are painted in bright white. The lobby is decorated with typical plot plants and scenery paintings, with an information desk sitting in the middle. It looked exactly like an office or hospital without the armed personnel. People wearing lab coats and tailored suits walked pass as guards wearing tactical vests with assault rifles staring at us.
“Took them almost three months to repaint all the walls with a new fire resistant coating.”
He pointed at the walls as he explained. It seemed like they just wanted to talk, even without me responding.
“Of course, all except for the wards. Can’t take that risk.”
“They also just updated our emergency system a few days ago.”
“Why can’t they move some of that money to our food?”
“ Man, enough about food. I just wish I could have indoor duties again.”
One of the soldiers took off his helmet and started to wipe his sweat off with his sleeves, but he failed to clear a fuzzy yellow circle mark off his forehead.
“I know right? Gate position is the worst-“

“HEY You! What Are You Doing There!”
A man in military uniform yelled furiously, shocking all three of us. He ran towards me while the other two fled out the door, leaving me alone. He pulled out his pistol and asked me rapidly.
“Speak! Who are you and what are you doing?”
“Here…Here sir.” I rushly took the documents out to him before he shot me to death. He frowned as he inspected them carefully, reading every page in detail. Finally, he returned the files to me, loosening his tight war torn face.
“Apologies, professor. Just call me lieutenant.”
He spoke with much less tension as he put away his pistol.
“Do you know what you are doing ?”
He asked again with a concerned face, as I’m not taking this seriously.

“Yes. I’m here to see Shiori Novella.”

“Her room is at the end of the hallway.”
The lieutenant kindly accompanied me through the inspection, with even more armed guards watching me. Outside the crowded inspection room is a empty greyish themed corridor, some part of the walls is covered with dark stains.
“We have to triple the guards in this section, and barely have any spare man for other duties. Even more guards are starting to get incompetent doing their job these days.”
He complained tiredly yet still grabbed his rifle tightly in his hand. “Out of all the psychopaths we got here, you just have to see her.”
“I’m sorry lieutenant, it won’t take too long.” Standing in front of the door, I looked at him and tried to give a professional look.
“You better be.” He sighed lightly, entering the password. “I’m sick of this shit.”
The heavy door unlocked after a clear click.
“And remember.”
Before he opened the door, he whispered while looking straight into my eyes.
”Don’t believe her lies.”

The lieutenant escorted me in the room, avoiding eye contact before leaving. The thick entrance door closed behind me as I looked around. The room is decorated in a pinkish theme, shelves full with dolls. Warm light lightened the room and made it look nothing like a cell or ward. She sat on a comfy couch with an ivory tea table in front of her, as if she was waiting for a guest to arrive at her tea party. The only thing representing the asylum is a steel chair for me to sit on, the cold, metallic feel is the only thing reminding me where I really am.

“Shiori Novella here, at your service.” She said delightfully. “Are you here for my tea party, professor ?”
Her glowing yellow eyes stared at me, swinging her black and white hair while tilting her head. A warm smile on her face welcoming me. If it was not for her straight jacket, I would join without a doubt.
“ Good evening, Miss Novella. I’m just here to ask some questions.”I tried to sound friendly.

“Oh, okay.” She said sadly.
“All I want is some friends to come to my tea party.”

“ You had many friends before, didn't you?”

“ They weren’t my friends….” She looked away.

“How so?”

“They just wanted something from me, they always do.”

“So you killed them?” I asked calmly.

“What…no?”

I took out a news cutout and put it on the table, reading out : ”32 men were found dead when the police arrived, only you survived.”

She remained silent.

”Without any witnesses, leaving you the only suspect.”

“I didn’t…I didn’t….”She started sobbing, bowing her head down on her knees. “ I just wanted them to go away…”

“ They are dead, Shiori.” Her tears were like knives cutting my heart, but I managed to suppress my guilt. “ They are dead because of you.”

“No…no…”
She mumbled between her knees, shivering.
“ It’s not me…please…”

She stopped responding to me no matter what I asked, weeping was all I could hear.

“ I’m not saying that you shot them.” I broke the silence. “They died defending you.”

She stopped crying.

“ Although who or what killed them isn't identified yet, but they were clearly fighting an intruder.”

I constructed my sentence carefully, observing her reaction.

“ You were already in the building long before someone broke in. The question should be why you lived.”

Another unnerving silence almost made me question my own theory, and ran through my papers trying to find where I went wrong.
Then a sudden giggle scared me out of my own thoughts. Shiori lifted her head still chuckling, not a single tear to be seen.

“You are so smart, professor. I’m glad that you did your research.”

She leaned back on the cushion, staring at the ceiling.
“It’s all because of that girl.”
She sighed softly, gazing at me.
“They did their best to stop her, sadly I have to find new knights to replace them now. But, that’s a story for another time.”
She said as if she merely lost her dolls, a trip to the store to get them. Her childish tone was gone, replaced with a steady voice. She gave me a satisfied look, like I was the student who passed her test.

“So, tell me professor, what do you want to know, as a reward?”

It was hard to get any useful information from Shiori, I lost count of time with tons of tangents without any real progress on my studies. All my efforts were in vain as we always trailed off to different topics. However, she seemed happy that there’s finally someone to talk to, not just other voices in her head. I finished my last sip of tea before I interrupted her rant.

“Enough about cannibalism, what interests me more is your former titles.” She grinned as I spoke, waiting for me to elaborate further.
“Certified doctor, Mycology authority, Professional pianist, Core cult member, Best selling author…” I raised my eyebrows. “…and Princess?”
“Is fulfilling my childhood dream a crime to you, professor?” She argued with an innocent tone, pouting her lips.
“Well is causing a cruel revolution and thousands of casualties also your childhood dream?”
I questioned her yet she seemed untouched. Without any response, I continued reading the documents:
“ All royal members went missing as this tax haven crumbled into ashes, years of civil war followed along with billions of dollars worth of treasury…”
“Are you here to accuse me of all that?” Shiori cut my reading off with a funny tone. She relaxed on the coach as if I were merely reading a comedic fiction, or an unrelated piece of news to her.

“You won’t believe me if I denied, and get nothing new if I admitted.”
Shiori added while leaning forward, staring at me with her breathtaking amber eyes. She was humming a medley I’m not familiar with, while her gaze made me feel like my soul was scanned thoroughly. At last, she spoke as she laid back on the couch.

“If you truly want to understand me, those reports and files in your hands will only take you so far.”

Suddenly a faint bang from outside and it felt like the whole building shook a bit. I heard footsteps getting louder outside, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

“You thought this was the end of my story.”

She giggled, nudged all of my documents to the floor with her boots.

“My dear professor, that was merely the end of the beginning.”

Emergency bell started ringing and someone was banging heavily on the door. I was paralyzed in my chair while Shiori gradually stood up and walked to the entrance.

“ I hope you enjoyed your time with me, professor, but I have to end things here.”

Several gunshots could be heard through the door, mixed with desperate screaming. The alarms were getting louder, almost deafening. Countless thoughts crossed my mind as I tried to figure out the situation, my mouth opened yet unable to squeeze out any response.

All of a sudden, everything stopped.

Complete silence filled the room, no more sound but my own breath, not even the alarms. Shiori stood next to the door, looking down on me amused.

“The story will continue.”

She tilted her head and gave me a warm smile, exactly the one she gave when I entered.

“ Are you ready for the next Chapter ?”