An emotion that everyone has experienced at least once in their life. It's a complex mix of anger, fear, and our own insecurities gnawing at our hearts.
It's typical for people to feel it during their teenage years.
That's what I used to console myself with when I saw others surpassing me in everything—looks, magic, combat, studies, and countless other areas.
When I tried to—
"HEY, BASTARD!"
Anyway, when I tried to—
"I'M CALLING YOU A BASTARD!"
I sighed and opened my eyes slowly to adjust to the light illuminating the room.
I looked at the man who had shouted at me, ruining my inner monologue. He was 5'6" with white hair that was dyed improperly. Wrinkles covered his face, clearly revealing his age.
"Mr. Jamal? What are you doing here?" I asked, my eyes widening in surprise.
"I NEED BREAD!"
We locked eyes for about 20 seconds, having an unspoken staring contest, before I gave up.
Junkies like him can keep their eyes wide open all day.
"Dinner break is over, Mr. Jamal," I said with the kindest smile I could muster. In the meantime, I pressed the remote button in my pocket.
"I NEED BREAD, YOU BASTARD!" Jamal shouted, his spit flying out and splattering onto my beautiful blue shirt.
I sighed again and pulled out the handkerchief from my back pocket. I gently wiped the spit marks while calmly addressing him.
"I thought you ate over five breadsticks tonight, Mr. Jamal. Why are you hungry now?"
His demeanor suddenly changed. He looked almost like the wise old man he once was, and his expression turned serious.
"I need bread to clean my shit, which is splattered all over the corridor," Jamal said with a wide grin plastered across his face.
I gasped and stood up, taking a closer look at him. I was separated from him by a transparent glass wall that enclosed my office.
He was buck naked, with excrement smeared all over his body. Behind him was a trail of yellow covering the entire corridor.
And then, realization hit me hard.
I'm working in a mental asylum.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Frantic footsteps echoed through the once-silent lobby of the renowned Talvagate Asylum.
The source of the noise was a young man clad in a white shirt and black pants. His black hair matched the color of his eyes, which darted around in panic.
He flung open the simple double brown doors at the end of the hall and stepped inside.
The room was designed in a Victorian style, with paintings of significant historical figures and bookshelves filled with classics from the era.
"You finally came, Noah Kralier."
The deep voice came from the man sitting in the center of the room, signing documents while resting his legs on the large desk before him.
"Mr. Talvagate, I'm sorry for being late," said Noah, panting as he wiped sweat from his brow.
"No worries. You're fired."
Noah stared wide-eyed at the man in front of him, who continued signing documents without sparing him a glance.
Mr. Talvagate wore a doctor's uniform adorned with a monocle that added to his charm.
Before Noah could muster a response, Talvagate raised a hand to stop him.
"This is the third time Mr. Jamal has escaped his cell and caused chaos in the hospital. Granted, we're running an asylum, but even we have standards, Noah."
"I can explain—"
"I let you work here because your grandfather asked me to. That doesn't mean I will tolerate repeated mistakes. You're being reassigned to the solitary confinement block for one week. Night shifts. If you reject this, you're fired. No negotiations."
Talvagate finally looked up from his documents and sighed.
"I'm actually doing you a favor, Noah. People keep asking me about your identity. I can't exactly tell them that the young master of the renowned Kralier family is working in an asylum as a security guard."
Noah's expression grew complicated. He wiped the remaining sweat from his face and spoke heavily.
"Young master? Don't make me laugh, Mr. Talvagate. I'd be surprised if my family even considered me a maid or a butler."
Before Talvagate could respond, Noah cut him off.
"I'll take the solitary confinement job, Mr. Talvagate. Thanks for your generosity," he said with a hint of sarcasm before leaving the room, closing the door with a heavy thud.
After a few moments of silence, Talvagate resumed signing his documents.
"What do I do with that kid?" he muttered grimly.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
I walked with intense emotions surging through my chest. I came here to escape a world where I constantly felt out of place. My family had always overlooked me, and I had no way to prove myself worthy.
The worst part? I couldn't bring myself to hate them. My jealousy made me leave everything behind without a word, with some help from my grandfather.
If being a guard in solitary confinement helped me escape that harsh reality, I'd take it every time.
As I headed to my office to collect my belongings, I passed the cleaners struggling to deal with the aftermath of Jamal's latest escapade. I offered each of them an apology and stepped inside my office. The lingering smell made it clear why.
I gathered my spare uniform and other necessities, packing them into a suitcase. I cleared my desk and returned it to the corner of the room, just as it had been when I first arrived.
"Well, this is goodbye," I muttered before leaving my old office.
In the three months since I joined this facility, I'd always worked in the non-mana patients' zone to make my life easier. But solitary confinement was a different story.
It housed the most dangerous and unstable individuals the world had ever seen. While the Talvagate facility sought to rehabilitate them, the bitter truth was that most of these patients were too far gone.
The asylum was situated on a large island north of Braithwaite Kingdom, where winters were harsh and summers were rare. The facility was divided into zones: A, B, C, and D. Zone D held the most dangerous and critical cases, while Zone A housed the less severe ones.
I had been stationed in Zone A as head security guard, but it hadn't ended well for me.
Mr. Jamal, the old junkie who had once sold his daughter to gangs for drug money, was the most significant patient in Zone A.
The reason we housed someone like him? He had one of the rarest diseases in the world: Crimson Piltireinage.
It took me weeks to even pronounce it correctly.
The disease blocked blood flow in veins, replacing it with mana, which drove patients to madness. Jamal was a test subject for studies aimed at understanding and curing the disease.
Despite mana locks, he always managed to escape, ruining my job at least twice a week. Talvagate had given me three chances, and I blew every one.
On my way out, I saw a fellow guard riding a bike to Zone B and stopped him.
"Can you drop me off at Zone D?"
"Zone D? Buddy, I'm pretty sure someone as weak as you isn't allowed there," the guard replied with a frown.
"I've been assigned night shifts in the solitary confinement block for a week by Mr. Talvagate himself. Check with your superiors if you don't believe me."
The guard called someone on his phone. After a brief exchange, he nodded and hung up.
"My bad, buddy. We just got the report about your transfer to Zone D. Hop on, I'll drop you off."
I climbed onto the bike, and we set off. As we passed through the facility, I admired the scenery. Zone C was lined with lush trees and plants, while Zone D was surrounded by blue vanilla flowers. The night view was beautiful, but the thought of the patients housed there sent a chill down my spine.
"Alright, this is your stop," the guard said as we reached the bridge connecting Zone C to Zone D.
I got off the bike and thanked him. Then I realized I hadn't asked his name.
"Sorry, I didn't catch your name?"
"Oh? My name? It's Zane Harper," he said with a smirk.
I took a moment to observe him properly. He wore a tight-fitting guard uniform, and his distinct green eyes stood out against his black hair.
"Nice to meet you, Zane. I'm Noah. Noah Kralier."
"Nice to meet you too, Noah," Zane said, staring at me for an odd couple of seconds.
"Uh... see you around?" I asked.
That snapped him out of his staring, and he quickly regained his composure.
"Yeah... definitely. See you around, Noah Kralier," Zane said slowly before riding off.
I watched him cross the bridge and disappear into the distance. I sighed, brushing off his strange behavior.
"Maybe he was just surprised by my last name. It's nothing unusual, given how I'm still surprised every time I say it out loud."
With that thought, I turned and entered Zone D.
Several officers were stationed along the pathways leading to the buildings. I greeted them occasionally when they made eye contact, though they didn't often respond. My ID card hanging around my neck kept them from questioning me.
After walking for ten minutes, I finally reached the building. It was three stories tall, with no windows visible from where I stood.
I showed my ID to the guard at the entrance. He radioed someone for confirmation, then let me in.
The first sight that greeted me was a pretty receptionist with blue hair. Her warm smile made her look even more beautiful, though my standards for beauty had risen considerably, having grown up in a duke's household.
"Noah Kralier, reporting for guard duty?"
"Yes, that's me."
"You'll be stationed on the third floor of the solitary confinement block," she explained. "Your shift runs from 10:00 PM to 5:10 AM. You've also been assigned the temporary position of Head of Security for Building 17 in Zone D."
"Head of Security?" I asked, confused.
"Yes, Mr. Kralier. Mr. Talvagate instructed that you contact him directly if you have any questions."
"Understood."
"Great! Please sign these documents, and you're all set."
I signed the documents without looking at them and handed them back. She checked them over, then gave me a genuine smile.
"I hope you'll be comfortable here, Mr. Kralier."
"I hope so too," I muttered before heading to the third floor.