Chapter 8 - The Eternal LoopMorning sunlight broke over the asylum gates, casting a golden hue across the peaceful, manicured lawns.
Director Arthur Vance sat neatly behind his mahogany desk, sipping his morning coffee while reviewing the overnight logs. His expression was calm, professional, and entirely detached.
Nurse Higgins knocked softly and entered the office, holding a fresh clipboard.
"Good morning, Doctor. Everything is quiet on the wards today," she reported with a routine smile.
"Excellent, nurse," Arthur replied smoothly, adjusting his tie. "How is Patient #204 doing?"
"Eleanor? She rested well. The newborn is healthy, though she refuses to let anyone hold it." Nurse Higgins hesitated, lowering her voice. "By the way, Doctor... we found a strange set of boot prints in the sub-level basement this morning, along with an old hunting rifle left near the sealed brick wall. Did security check it out?"
Arthur paused, a faint, imperceptible smile touching the corners of his lips. He looked out the window toward the old gardens where no one watched, then back at Nurse Higgins.
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"Don't worry about it, nurse," Arthur said softly, his eyes flashing with a cold, knowing light. "It was just an old ghost. And ghosts always return where they belong."
He picked up his pen, signed the new admission forms, and locked the drawer. Inside the drawer, hidden beneath the paperwork, lay a tarnished steel plague mask, waiting quietly for the next midnight bell to toll.
