❝ the truth is, warden, ❞ ethan's gated walls came undone, let it be due to some mutual professional trust or because that somehow, someway, yue came across as dependable. our detective's spent voice carried a touch of weariness, ❝ this case in particular… it’s more than just another file on my desk. it's becoming almost personal at this point. there’s a thread here that ties neatly into this killer whose eluded me for months. this prisoner, this guy might hold the puzzle piece, or he might be just another dead end. ❞ cautious is his gaze that seeks to steal a gander from the warden, gauging for any reaction that surprisingly enough does not manifest, though he keeps his own expression carefully neutral. the detective knew the importance of keeping his cards close to his chest, after all, everyone has always an agenda hidden & especially in a place like a penitentiary.

footsteps once heard as a solid resonant cadence transfixed into a refined, lightening melodious tone of marble. ethan ceased accompanying yue any further, pausing just outside the cavernous maw leading inside the black garden building. ❝ i chose this hour because i need clarity. no distractions, no interruptions. just me, the prisoner, & the lead. i’m not here to waste my time, or your time. i need answers, & i need them now before someone else is killed. ❞ there’s a hard edge to his tone, hinting at the plausible exhaustion of options.

his pause brought an opportunity for the sound of the rain to fill in the vacant small gap between them. the whole experience hinged on the warden's capabilities, & in good honesty, in ethan's eyes he had proven already to be an impeccable host. the detective's gaze dared not vacate the warden's countenance for even a second's worth ❝ so yes, your assumption is correct. this case is dire, & i would appreciate to just talk to the prisoner as soon as possible. ❞

𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐃𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒, turning ever so slightly to glance back over own shoulder. ethan chase is just how the files paint him out to be, ambitious, honest & gallant, a man who chooses free labour over personal well-being which, in fact, isn't always good but very respectable nonetheless in the eyes of someone such as himself; an idealist, a workaholic; the warden understands his frustration better than anybody. it'd be downright hypocritical to dismiss his request. still, be as it may, even the most valiant of men have to play by the book here in black garden ── no exceptions. they both have their work cut out for them, & the warden will make sure to follow all necessary protocols even if their agendas happen to unfortunately clash.

❝ i see... ❞

facing the open entrance once again, yue folds the umbrella & hands it over to a stationed officer nearby, muttering in a low, detached tone, almost mechanic, ❝ let us head straight for my office then, detective. we can discuss all the essential details about the prisoner before making our way over to the interrogation room. ❞ taking a step forward, yue passes through the threshold between darkness & light, adding, ❝ & while we are inside, i expect for your phone to be promptly turned off & any weapons or sharp items left here at the front desk. this includes any pencils & pens as well. ❞ gesturing towards the reception ahead, ethan is welcomed by a rather breath-taking sight.

the reception room is monumentally spacious, with polished black tiles, black marble walls, & a single beam of orange light pouring down from above onto what appears to be a tall rectangle made out of black glass; each side impeccably smooth, sleek & reflectionless, like windows to a void. as they approach it slowly, each step echoing throughout the vast space, there's not even a single other person or piece of furniture to be seen, almost as if they have walked right into a dystopian art gallery instead of a prison. something about all this feels strange. something inexplicable, unnerving, something like dread. whether ethan realizes it or not, this reception is but a minimalistic spec within the grand structure that is the black garden penitentiary.

❝ over here, mr. chase. ❞ the warden pauses directly before the tall black rectangle & no moment later, a slate suddenly opens, his gloved idly hand motioning at it. ❝ just slide your belongings inside, if you may. ❞

for a brief, heart skipping moment, ethan stood frozen in time. his gaze had fixated & his mind wandered off, lost in those silver tinted eyes; our detective was no more than a soaked mannequin. the surgical mask that obscured the warden’s face only seemed to amplify the allure of those piercing orbs ── like shards of ice glinting in the winter sun.

ethan felt a disorienting jolt whilst ensnared by the volatile contrast between the warden’s imposing presence & unearthly elegance of his cold, striking eyes. his hand lingered in mid-air until it somehow find directions to grasp the warden's gloved palm, giving a light squeeze. ❝ . . .afternoon, warden sodowski. ❞ the man's grasp was firm, calculated, precise, one could even swear he was testing our detective's physical strength for good measure. ❝ the journey was uneventful, just as the weather. ❞ black garden's oppressive outlook was as reflective of the man that stood before him, impeccable.

❝ 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑, 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐑 𝟎𝟓𝟑𝟗𝟓𝟕-𝐀𝐂 𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐄 & 𝐀𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐀𝐋, 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃, 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓, ❞ glancing over at the officer near, yue's free gloved hand reaches up & retrieves the umbrella from him; ❝ panie mariuszu, niech pan da znać personelu że detektyw chase już jest i nie będzie mnie na stanowisku przez następne dwie godziny. zastępujący naczelnik już wie o tym i zajmie moje miejsce. ❞

❝ tak jest, panie naczelniku. ❞ the younger man immediately salutes & spins around 'pon the heel, in practiced motions marching straight back to the towering slab of concrete & steel. yue turns back to ethan just then, shifting the umbrella over his soaked head. ❝ i've taken into consideration the time of your arrival mr. chase, & made the necessary arrangements to ensure your safety & comfort here at the black garden. before we proceed, please allow me to accommodate you. follow me. ❞

slowly budging from the spot, the warden begins to walk all the while shielding them both from the rain, its bulleting drops pounding loud & heavy against the umbrella's canopy like little rough chunks of diamonds; a most oppressing sort of weather, but not entirely unexpected. the black garden penitentiary is located in the middle of a dead zone, after all. there's nothing here for thousands of miles. nothing but withered trees, mud, & an ocean as vast & bleak as the weeping sky above. those who once sought to run on the wings of freedom have found nothing but further hopelessness & despair. ❝ if i may ask, detective, ❞ yue speaks up gently, his silvery eyes looking straight ahead as his lips shift against the cotton material of the medical mask, ❝ since you insisted to visit today & at this rather... unconventional hour, am i correct to assume that this case is quite dire? ❞

cold is the rain lashing against the windscreen of the vehicle as detective chase navigated a long desolate road to the penitentiary. the bleak heavenly canvas turned the outside world into a veil of blurry water meshing the road like an ocean. ethan’s hands tightened against the steering wheel as one's mind weighed down heavily; how long had the killing been happening? how long had the cases been pilling at his desk?

the copycat serial killer had struck again just recently, leaving yet another fresh crime scene etched in the detective's mind. sleep was a distant memory, replaced by anxiety and bitter coffee. now, he was on route to meet a man monster who might hold answers — the original killer, locked away behind the somber walls of the prison. as he approached the encroaching jail, its massive structure glared out from the darkness, lightning revealing its jagged silhouette threatening to consume anything and everything.

ethan pulled up to the prison gates, greeted by a distinctive pair of cold and wet faces belonging to two stern officers on duty. one of them confirmed his identity in order to him inside where he'd have to wait. the gates creaked open, and ethan drove through, parking in the bleak, floodlit courtyard. stepping out, the icy rain soaked through his coat, but he paid it little mind as the thought of the criminal lived rent free in his mind.

as ethan stood there, dripping water onto the cold stone floor, his eyes searched only for the single source of what was to be considered a lead - the warden.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐇𝐈𝐌. a curtain of murky water poured down from the portico & over the stone steps, making its way over to the heart of the square like a funeral procession. that august it rained thus & so almost everyday, & even though many long gave into their end-of-summer woes, yue remained as resolute & unmovable as the   carpathian mountain; his posture perfectly straight, his gloved hands folded behind own back & chin raised, his gaze partially obscured by the peaked cap; the warden was a natural leader, & it showed. he didn't even need to speak for the lines of officers flanking him to suddenly part their way & let him descend, being sorely crowded by their leader's imposing height.

as he slowly stepped out from underneath the portico's protection, one of the officers immediately jogged up to yue & opened up a black umbrella, shielding him from the onslaught of rain just in time. still, not a glance was spared as he walked, slowly, confidently, approaching none other than the soaked detective. ❝ afternoon, mr. chase, ❞ he now greets with a heavy polish accent, ❝ you're thirty minutes early it seems.. ── that's good. ❞ stopping right in front of ethan, the warden's cold silver eyes peer at him from underneath the peaked cap, giving him a quick look over, almost, judgemental. ❝ i'm sodowski, yue. a pleasure. ❞ despite the rather passive expression & even more passive tone at which he speaks, a gloved hand is promptly extended nonetheless. ❝ i do hope your journey here was far more bearable than the circumstances that have brought you to black garden today. ❞

goodbye :  my  muse  kissing  and/or  hugging  your  muse  goodbye.

secrets :   my  muse  sharing/confiding  their  deepest,  darkest  secret  with  your  muse.

nightmare :   my  muse  coming  to  your  muses  aid  when  they  awake  from  a  nightmare.

push :   my  muse  pushing  your  muse  out  of  the  way  of  danger.

embrace :   my  muse  abruptly  throwing  their  arms  around  your  muse,  hugging  them  tightly.

bloody :   my  muse  coming  to  your  muse  with  blood  stains  on  their  clothes  and  hands,  shaking.

drunk :   my  muse  takes  care  of  your  muse  while  they  are  in  a  drunken  state.

bed :   my  muse  wakes  up  in  the  same  bed  as  your  muse  with  little  recollection  of  the  night  before.

slap :   my  muse  slaps  your  muse  across  the  face  out  of  anger.

gone :   my  muse  stays  by  your  muses  side  while  they  take  their  last  breath.

scream :   my  muse  hears  your  muse  scream  and  quickly  runs  to  their  side.

sleep :   my  muse  falls  asleep  on  your  muse,  making  it  hard  for  my  muse  to  leave.

stalk :   my  muse  gets  caught  by  your  muse  trailing  behind  them,  watching  them.

sacrifice :   my  muse  jumps  in  front  of  your  muse,  sacrificing  their  life  for  your  muses  life.

trail :   my  muse  watches  as  your  muse  traces  one  of  my  muses  scares,  asking  them  about  it.

love :   my  muse  confronts  your  muse  about  why  they  never  say  ’ i  love  you ’  back.

piggyback :   my  muse  jumps  on  your  muses  back,  my  muse  gives  yours  a  piggyback  ride.

jump :   my  muse  runs  to  your  muse  and  jumps  up,  my  muse  holding  yours  up  by  their  thighs.

dance :   my  muse  holds  their  hand  out,  waiting  for  your  muse  to  come  out  and  slow  dance  with  them.

carry :   my  muse  carries  your  muse  to  their  house,  either  drunk,  or  a  weakened  state,  can  specify. 

lighter :   my  muse  pulls  out  a  lighter  and  lights  it  for  your  muse  to  use  to  light  their  cigarette.

shot :   my  muse  gets  shot  and  struggles  to  your  muses  house  for  aid.

wound :   my  muse  patches  and  bandages  a  wound  your  muse  has  gotten.

fight :   my  muse  stops  your  muse  from  getting  into  a  physical  fight  with  someone  else.

arrest :   your  muse  finds  my  muse  arrested  in  cuffs  with  swarming  police  everywhere.

hospital :   my  muse  awakens  in  a  hospital,  finding  your  muse  by  their  side,  asking  what  happened.

gun :  my  muse  pulls  out  a  gun  on  your  muse,  your  muse  tries  to  talk  them  into  putting  the  gun  down. 

betrayal :  my  muse  finds  out  that  your  muse  has  betrayed  them  in  same  way  and  confronts  them  about  it.

nude :  my  muse  walks  in  on  your  muse  accidentally  seeing  them  naked.

karaoke :  my  muse  pulls  your  muse  up  on  stage  with  them  to  sing  some  karaoke  songs. 

laughter :   my  muse  hears  your  muse  laughing  uncontrollably  and  approaches  to  see  if  they  are  okay.

murder :   my  muse  walks  in  on  your  muse  committing  a  gruesome  murder.