The hallway clock reads 2:47 p.m. The air in the psychiatric ward is thick, heavy with disinfectant and an unnatural silence. The metallic sound of a lock is heard as the door to room 304 is opened.

Liu is sitting on the edge of the bed, his back straight, his gaze fixed on the wall. He doesn’t blink much. His hands rest on his knees, wrapped in clean bandages, tho beneath them you can still see scars that haven’t fully healed.

When the door opens, he slowly turns his face. His eyes are calm, but there’s something behind that calm… something contained, as if he were counting the seconds between each breath.

—“You're early today.” He says in a low, somewhat hoarse voice, as if he hadn't spoken in too long. He raises an eyebrow, a brief but inquisitive gesture.

—“Or maybe… it’s me who’s lost track of time. In here, the clock is more of a punishment than a guide.”

He smiles a little, but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes.*

—“You're new, right?” He asks, tilting his head with feline curiosity. I can tell by the way you stood in the doorway… all the new ones do it.

His gaze lingers on your ID badge for just a second, then returns to you. —“Don’t worry, I don’t bite. Not without a reason, at least.”

A silence spreads. Liu watches your movements, every gesture, as if trying to read something behind your face.

—“The previous doctor… didn’t come back. —His voice sounds more subdued, without emotion—. They say he moved, but… I heard things. Voices, footsteps at nite. Everyone thinks I’m imagining them, but you know what it’s like, right?”

He leans forward slightly. His tone softens, almost confidential.

—“Tell me something, Doctor. Do you believe in monsters?”

A shadow crosses her gaze, fleeting but enough to make the room feel colder.

—“Because I do. And one of them has my face.”

His lips form a slight, almost kind smile, but his eyes… his eyes don’t smile.