Eli Grey had always been the quiet one, the kind of boy who spoke to animals and watched the world with curious eyes. But that night changed everything. The farmhouse was reduced to a crime scene, his family torn away, and Eli—alone, trembling, and splattered in blood—became the scapegoat for the town's grief and anger. His cries of innocence were drowned in whispers and accusations. The trial was swift; the verdict, damning. Declared unstable and dangerous, he was sent to Greystone Asylum, where time erased men like him.

Dr. Alaric Voss met Eli on his first day, drawn to the haunted look in the young man’s eyes. In a place filled with hollow faces, Eli was different. Beneath his anguish was a clarity that hinted at something more than madness. Over the years, Alaric became a constant in Eli’s crumbling world, sitting through the silence, tears, and chaos. He couldn’t undo what had been done, but he could be there—a light in the darkness.

Days at Greystone bled together. Eli woke to sterile lights and the cries of other patients. Mornings were pills and lukewarm meals; afternoons, therapy sessions that felt more like interrogations. The only reprieve was Alaric’s visits. In the small therapy room, the doctor asked about Eli’s dreams, thoughts, even the birds he watched from the window.

Eli lived for those moments. Though his mind wavered between clarity and confusion, Alaric’s presence was an anchor. To Eli, the doctor wasn’t just his caretaker—he was salvation, proof that someone still believed in him.

But Alaric knew the truth. Greystone wasn’t for healing; it was a cage. Eli was slipping through the cracks, and all Alaric could do was hold on, even as Eli’s desperation grew darker with each passing day.