Criminal Paradox: The Unseen Truths

Prologue

The gates of Graystone Glen Asylum stood tall, their dark iron making a strong contrast to the pale light of the overcast sky, which blocked the sun from shining through. Azalea was convinced the manor's now old and dilapidated walls once held a greatness any lucky visitor adored dearly before the building had been put into reuse for housing mentally ill patients. Azaleas pulled her coat tighter, more out of instinct than warmth. The building had a way of making anyone feel small and cold—like it was draining all living things from life. No matter, Azalea couldn't dismiss the feeling of being watched. Whether it was the old building or the feeling of peering eyes, hiding behind the curtains in one of the windows, she couldn't tell.

She glanced up at the towering structure as she walked past the gates Azalea couldn't help but glance up at the old sign reading "Greystone Glen Asylum, 1732". A chill ran down Azalea's spine. The institution was over 200 years old! Not to mention the building that had probably been lived in long before it was put into reuse. Anyhow, a familiar feeling managed to sneak past the nerves and dread. This was it; The place where she would be spending the next six months of her internship. Despite the lingering feeling of being watched, she couldn't help but feel excited. Azalea had been preparing for this chance for years—endless hours of classes, long nights studying case files, internships at local clinics. However, nothing could have prepared her for the reality of standing here, at the entrance of one of the most notorious asylums in the country.

Graystone wasn't just any institution. It was infamous, both for its history and for the patients it housed. One professor at university spoke of it with a mix of fascination and caution. When Azalea first was offered the internship here, it felt like her hard work had finally paid off. Criminal psychology was something she wanted to do for as long as she could remember. It was especially the minds of those individuals that society had labelled as broken beyond repair. Azalea's mother had called it morbid curiosity; Azalea called it a desire to understand.

However, standing before the asylum now, Azalea wondered what she was truly getting herself into. Azalea's family had been hesitant—especially her father. "An asylum for the criminally insane, Azalea? Are you sure that's where you want to be?" He had always wanted his only daughter to follow a safer path, perhaps something corporate, clean, removed from the messiness of human minds. But that wasn't who Azalea was.

As Azalea stepped forward she shook off the weight of her dark thoughts. Graystone was her chance to prove herself, not only to her family but to herself. A chance for a new beginning. The next six months could determine her career! If the asylum liked her and found her fit, they could possibly land a real job here.

The tall oak doors of Greystone Asylum loomed just ahead, only growing taller and more intimidating as Azalea moved closer. The wind had seemed to pick up as raindrops started to fall, staining her jacket a darker colour of blue. Just as Azalea was about to reach for the enlarged round, old-fashioned door handles, the door swung open with a force that surprised Azalea, making her jump back. However, what shocked her more was the tiny woman revealing herself in the darkness that loomed inside the Asylum. Azalea quietly praised the woman for being able to swing the door open herself.

"Oh." Said the woman, seemingly surprised to see another human out in these corners of the country. "You must be Azalea Faith, right?" The woman reached a hand out for Azalea to shake. "I'm Kristine Joy! Nice to finally meet you. We have been waiting for you." Kristine smiled, shaking Azalea's cold hands. Kristine had blonde hair and kind green eyes that seemingly disappeared behind her cheeks as she smiled. She wore a fated blue nurse's uniform, the kind Azalea figured they used during the late war. Kristine's kind eyes and welcoming manner was nothing Azalea had anticipated when coming here. Kristine Joy was the perfect definition of Joy, hence her name. It seemed almost as a contrast to the grim building towering over them, and Azalea found herself questioning why such a joyful woman would ever want to work in such a place.