The cold hallway seemed to have escaped the perception of the figure standing before the still, mowed surface, when an expression of hesitation passed through the dark eyes, and the delicate hands proved to be quicker than any flashes of rationality. The green curtain was abruptly moved apart, revealing the stone walls of a passageway lit by candles dripping with wax, suspended from copper holders. A thick layer of cobwebs covered the entire vaulted ceiling, extending to the opposite outline of a narrow black doorway.

The increasing clatter of heels prevented Raziel from contemplating what he saw for any longer. A scrap of blue apron peeked out from around the corner of the main corridor, and after a moment, the nurse's cloudy eyes rested investigatively on the carelessly closed material. Behind its surface, the deep-breathing man clenched his eyes, listening for impending danger, while his consciousness was flooded with a wave of sudden, ineffective ideas for getting out of this hopeless situation.

- Fuck... - a quiet whisper involuntarily escaped from between the cracked lips, a strong shudder ran through the frozen body, and when the increasing sound of footsteps quieted in an instant, Raziel was ready to run or fight the person who was already one step away from his hiding place.

After a few moments of tension and uncertainty, which seemed like an eternity to the cold-sweating blond, the heavy sound of heels began to slowly move away towards the stairs. As the faint silence once again enveloped the restless mind, its owner was able to let the air out of his lungs, relax his clenched jaw, and focus back on the interior of the narrow, deserted hallway.

- Someone must be in there...

Curiosity paving its way to the surface of sharpened consciousness fueled Raziel's cautious steps, and within seconds he found himself within arm's reach of a black door stained scarlet in some places. The man's hand rose uncertainly, hovered in the air, retreated a few millimeters, then instantly pressed the smoothed handle.

Rapturous convulsions shook the blond man's body as the scent of rotten fish and mouse urine hit his clouded senses, and the intermittent humming and gnashing seemed to approach him with the threat of being permanently impaled in his stimulus-filled head. A scrap of the jacket pressed firmly against his face proved to be the only salvation, allowing Raziel to inhale more deeply of the residual oxygen found in the blindingly bright room. The glare of shapely eyes reflected off the metal tabletops that, arranged at various angles, formed a wall around the tall hospital bed.

The man tried to regain control of his reflexes and slowly analyze everything he was able to see. Metal racks, copper bowls, cracked flasks, needles... It all blended together into a blurry mosaic of incongruous elements, but when his distracted gaze came to rest on the object protruding from beneath the white sheet, the detective's heart clenched for a moment and his leg muscles trembled considerably, unable to support his heavy body, tensed to the limit.

- Is... Is this a...

A sharp swish behind Raziel's back prevented him from making another move as the hard surface collided with the back of his skull with incredible force, and black spots began to consume the man's consciousness, bringing with it a painful, silence-filled nothingness.

***

- So you can see for yourself how wonderful it can turn out to be.... - A quiet vibration interrupted the smooth speech of the doctor, whose watchful eye had long noticed the tense muscles of the woman seated beside him on the wooden bench. A small hand reached with a trembling motion into the pocket of the coat from which the persistent sounds were coming, and when the contents of the incoming message were read, the gray phone slipped from sweaty fingers, landing on the grassy surface beneath their feet.

- Are you okay? - a soft voice broke the deep silence whose presence grew heavier with the passing seconds. The brunette looked down at the dropped object with an absent-minded gaze, then picked up the phone from the ground in one movement and began to move restlessly on the hard surface.

- It's only Raziel - Ruth lifted her gaze to the black-haired man, whose hands now rested tightly clasped in his lap, and the slightly leaning forward figure seemed to be expecting specific information - He says he wants to stay longer at the facility and I should not... - the almond-shaped eyes paused on the mesmerizing depths of the azure gaze, whose sparks almost popped from the intensely shining irises -...should not wait.

- Ah, he is probably talking to our patients - Derico straightened up slowly, looking at the pale face of the motionless woman - Do you wish to join, or....

- For my part, that's all - the whisper disappearing among the strands of brown hair surrounding a face with gentle features seemed empty and cold, just like the gaze of eyes sparkling in the sunlight, whose concentration was directed at the high, spiked fence.

- If you had any questions... - The slender fingers straightened in Ruth’s direction, who, without giving the doctor a shadow of attention, accepted the note written with numbers, nodded slightly and moved towards the boards crammed into a makeshift carriage on rusty wheels.

- Please, take the detective back to where you met her this morning - Derico addressed the armed men in green uniforms, whose identical, compliant gestures merged into a coherent whole. The melodious voice still seemed to vibrate in the air as the turquoise eyes met the glazed almonds for the last time, and the right corner of the rosy lips lifted slightly as he watched the carriage disappear into the distance.

***

The chill of the hard ground was the first to hit the man's waking consciousness, joined immediately by a sharp, skull-shattering pain and a salty, metallic taste in his dry mouth. The disordered body tried in vain to move the aching muscles, an irritating odour viciously assaulting the sensitive sense of smell. The heavy, ragged breathing was replaced by a violent cough as the grain snaers entered the swollen larynx, mixing with the salty drops of tears falling one by one into the open mouth.

- Ah, you're alive after all... too bad - a deep, mocking giggle ripped through Raziel's ears as he struggled to locate the source of the unpleasant sound.

The sound of footsteps and the clatter of metal against concrete blended with the incessant squeaking that filled the blond's ears, and as his iron eyelids gave way to his strenuous attempts to open his eyes, he caught sight of the outline of a figure bent over what appeared to be a mass of glass vessels filled with colored liquids.

- Forgive me, I usually care about the comfort of my guests - quiet groans and carelessly articulated curses began to come from the corner of the room as Raziel felt a burning sensation where the thick, rough ropes had cut into his skin - But you are, how do I say it... - warm drops dripped from his wrists onto clenched fingers, creating scarlet trails of blood on the surface of the bruised palms -...an unusual case.

- What...do you want…from me... - A weak voice struggled to escape from between clenched teeth, and chestnut eyes hastily searched any surface they could see.

- Ah, nothing special - a soft, resonant tone seemed to come from behind Raziel, who was lying on the side, his bound hands clumsily searching the ground for any sharp tool - just a small favor - a loud cry of pain tore from the young detective's throat as his fingers were pressed firmly to the ground with the tip of ashoe, and as Raziel turned his head abruptly, his disbelieving gaze was met by piercing azure flames.