Chapter 3

I stopped asking questions. I stopped looking too closely. I did my job and nothing more. I pretended I didn't see anything.

I threw myself into my work. I moved like a machine.

Only Madison's brief moments of clarity gave me any sense of relief.

I didn't understand the words she spoke, but in those moments, she felt human again, not a subject, not something to observe.

One afternoon, I pushed her through the yard as usual.

She was staring at the old tree. Then suddenly, her left hand, which had been hanging limply, shot up and grabbed my wrist.

This time, her eyes were not clear. They were full of desperate fear.

Her lips trembled, but no sound came out. With all her strength, she pressed something into my palm.

It was a small, crumpled piece of paper, damp with sweat.

The light in her eyes vanished. Her body slackened. She slipped back into confusion.

My heart pounded so hard that it felt like it might burst out of my throat. I could feel Kevin nearby. He stood under a tree, watching us like he always did at this hour.

He said he cared about the residents, but I knew the truth. He was watching us.

My muscles locked up. The paper in my hand felt like a burning coal. I wanted to drop it. I wanted to throw it away. But I couldn't.

I kept moving as if nothing had happened. I pushed the wheelchair. I adjusted Madison's blanket. Then, slowly and naturally, I slipped my hand into my pocket.

My back was soaked with cold sweat. Kevin watched me for a few seconds. He didn't seem to notice anything and looked away.

The tension left my body all at once. I felt weak, as if I had just been pulled from deep water.

Late that night, I locked myself inside the small staff bathroom. My hands trembled as I unfolded the paper.

The light was dim. The handwriting was messy and uneven. Whoever wrote it had been terrified.

[They're not saving us. They're eating us. Run.]

Each word hit me like a needle. Blood rushed to my head, then everything went cold.

The word "eating" twisted my stomach. I felt like I was going to throw up.

I shoved the paper into my mouth, chewed it, and flushed it down the toilet.

I looked up at the mirror. My face was pale. In that moment, I understood one thing clearly. I was trapped in a web. And I was the prey.

*****

The next morning, I went to Madison's room as usual.

It was empty. The bed was perfectly made, as if no one had ever slept in it.

I stopped another worker. My voice shook. "Where is Madison?"

She answered without any emotion, "Madison is stable. She was transferred to deep care this morning."

"Deep care?" I asked. "Where is that?"

She pointed down the hallway.

At the very end stood a heavy metal door. I had never seen it open. There was no sign, only a cold metal plate engraved with two words—Sanctuary Zero.

I kept repeating the name to myself. The words left a metallic taste on my tongue, like blood.

I knew I had to go in and see it with my own eyes. Once that thought took hold, I could not shake it.

It spread through my mind like a poisonous vine, twisting tighter and tighter until there was no room left for reason.

Madison's last warning made one thing clear. It did not matter if I stayed quiet or went looking for the truth. Either way, I was going to die. It was only a matter of time.

The chance came two days later. The central security system broke down and needed repairs.

I was one of the few younger staff members who knew anything about electrical work, so they pulled me in to help.

That was exactly what I had been waiting for. The locks and cameras for Sanctuary Zero all ran through the main server room.