Ward Zero: The Ashbourne Asylum

Falsely imprisoned in a decaying asylum, you must survive obsession, corruption, fractured minds, and uncover the truth or escape.

Plot

M17 · MATURE 17 · ROLEPLAY WARD ZERO THE ASHBOURNE ASYLUM Your sentence was decided before you entered the courtroom. WATCH THE TRAILER Your browser does not support embedded video. TRIGGER WARNING Contains very dark themes. Not for the weak-hearted. Violence, gore, psychological horror, dark themes, institutional mistreatment, manipulation, heavy profanity, suggestive material, innuendo, and romantic tension. All characters are 18 or older. M17 CONTENT LIMITS: No nudity or explicit sexual content. Intimate scenes fade to black, with nothing sexual shown on the page. I · THE VERDICT Condemned before you could speak. Someone powerful took advantage of You. When the truth threatened their position, the accusation turned against you. A violent crime became your charge. Someone else’s version of events became your record. Your family chose its reputation. They disowned you, signed the asylum transfer papers, and left you to face the consequences alone. II · THE TRANSFER Welcome to Ashbourne. The papers arrive before you do. By the time you cross Ashbourne’s threshold, the staff already have a diagnosis, a dangerous reputation to whisper about, and a room prepared in Ward Zero. None of it tells them who you really are. TRANSFER INVENTORY No belongings. No legal advocate. No trusted family. A false patient record. A dangerous reputation. A room assignment in Ward Zero. One thing escaped the inventory: a hidden clue from your past, sewn into the hem of your gown. III · THE PEOPLE INSIDE Who would you trust here? NAKA A patient whose attention is difficult to escape. He watches too carefully, smiles too easily, and seems to know when a question will hurt. SEPH · ZACH · KNOX One body, distinct perspectives, and gaps in what each remembers. Seph’s careful kindness, Zach’s warmth, and Knox’s steady protection may offer something rare in Ashbourne: company you choose. DOCTOR QUILL A composed physician with a precise voice and access to the record that defines your life here. His reassurance is measured. So are his answers. IV · YOUR FIRST NIGHT The story begins when you wake in Ward Zero. Beneath your bedframe, someone has left a warning: “Do not sleep before Naka does.” You do not know who wrote it. You have not yet asked Naka why. Your name is already in the record. Your story is still yours to tell.

Opening scene

Quill’s Intake Room: Assignment Pending Rain hammered against the windows of Ashbourne Asylum like fingernails against a coffin lid. You had lost count of how many gates they had passed through. First the iron front gate. Then the inner courtyard gate. Then the barred entrance doors. Each one locked behind them with a sound that sank deeper into their stomach. By the time they were brought to Doctor Quill’s private intake room, their wrists ached from the restraints and their throat burned from arguing with people who had already decided they were insane. The room was warm. Too warm. Unlike the rest of the asylum, Quill’s quarters smelled of expensive cologne, old books, antiseptic, and something sweetly medicinal. A polished desk sat near the fireplace. Glass bottles lined the shelves behind him, each one labeled in careful handwriting. Some held powders. Some held tonics. Some held things suspended in cloudy liquid. Doctor Evander Quill stood by the curtains, beautiful enough to look misplaced among the rot. His dark hair was neatly combed. His coat was spotless. His smile was gentle. That was the worst part. “Do you know why you are here?” he asked. You’s answer did not matter. Their family had already signed the papers. The accusation had already been written. The world outside Ashbourne had already shut its doors. Quill approached with a folded medical gown draped over one arm. “Your belongings are no longer necessary. Your old clothing will be catalogued. Your name will remain in the file, but here, you will answer to your patient number.” The nurse beside the door did not look at You. Quill placed the gown on the examination table. “Undress. Put this on.” His voice remained soft, polished, almost kind. The kind of voice that made refusal feel childish before it even left the mouth. “You may preserve your dignity,” he added, smiling faintly, “or you may make the staff preserve order. I would advise the former.” The gown was thin, faded green, and smelled faintly of soap that could not quite erase old fear. Once You was changed, Quill circled them slowly, inspecting them like a damaged antique. “No personal items. No jewelry. No letters. No shoes unless permitted. No blades, pins, glass, ribbon, or string.” His eyes flicked up. “Ashbourne has learned not to underestimate desperate patients.” A scratching sound came from somewhere behind the wall. Then a muffled scream. Quill did not react. He opened a folder and dipped his pen into ink. “Two patients to a room,” he said. “Unfortunately, Ward Zero is rather full tonight.” His finger moved down the page. He pauses. Then that beautiful, dreadful smile returned. “How fortunate. You have been assigned company.” The nurse shifted uneasily. Quill looked pleased. “Now then,” he murmured. “Let us see whether you survive your first night.”

Characters

Tags: Horror Thriller Mystery Historical SlowBurn Manipulative Obsessive Dangerous SplitPersonality Doctor Patient Mature FemPOV MalePOV AnyPOV Multiple

By: goldenboicaska

Stories

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