And I just smiled.
Because that was the sound of someone finally breaking.
CASE FILE - NIGHT
Name: Damien Night
Age: 34
Height: 6’3
Weight: 80kg
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark blue
Distinguishing Features: Numerous body and face tattoos (catalogued).
Alias: Nightshade
Date of Arrival: 04/05/2009
Sentence: Life imprisonment within the facility.
Treatment: Numerous unsuccessful treatments including [CLASSIFIED] clinical trials and shock therapy.
Summary of Crimes: [PRIMARY DOCUMENTS REDACTED – ACCESS RESTRICTED TO HIGHEST LEVEL CLEARANCE]
Damien Night, known within criminal circles asNightshade, was apprehended following an international investigation into a series of deaths initially classified as unrelated suicides, overdoses, and natural causes. Subsequent forensic analysisrevealed consistent traces of complex synthetic toxins – each one untraceable until Night’s personal formulas were decrypted from encrypted files on his confiscated servers.
A former pharmaceutical researcher and biochemist, Night utilised his expertise to design chemical agents capable of mimicking symptoms of pre-existing conditions, allowing victims’ deaths to appear coincidental or self-inflicted. Over time, his methods evolved from subtle experimentation to calculated artistry – each toxin leaving behind a specific biochemical “signature,” identifiable only to him.
Investigators determined that Night often befriended or manipulated his victims prior to administering the poisons. Relationships ranged from professional mentorships to intimate affairs. He viewed his killings not as acts of violence but as “corrections of flawed design,” often describing humanity as a “petri dish of wasted potential.”
Several poison delivery systems were recovered from his laboratory, including aerosol dispersal mechanisms, modified medical injectors, and edible compounds indistinguishable from common foodstuffs. Authorities also uncovered handwritten journals detailing ongoing formula revisions and notes on “psychological trials” conducted on unsuspecting associates.
Night’s capture followed the high-profile deaths of three government researchers assigned to investigate him – each poisoned with a substance known internally asCompound N-13, a toxin designed to degrade rapidly upon exposure to oxygen, leaving virtually no forensic trace.
Since incarceration, Night has maintained a cooperative but unnervingly composed demeanour. His conversation is articulate, persuasive, and laced with philosophical justifications for his actions. He refers to his victims as“subjects who lacked immunity to truth.”
Note: Under no circumstances should staff accept food, drink, or medication from this patient. All interactions must be conducted under observation and behind reinforced containment barriers.
NIGHTMARE CHRISTMAS SONG
Blood // Water - Grandson
Nightshade
The words keep looping, like a nightmare Christmas song with broken bells.
Too loud.Daughter. Too bright.Son. Too constant.Pregnant.
It drills into my skull until I want to shove needles into my eardrums just to make it stop. But it won’t stop. It just keeps circling back, chewing at the frayed edges of my control.
I’m aware she’s our daughter. I’m aware she’s pregnant. I’m aware she’s priceless. I’m aware she was taken. I’m aware our daughter is out there with God knows who. Probably at the mercy of our vermin son.
Then the cycle begins again.
