"DO YOU THINK WE should take those threats seriously?"

Helene glanced up at the director, who was sitting in front of her, even more scared than he usually was. He still couldn't manage to sit still, fidgeting with his hands the whole time. She noticed the bitten edges of his nails, the way his eyes always flicked to the door nervously, as if he wanted to know he'd be able to get away any time. At times he'd glance at his watch, before briefly letting his gaze wander over the brand name on it, like that would set his heart at ease. It probably did.

When Nathan had made his statement, she had expected the reaction just as much as he had. He didn't mind the chaos that ensued, the way they had immediately taken him back to his cell, only to call the director. In other cases they would probably have waited until she was finished before they removed a patient from his doctor, but she supposed they didn't want to take any liberties with Nathan. Removing him from the situation at once hadn't been the best option though, that she knew for sure. They should have waited. She could've gotten more information out of him. All they had risked now was getting him angry.

She couldn't help but recall the sight of him being escorted out of the room by five guards, the way he had thrown his head back in laughter, messy hair falling out of his piercing eyes as he had looked back at her.

"Say the word, Helene," he had said," say the word and I'll do it right now."

She hadn't said anything and he had smiled in that way of his which made it clear to the world that he was in control, always. The guards had urged her to go to the director and Dante had immediately followed her there, refusing to wait outside. Now he was sitting beside her with his arms crossed, like this was the only way to make the director behave.

"What do you think?" Dante frowned," why would the crazy psychopath who's in here for serial murder lie about killing us?"

"You know how these criminals are," the principal said," they're just trying to stir the pot."

"What pot?" Dante exclaimed," he might not be able to kill us all, but I can assure you he will certainly make sure to start with you."

She should really talk to Dante one of these days about how to act around authority figures. Honestly, she was surprised he hadn't been sent away for punishment earlier. The director was clearly unsure about whether to get angry or scared, so Helene spoke up before he could decide.

"Let me talk to him," she said," the guards interrupted my session, he won't be pleased."

"I don't think him being pleased is a priority right now," the director frowned," my safety should be put first."

Helene stared at him, wondering if he was stupid or simply that selfish. Did he not realize his safety depended entirely on Nathan's mood? For now, he seemed to be satisfied with verbal threats and games, but Helene knew that was only because anything further than that would result in him being isolated to prevent any further harm, both from the guards as from her. Whatever reason it was, she was keeping him interested, so he didn't want to lose that yet. As soon as his boredom towards the ants walking around him would shift to anger, then he'd burn this whole place down.

He'd make good on his word, that was a truth she knew. Even all the highly trained guards in this prison wouldn't be able to stop him, because he wouldn't have come here if he hadn't known for certain that he'd be able to get out. What other prison would be better to show to the world what he was capable of when he escaped? She was already seeing the future before it had placed it's cold hands around her throat, so now all she could do was either act or leave.

Should she run away again? She was getting involved too deeply in matters which would only pull her down. Perhaps she should move countries altogether this time. Perhaps she should discard her title and spend her days plucking crimson apples in a warm village thousands of miles away. It was a sweet thought, but one she knew could never come true. There was no running away from her problems, even if she tried. She stared at the director, wondering if she should even give him sincere advice or simply a sweet smile. When she caught Dante's gaze, she knew what her choice had to be.

"For your safety," she insisted," it would be best to keep him pleased. He's unpredictable and easily angered, we wouldn't want to motivate him to make good on his promises."

"You think I don't know what they're all saying behind my back?" the director shouted then, the sudden rise in volume startling Helene," they all say I'm a coward who's acting like Parker's prisoner, instead of the roles being reversed. Now you want me to bow to him even more than I already do? No one understands the pressure, the constant threat of him knowing all the info about my family. We all know of the friends he has, what they're capable of."

"I'm not saying to bow to him," Helene said," all I'm asking is for me to be allowed to speak to him. I want to know what's going on in his head at this moment, whether there's an urgency behind his plans, everything I can find out about them."

"You'll find them out and then what?" the director said, face having flushed red from his frustration," nothing will happen and he'll go unpunished. I won't be looked down upon anymore."

"By who?" Helene asked.

"By the guards," the director said," the prisoners, Nathan Parker." He glanced at her. "You."

A nervous man who had the feeling everyone's eyes were on him, she wasn't surprised. If he was this prone to draw conclusions based on his own insecurities, one conversation now wouldn't be able to convince him. He seemed to want to go on a warpath to prove himself, not yet aware of the casualities that would surely follow.

"I don't look down on you," she said," I know you won't believe me, but I promise you that. I don't know how to run a prison like you do, especially not with how well you do it, but I do want to give you advice about my patients, because that's something I am an expert in."

"An expert, you say," the director snarled," if you truly were one, he wouldn't have threatened to have my head. Twice, now."

"If I weren't," she said," he would've gone ahead without his threats anyway. All I did was make him verbalize them. In the short time span I've known him it's unrealistic for you to think I'd be able to treat him like there's some magic cure I can give. Most of all, you can't expect me to do anything at all if I'm not allowed near."

"I won't let you convince me," he said with a resolute shake of his head," this time we'll do it my way."

He opened the door then, gesturing at the guards outside. "Lock Nathan in solitary for three weeks, that'll teach him."

"Two weeks is enough to have permanently damaging effects on someone," Helene frowned," and now you want to put an already unstable patient there for three weeks? That's unethical."

"Who cares about ethics?" the director shrugged," as long as it works. Who knows, perhaps this will finally break that ego of his. They always start screaming before day ten."

"I don't care about Parker much," Dante said," but I was sent here to make sure the evaluation went well and his psychiatrist remained safe from his threats. I doubt this is the way to do it."

"In this prison, my word is law," the director said," if you don't like it, perhaps you should ask your mother to be sent to another one. We all know this is just her wasting your time."

With that he was off, Helene placing a hand on Dante's shoulder to keep him from jumping the director. She wasn't that surprised with the man's behavior, this probably had been a long time coming. Still, finally, after almost spending a month with Nathan, she had gotten to a point where he was actually telling her things. If he got sent away to solitary for three weeks, all that progress would be lost.

"Where's solitary?" she asked Dante.

He glanced at her. "Are you planning something reckless again?"

"Are you planning to stop me?" she said.

For a moment he paused, before opening his clenched fist to her.

"No," he said," come on, let's go."

She took his hand and he pulled her along through the maze of hallways, until they finally reached one far away from the others with at the end a thick door. When they stepped through it, she couldn't help but become uncomfortable, the lights dimmed and the concrete darker. On her left and right were rows of doors with no window or light seeping through, but the eery thing were the muted screams in the air, mixed with crying and banging on the walls. None of the guards patrolling seemed to be disturbed by it, not seeming alarmed at the sight of them simply because Dante was along.

"Which cell is the one Nathan Parker's being transported to?" Dante asked.

"The one at the end," one of the guards said," but I think it's best if you leave now, he's being brought here right now and I hear he's furious. Something about seeing his psychiatrist. I don't think you want to be in his warpath."

"I don't think I have much choice," Dante said as he turned around at the sound of footsteps.

Sure enough, there he was, Nathan Parker being dragged along by six guards. He was smiling, but there was no amusement in his eyes as he kept talking, words too soft to carry over to them, but the tone enough to chill Helene to the bone. The guards around him were nervous, that was clear as day, all of them training their gaze to the floor as if looking at Nathan would be enough to doom them. Then, he saw her, stopping in his tracks at once as the six men tried to pull him into movement.

"Helene," he said warmly," there you are."

Before she could say anything he moved his hands upwards, chains clanking softly as he waved. And then, so fast that no one could react, he turned and placed his chains over one of the heads of the guards, so his neck would be trapped between the metal and him. The others jumped into action, but it was already too late. He smiled at her, positively insane, and then he crushed the man's windpipe.

One of the guards punched him and he grinned through the blood, the now dying man sinking into a heap on the floor.

"That's one."