Page 22 - DeepRestFlipFinal

NICHOLAS BOOTHMAN
Search results would suddenly vanish. Academic
databases would show corrupted files. It was subtle,
but it was there. A digital ghost in the machine.
One evening, as the city lights began to twinkle
outside her window, She came across a digitized
collection of letters from a forgotten asylum in rural
Scotland, dating back to the late 19th century. One
letter, from a Dr. Elias Thorne, a contemporary of
Finch, spoke of a "colleague whose radical theories on
mental restoration are being met with… considerable
resistance from the established medical community,
particularly those with financial interests in the current
treatment models."
Thorne went on to describe Finch’s "unorthodox
methods" and the "unsettling efficacy" of his
"Stillness Protocol." He hinted at a "powerful
consortium" that viewed Finch’s work as a threat. The
letter ended abruptly, mid-sentence, the rest of the
page missing.
She felt a cold dread settle in her stomach. This
wasn't paranoia. This was a pattern. A conspiracy.
Someone had gone to great lengths to erase
Alistair Finch and his work from history. She looked
at the mysterious texts again. It wasn't just Mallory’s.
It was a message. A final attempt by her sister to find a
way out, and perhaps, a hidden legacy for Evelyn to
discover. Mallory, with her fascination for the
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