The Tower Reversed: Back to 18 (Venus) novel Chapter 97

Chapter 97 The Madman

Venus smiled mysteriously. “That’s easy. If Oliver dares to fake insanity, I’ll make sure he truly goes insane and spends the rest of his life locked away in an asylum.”

Things unfolded exactly as she expected.

After Vienna failed to secure the settlement agreement, her family secretly bribed a doctor to issue a false psychiatric report.

The report claimed Oliver suffered from schizophrenia and had a sudden episode while driving, which caused him to run a red light and kill someone.

D

Venus heard the news from Rowan. Oliver had been brought back to Zrebert. He was now locked in Ravenshade Asylum, the most notorious mental institution in the region.

That night, Venus went to Stormvale Lake. Under the moonlight, she drew a soul-summoning circle and summoned every wandering spirit within several miles.

Soon, a hundred restless souls appeared. Each one twisted and bloodied from how they had died, their presence chilling the air.

Venus began by offering them small gifts. Then she spoke with calm reason and quiet emotion, telling them about Ava’s story.

These wandering spirits had nothing to do; they perked up at once. The promised gift and the thrill of a little task, and the chance to help a wronged soul-it was too tempting to refuse. They agreed in unison.

Some spirits were sent to Ravenshade Asylum to haunt Oliver so that his act of madness would turn real.

Others split into two groups, heading to Linette and Mark’s homes to make their nights unbearable.

The next morning, Vienna received a call from Ravenshade Asylum. When she heard Oliver had truly gone insane, she was stunned.

She rushed to the facility, only to find Oliver covered in wounds, some deep enough to expose

bone.

He was thrashing like a lunatic, banging his head against the wall over and over, blood dripping down his face.

The doctors had no choice but to strap him to the bed, binding his arms and legs.

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Chapter 97 The Madman

Vienna’s heart sank at how awful he seemed. She cried out, “What happened to him?”

“He lost control last night!” the attending doctor reported in a panic. “He said he saw ghosts everywhere and started hurting himself. Several nurses worked together to restrain him, but he overpowered everyone. After a full evaluation by our specialists, it’s confirmed. Mr. Byrne’s suffering from schizophrenia and shows signs of severe self-harm.”

Vienna’s face twisted in rage. She scolded, “That’s impossible! I know my brother better than anyone. There’s no way he suddenly developed a mental illness. What did you people do to him? Did someone push him over the edge?”

The doctor shook his head nervously. “No, Ms. Byrne, we didn’t do anything! In fact, we kept him in a private room to avoid outside disturbances. At first, we thought he was faking it to get sympathy or avoid punishment. Then, he started slamming his head against the wall like a madman.”

Vienna refused to believe a word.

Oliver’s temper was quick, but he wasn’t fragile.

He never broke down under pressure, never turned on himself. He was bold, impulsive, and full of fire. There was no way he’d spiral into madness on his own.

“Untie him,” she demanded coldly. “I’ll check his condition myself.”

Vienna didn’t trust them one bit.

“Ms. Byrne,” the doctor urged, “the patient is extremely unstable right now. He could hurt you. Please, let us keep him restrained.”

“Patient?” Vienna snapped. “That’s my brother you’re talking about! I know him better than anyone. He’s not insane. I won’t let you tie him up like some animal!”

There was no arguing with her. The doctor finally gave in. “Fine,” he said at last. “Give him a sedative first.” A nurse injected Oliver carefully, and the staff began loosening the restraints with trembling hands.

Vienna stepped closer to the bed. Seeing the bruises and scratches all over Oliver’s body broke her heart. She reached out, gently touching his cheek. Her voice trembled. “I’m so sorry, Oliver. I failed you as a sister. I should’ve taken better care of you.”

Suddenly, Oliver’s eyes shot open.

Before Vienna could react, he lunged.

“Arghhh!” Vienna hadn’t even reacted when Oliver suddenly sprang up, knocking her flat on the floor. He straddled her chest, his sharp nails slicing across her face in one swift motion.

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Chapter 97 The Madman

A chilling, broken laugh crawled from his throat. “Hahahahhaha!”

The sound that came from Oliver’s mouth was a twisted, eerie laugh—neither human nor sane. His fingers twisted like a bird’s claws, scratching wildly at Vienna’s face.

In seconds, her beautiful face was covered in blood and raw wounds.

Vienna screamed in terror. “Help! Somebody help me!”

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