Novella Prologue

Prologue

Dr. Neumann, Psychiatrist

> In my years as a psychiatrist, I’ve read hundreds of case histories. A few are a severe case. This is one of them.

J came to me late — not for healing, but to be heard. He wasn’t hoping for recovery. He just wanted someone to understand how much he had already endured.

I tried everything I could. But it wasn’t enough. That will become clear as the story unfolds.

What follows is drawn from our sessions and from J’s own written reflections — composed later, in solitude. Some of the insights he shared only in hindsight, after long hours of thinking alone. I have preserved his voice as faithfully as possible.

He once said to me, “You don’t have to save me. Just don’t look away.”

This is his story. I offer it now, because some suffering is invisible. And sometimes, understanding is the only thing we can still offer.

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