Fifteen years later, Hospital Avda, Granata City.I genuinely miss him.One of my best childhood recollections, which I cherished despite growing up in a family where I didn't belong in, was Samuel Jin. Mom was emotionally spent on my younger brother's numerous long hours of treatment and preoccupied with his aggressive behavior.Sam stood in for the unrequited love. But it was the one that I never thought I'd lose in a heartbeat. While Samuel and I were returning from the study facility, two men in black masks who were thought to be part of a kidnapping ring attacked us. In exchange for Samuel's life, I had deceived the Grim Reaper in that very encounter.In light of the incident, my family made the decision to relocate to the City of Granata, a place rich in distinctive and ancient myths that endure for as long as the city does. Even Naomi, my best friend and someone who I think of more as a sister, I had to say goodbye to without a word.I disappeared overnight. Mom claims that t
I swear I noticed a moment of hesitancy in his eyes. But he expressed his desire for it with yet another kind gesture. "Is something wrong, Lana? Hmm?""Jason, how did he die?" I persisted in getting a response.He sighed and said, "Lana." exhaling deeply. He puts his hands on my shoulders and makes sure I look into his eyes. "Lana, pay attention to me. When will you finally let him go—fifteen years was a very long time—?"At his statement, I quickly regretted being petty on an unidentified flash of memory, I'm probably still sick from the encounter last night. I start questioning my mental health state at this moment, what's wrong with me anyway...?Running away from his gaze, I sighed in despair. "I probably..."Buzzzzz... buzz...The vibrating of my smartphone tore off our conversation, at least saving me from this awkward moment. I immediately reached for my phone. I recognized the number right away without even waiting for the caller ID to show on the display, and I quickly ans
There is suffocation detected from the examination of her protruded tongue. Jane Doe had been strangled to die before falling from the 5th floor. In the mind of the killer, they make sure the victim stays dead. To keep them silent forever. The killer is fearless, and the death is intended. And they don't intend to hide their deed. A total monster. Certainly, Jane Doe's case swayed my ability to run my work in a split second in an unlikely event. It could be that I pity her. A bright girl is now lifeless. The more I think about it, I'm grateful that in the utmost terrible fate of my encounter with a murder case that could destroy my future 15 years ago, I'm lucky. I got away. I'm unsure why I was destined to be involved in such bad omen events. When I was in college, I was once again bound to a psychopath boyfriend that left me in tremble in certain occurrences, which startled me once in a while. Yet, I'm still here. I have had terrible side effects from the beginning of Jane
When I looked in the mirror, I saw a face plagued by forgotten tragedies, a face that held answers to questions I didn't know how to ask.The remnants of that dreadful day were like shards of a shattered mirror, each shard revealing a piece of the truth I couldn't fathom.It seemed as if the fabric of reality itself had ripped, leaving me alone in a world of half-truths and shadows.Naomi Jang's face appeared out of nowhere in my thoughts, a specter of sadness and loss. I knew she was significant, like a missing puzzle piece, but her importance remained tantalizingly out of grasp. I should have found Naomi; perhaps she had the answer to the missing gap in my mind.Samuel's death hovered over him as well. His absence rang in my heart, and suddenly, amid this darkness, I felt a connection I couldn't deny.Above me the fluorescent lights in the mortuary hummed, throwing an unsettling glare over Jane Doe's body. Her pale skin seemed to be hiding something, her dead eyes communicating secr
Jason was abruptly startled out of the monotony of his drive as a loud, piercing shriek burst over the medical centre grounds. Lana was waiting for him to pick her up from work, and he was standing only a half mile away.He hadn't heard that voice in fifteen years, yet it was forever seared in his bones and memory. He resolved to protect Lana from similar horrors in the future.Still, destiny had its ruthless way of working. Before his very eyes, a man hurled Lana into the rear seat of his vehicle, plunging Jason into a sudden, terrifying reality.It was an apparent attempt at abduction right outside the hospital's forensic department compound!Reflexes on high alert, Jason accelerated his sedan, obstructing the culprit's frantic escape.The sound of twisted steel and grinding gears filled the air as the man slammed his vehicle into the rear side of Jason's sedan. The impact rippled around the property, breaking the tense air.There was a loud crunch as the metal gave way and bent from
"Lana,.."I'm unsure how long I have been lost in that swirling darkness, but eventually, a glimmer of light began to pierce the fog. Faint echoes of distant noises could be heard, like muffled voices underwater. I began to piece together the missing fragment of consciousness."Come on, Lana, wake up." a voice I knew well broke through the chaos in my mind.Struggling against the heaviness, I pry my eyes open. It felt like an eternity before my surroundings came into focus. I was lying on the warm rooftop floor of my high school back in my hometown.The waning sun hung low in the sky, casting its golden rays across the rooftop. These radiant beams played a silent dance and flickered like ethereal flames upon my face. The warmth caressed my skin, starkly contrasting the cold, hard concrete surface beneath me. I remember this scenery, but something was missing from here...A shadow loomed over me, and I strained my gaze to get a clearer view of the figure. The features of the face b
The flight was a grueling ordeal—twenty hours of confinement in a cramped, pressurized cabin. While I'm not a fan of air travel, the promise of going back to my hometown after years of living in Granata kept me tethered to sanity.Jason, his head lolling peacefully against the headrest, was oblivious to the torment that plagued me. I tried to surrender to sleep, but even the podcast I usually listen to when drifting off, a soothing melody at other times, now throbbed in my temples. I clutched my head, the throbbing pain making me considering taking a painkiller the soonest we landed.Desperate for relief, I pushed myself to my feet, the cabin's cramped confines pressing against me like a suffocating embrace. As I stumbled towards the lavatory, Jason stirred, his eyes heavy with exhaustion."Everything alright, Lana?" he asked, his voice a low rumble."I tried to sleep," I replied, my voice a hoarse whisper. "But... perhaps I'll be able to rest better in the hotel.""Alright," he said,
The road to Moon Valley Hill’s town felt longer than I remembered. The winding paths, situated along the rolling hills, were familiar, yet distant—like fragments of a memory just out of reach. Jason drove in silence, his fingers occasionally tapping the steering wheel. He didn’t say much, which was unusual. I stared out the window, watching as the landscape shifted into small, hilly streets lined with old shop houses and modest homes.The town had changed.Some of the old shop houses were now renovated, fresh paint gleaming where decay once was. New buildings stood where empty lots used to be, and the alley that had once felt desolate was now buzzing with life.Still, beneath it all, the place stirred something uneasy in me—a strange mix of nostalgia and dread.Naomi’s house loomed ahead, perched at the top of a set of stone steps. Jason followed me as I climbed the stairs, my heart racing with anticipation. The house looked old, the once-red gate now dulled and rusted, but it didn’t
The room felt heavy with unspoken tension, the kind that seeped into the walls and lingered like a storm waiting to break. Jason stood near the window, his hands clasped tightly behind his back, gazing out at the city skyline. The glittering lights mocked him, a chaotic reflection of the battle raging inside. His jaw tightened as he exhaled slowly, the sound barely audible over the hum of the air conditioning.Behind him, Jerry sat at the table, methodically sorting through his medical bag. The precise clink of glass vials against one another was the only sound, a steady rhythm in the charged silence.“Jerry,” Jason began, his voice low, almost a growl. “I need your help.”He didn’t look up immediately, but Jason noticed the subtle stiffening of his shoulders. When Jerry finally met his gaze, his expression was guarded, his movements deliberate as he closed the bag.“I’m already helping you, Jason,” Jerry said coldly. “More than I should.”Jason turned, his expression dark. “We’re not
I lay motionless, every inch of my body weighed down by exhaustion. Outside the bedroom door, I could hear them.Jason and Jerry, discussing my condition in hushed tones.I strained to catch snippets of their conversation, words like "dosage" and "observing" drifting through the crack. They sounded calm and steady, but to me, it felt more like they were plotting my imprisonment.Then I noticed it.Jason's phone rested on the seat where he usually sat while keeping watch over me. The screen glowed, a recent message half-typed, abandoned in his haste to follow Jerry. My heart thundered in my chest, adrenaline surging through my veins.This was my chance.Ignoring the throbbing pain in my stitched hand, I dragged myself to the edge of the bed, fingers outstretched toward the phone. I trembled, fighting to steady my breath.My mind raced as I navigated to the contacts list.Nelson.He was my only hope. After the heated argument with Jason days ago, I clung to the belief that Nelson would n
For the next two days, the walls seemed to close in, inch by inch, and despair began to creep into my bones. I had hoped that playing the part, feigning obedience, would give me some space—maybe a chance. But Jason didn't leave the apartment.Still, he stayed, his presence shadowing me with its quiet, unnerving calm.Most meals arrived at the door, delivered with barely a sound, a silent reminder that I was cut off from the outside world. Jason set up his laptop on the counter, working without a word. Though he gave me the freedom to roam the living room, even watch TV, it felt orchestrated. As if he wanted me to feel relaxed enough to drop my guard.I tried to distract myself with the television, flipping through channels for anything that could pull me from this claustrophobic existence, but nothing caught my interest. Every laugh track, every news anchor's voice felt hollow, echoing against the surrounding silence.There was no way out. Every door locked from the inside, every windo
Jason stepped out of the shower, his movements relaxed as he wrapped a towel around his waist, droplets of water clinging to his skin. He noticed immediately that Lana was not in her room, but it only deepened his calm. He knew that there was no possible way for her to get out.He had seen to it. She was safely contained, her every means of connection to the outside world secured or removed. He'd thought through each scenario, each potential escape, and he knew with certainty that the only way she was leaving was with him, to Granata.As he dried his hair in his room across from Lana's, Jason glanced at the clock on the living room wall. The time was nearly up. He needed to change her bandage. He draped the towel around his shoulders, with a steady breath, he padded toward the kitchen, a small smile curving as he found her there, sipping a glass of water. She turned at the sound of his approach, her expression calm but distant, masking the tension he knew was hiding underneath."I hope
My arm throbbed lightly, a raw, stinging reminder of the wound left from yesterday. I winced, testing the movement, but relief washed over me when I realized it wasn't deep enough to slow me down.I needed to move fast, to be quiet. The shower hissed from behind the closed bathroom door, the only sound in the apartment. I took a quick, steadying breath.If there was ever a time to get out, it was now.I padded across the living room, feeling every muscle tense with purpose. When I reached the front door, my fingers went to the lock.I froze.That unyielding panel of numbers stared back at me, unmovable and impassive. I punched in the only codes I thought might work. Birthdays, common combinations, even random sequences. But each attempt ended with a sharp, unforgiving beep. My heart hammered in my chest. He had activated the security locked down system, blinking red with each failed entry.With growing dread, I tore my eyes from the door and cast a frantic glance around the apartment.
I blinked awake, my eyes adjusting to the dim light as I took in the soft shadows of the room. My hand throbbed slightly, wrapped in a fresh bandage.The antiseptic smell lingered, a reminder of how closely Jason had hovered over me. It felt like a weight pressing on my chest, this feeling of being caged. I needed to get away, away from his grip that seemed to tighten with every passing day.I shifted on the bed, letting out a quiet sigh. A warm hand squeezed my shoulder, gentle yet firm. Jason's voice reached me through the haze, soft and careful. "Hey, you’re waking up. I’m here.”Blinking, I opened my eyes, struggling to bring the world around me into focus. My mind felt heavy, muddled, and it took a moment to recognize where I was. Jason’s face hovered over me, a faint, reassuring smile on his face.The sunlight seeped through the blinds, casting soft, crisscrossed shadows over the room, grounding me slightly in its warmth. As I looked around, my eyes caught on the IV bag, nearly d
Lana began to stir, Jason felt a flicker of hope. He gently squeezed her shoulder, his voice low and soothing. "Hey, you're waking up. I'm here." Her eyes fluttered open, revealing a mix of confusion and fatigue. He smiled reassuringly, hoping to ease the disorientation that seemed to cling to her.The sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting soft shadows throughout the room. He glanced at the IV line, noting that the bag was nearly empty. The remnants of the medication administered by Jerry would soon be out of her system, and he hoped that would bring Lana back to herself."Here, drink this," he said, pouring warm water into a glass. He carefully raised it to her lips, watching as she took small sips. "You need more restful sleep." He added, wanted to ensure she felt comfortable and cared for."Jerry came by to check on you earlier," Jason explained, keeping his tone gentle. "He set up the IV to help you recover. It's almost done now." He gestured toward the line on her arm. "He
Jason eased Lana onto the bed, taking care to settle her comfortably before pulling the blankets up snugly around her, cocooning her in warmth.He brushed his fingers gently through her hair, smoothing out any strands that had strayed, letting them slip like silk through his fingertips.A mix of tenderness and guilt deep within him stirred, he lingered a moment longer, his gaze tracing her face as she slept, realizing just how far he had gone to keep her close, even if it meant crossing lines he'd once vowed never to cross.Making sure she was settled comfortably, Jason moved to close the blinds, casting the room into darkness, softening the edges of reality.The dim light created a quiet cocoon around them, shielding her from the world beyond those walls. He lowered himself onto the mattress beside her, the mattress creaking slightly under his weight.He observed closely as the tension in her expression eased, her brow softening as the pain began to recede. Her bandaged hand lay limp
I sat on the edge of the bed, gathered my belongings with trembling hands, stuffing clothes and a few personal items into a suitcase. I promised myself I would return once things were stable. I can't stay here any longer. Not after everything that had happened, not after the mess we were in.Jason had been kind, too kind, but everything had spiraled out of control. I couldn't face him. Not after what he'd done, after the lines he crossed.The guilt gnawed at me, and I couldn't tell where my own sense of shame ended and his manipulation began. I needed to get out.I needed to breathe.As I zipped the suitcase shut, a wave of panic tightened around my chest. What would Jason say? What would he do? My mind flashed back to our last confrontation, the way his eyes had burned with hurt and anger.I took a deep breath and opened the bedroom door, cautiously stepping into the hallway. The living room was empty.No sign of Jason.Maybe he'd gone out. Keeping my steps light, I wheeled my suitca