DAY ONE
The elevator doors slid open, pulling Evah out of her thoughts about today's lessons. It had been a long day—intense, packed with information—but she had enjoyed every moment of it.
"Tomorrow's for first aid emergencies," she murmured to herself with a smile, her boots clicking softly as she stepped out. The elevator led her directly to Erion's pad.
Her home for quite a while now.
She pressed her thumbnail against the scanner, and a soft click echoed as the door unlocked.
The level of security rich people have is amazing, she thought.
She swung the door open and stepped into the quiet, empty pad.
That's right. Of course, he's not here.
It was the first time she'd walked home alone. Usually, Erion would escort her back before disappearing to wherever his mysterious work took him.
She slipped off her shoes and placed them neatly on the rack by the door, glancing at her watch. It was already 11 p.m.
I still want to review that part, she decided.
Heading straight to her room, she changed into her home clothes, the soft rustle of fabric filling the still air. Moments later, she returned to the sofa with her tablet in hand.
The faint swipe of her finger across the glass made almost no sound. Nothing did. The room was quiet, wrapped in stillness, broken only by the gentle scratch of her pencil as she scribbled and highlighted notes on the glass screen.
Her excitement hadn't faded even after hours of lessons—it only grew stronger. The same spark she'd had as a child, that hunger to learn and discover, burned brightly again.
Something she thought she'd exhausted too much.
Her feet curled comfortably against the sofa. She hummed softly to herself, like a child lost in her coloring book.
The clock ticked, its minute hand sliding past another hour with a faint ding. She didn't even notice.
Until—
Bang.
The sound ripped through the silence. Too sharp, too loud to miss.
Her body froze, every nerve on alert.
Her gaze darted toward the door. From where she sat, part of the entrance was hidden from view, but the upper half of the door looked… closed.
Her excitement evaporated, replaced by fear. Her heartbeat quickened for an entirely different reason now.
Evah couldn't move. She just stared, waiting—listening. But nothing followed. No footsteps, no voices. Only the rhythmic pounding of her own heart, mocking her fear.
Erion, where are you? That thought was the only thing anchoring her as dread settled deep in her chest.
For the longest time, she had felt safe here. But right now, every instinct screamed danger.
She tightened her grip on the tablet in her hand. It was useless as a weapon—but it was all she had.
What should I do?
The next click of the clock's hand sounded deafening in the silence. The echo of her own breath in the quiet room
Carefully, she rose from the sofa, her bare feet meeting the cold floor. Maybe it was her imagination, or maybe the air had really turned colder.
She couldn't run. The only exit was the doorway—and the windows were no good.
Her breathing slowed. Her eyes flicked around the room in a full scan, her body rigid, afraid to even make a sound.
Nothing.
Finally, her logical mind began to fight back. That was nothing. Maybe I'm overreacting.
She took a deep breath to calm herself.
Let me just check.
Each tiptoed step toward the door felt like an eternity.
Until she finally saw it—
"Ahh!"
Her scream tore out, sharp and frightened—then caught in her throat.
Right there, just inside the doorway, a man lay collapsed—face down on the floor.
Her heart stopped. She stumbled back, instinct screaming danger.
But something was… familiar.
The jacket. The build. The shoes.
Evah's breath hitched. Gathering the last fragments of her courage, she inched closer, the shape on the ground slowly coming into view.
And then—everything clicked.
"Erion?!"