Sira looked at him with her brown eyes, a gaze mixed with sadness and astonishment. Her heart told her what she dared not say aloud.
She said to herself:
"Perhaps... because he is your brother."
The light above the operating room glowed a cool green, and an atmosphere of anticipation filled the hospital, as if time had momentarily stopped. The doctor emerged from the room, his face bearing a look of relief, and everyone gathered around him.
Aiden approached with hesitant steps, his eyes following every movement of the doctor. His heart was pounding, eager to hear the news that would remove the creeping anxiety.
He said in a low but firm voice:
"How is he? Will he be okay?"
The doctor smiled gently, trying to soothe the tension:
"Don't worry, his condition is stable... We'll move him to a regular room soon to rest."
A breath escaped Aiden's chest, but he didn't dare release it. At that moment, the silence was broken by Sira's phone ringing. She quickly picked it up, but her mother's voice cut through the air, sharp and worried:
"Sira! Where are you? It's very late!"
Her mother's words trembled in Sira's ear, her eyes filled with stress, and she replied softly:
"I'm sorry, Mom, I'll be right back."
She held the phone to her ear, taking a deep breath, then turned towards Aiden, as if she wanted to stay longer, but knew that time wouldn't wait.
She said in a hesitant tone:
"I have to go now..."
Aiden looked at her, reorganized his thoughts for a moment, then gently reached out his hand towards her head. His fingers glided through her hair as if he was trying to commit that touch to memory. He gently pulled her closer, embracing her slowly, as if she was his only source of safety in this volatile world.
He whispered in her ear, his voice full of tenderness:
"If you hadn't been with me today... I don't know what I would have done."
Sira's cheeks blushed with shyness, but her heart soared with the warmth of those words. She returned the hug for a moment longer, but her duty called her, so she pulled away shyly, almost whispering:
"Okay, I'll go..."
Aiden smiled as he watched her walk away, then said confidently:
"I'll drive you... then come back quickly."
There was a promise in his voice, and a hope for a swift reunion that made everything seem more bearable.
The summer air was warm, night breezes slipped through the quiet streets, carrying the scent of night-blooming flowers, as if nature itself whispered its secrets to those who listened. The air was fresh, filling the chest with an indescribable comfort, mingling the scents of jasmine and tuberose with the gentleness of the evening.
Aiden's car quietly stopped in front of the entrance to Arcadia Vaulta. He remained seated behind the wheel, his shoulder relaxed but his gaze fixed on her. He didn't speak, didn't move. He just watched her in silence, as if his eyes were trying to memorize her features before she disappeared.
Sira quietly opened the car door, but didn't get out immediately. She turned to him slowly, her brown eyes sparkling under the yellow street light, holding a deep and sincere affection. There was something of gratitude in her gaze, and something else of quiet sadness.
She gently reached out and touched his cheek, then leaned in slightly, and pressed a light kiss on his lips... It wasn't long, but it left a deep impression.
She said in a soft voice mingled with the night's breath:
"Arin needs you now... He's alone, and he needs you more than you can imagine."
Then she calmly got out, and gently closed the door behind her. Aiden remained in his place, his hand still on the steering wheel, his eyes following her steps until she disappeared behind the building's gate.
The engine roared beneath his feet as he turned the steering wheel, the car's growl in the quiet street made it seem like a caged beast breaking free.
As for Sira, she stepped lightly towards the elevator, looking at the ground as if reviewing her last words with him. She pressed the button and waited for a few brief moments. And when the door slowly opened... she found herself face to face with her mother.
Her mother stood there, her eyes wide with worry, looking at her daughter with a gaze that held a mixture of relief at seeing her and reproach for her lateness.
Sira slowly raised her hand, as if fearing the scene before her would dissipate, waving to her mother from a distance.
A slight, nervous smile formed on her trembling lips as she said in a low, almost inaudible voice:
"Hello... Mom."
She walked towards the elevator with hesitant, faint steps, as if every movement she made was carefully measured. She pressed the elevator button with her fingertips, feeling her mother's angry gaze pierce her like burning arrows, asking a thousand questions without uttering a word.
In a voice charged with anger and worry, her mother said as soon as she approached her:
"Do you know how worried I was? We were about to call the police!"
Sira lowered her eyes shyly, but composed herself and replied in a tone she tried to keep calm:
"I'll tell you two things... First: I got a job, a one-year contract.
And second..."
She paused for a moment, then exhaled deeply:
"I was at the hospital."
Her mother's eyes widened in astonishment, and the anger in her gaze turned to overwhelming concern. She approached her fearfully, and began to look at her arms, examine her face, touch her shoulders:
"What? Where were you hurt? Why didn't you call me? Why didn't you tell me?"
Sira smiled, a warm smile this time, like a gentle breeze passing over a burning flame, then gently took her mother's hand, squeezing it affectionately:
"I'm fine... don't worry."
Then she added in a soft voice with a hint of sadness:
"Do you remember our neighbor, the person who took Black? His friend had an accident, he was taken to the hospital. I was there with him, I couldn't leave him alone. I saw him alone, scared... and by chance I met him at the pharmacy when he received the news, he wasn't in a state to be alone."
In the Hospital – where silence enveloped the place except for the sound of the pulse monitor:
Beep... beep... beep...
A faint light seeped from the window, caressing the face of the unconscious young man.
Aiden sat on a chair beside the bed, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped in front of his mouth as if praying or pleading.
His eyes watched Arin's face, which seemed pale, still, with no movement except his chest slowly rising and falling.
Aiden whispered to himself, as if he didn't dare say it aloud:
"Why did I do that? Why can't I leave you alone?"
He closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the last moments, his voice, his gaze, then suddenly opened them and looked at Arin with a confused gaze, filled with bewilderment and worry.
And amidst this stillness, the sound of the machine continued to pulsate with life.
Beep... beep... beep...
The House – Evening
Sira stood at her room door, her hand on the knob, her eyes fixed on her mother standing at the end of the corridor. Her voice held no sharpness, but a small tremor that hid something greater than fatigue.
Sira (in a low voice tinged with worry):
"Mom... I'm sorry I worried you today."
She paused for a moment, took a deep breath, then looked directly into her mother's eyes, as if searching for a last glimmer of understanding.
Sira (continues in a voice steeped in confusion):
"But... what if I knew something?
Something important... something that could completely change someone's life?
What would you do if you were in my place?"
Her mother didn't reply directly. She looked at her steadily, her features calm but full of pain and experience.
Mother (calmly and firmly):
"It's not easy, I know.
But no matter how long it takes...
You have to tell the truth, because a secret, if it stays inside you, will suffocate you."
They exchanged silent glances for a moment, before Sira quietly turned and entered her room.
In Prison – Visiting Room
The iron door opened with a dry creak. The man entered with measured steps, following the police officer to a glass table separating him from the prisoners. He sat on the chair in front of Luna, a thick glass pane with small openings between them.
He picked up the attached phone receiver, looking at the bound woman in front of him.
The Man (sarcastic tone):
"I didn't expect to see you here, crazy Luna."
Luna slowly raised her face, her hair covering part of her eyes, but as soon as she stared at him, her gaze turned into a blade.
Luna (in a steady voice tinged with defiance):
"Madness is not a flaw, dear.
I was never guilty... I just wanted to protect them.
But he... he deceived me."
The Man (his tone suddenly changes, stern):
"Aiden... why?"
Luna's expression changed completely. She became cold, rigid, and her gaze turned into a sharp knife.
Luna (in a heavy whisper):
"He told me to go on... to trust him.
He promised me... that I would be the one to kill him.
Because I was the only one who truly loved him.
But he didn't come.
He left me here alone... but not for long."
She leaned closer to the glass, her gaze penetrating through the openings as if tearing apart his silence.
Luna:
"And you? Why did you come? Found a new victim?"
The Man (smiles maliciously):
"No, I found a new love.
I saw her... and I liked her.
Beautiful, different.
I have a folder of her pictures...
I love her, but she doesn't even know I exist."