Maya was running like her life depended on it. The soft cream sweater she wore clung lightly to her as she dashed down the narrow country road, her light blue jeans stretching with each hurried step. Her beige shoulder bag bounced against her side, the gold chain strap flashing under the sun. She barely noticed the dust that gathered on her white sneakers; all she knew was that she had to get there.
She'd just landed an hour ago, and Ryan had been the one to pick her up from the airport himself. The moment he received her call, short, breathless, urgent, he didn't think twice. He left the company and Kai. After sending the location to Kai, he headed straight to the airport.
But as they drove, Ryan couldn't shake off a strange feeling. the directions... the route... The location was too familiar. And when the car rolled down the final stretch of the countryside road, his brows furrowed. Wait a second… isn't this the same place Kai went?
He didn't say it out loud, but the thought struck him deep. As the car slowed to a stop in front of a small house surrounded by open land, his confusion turned into disbelief. Before he could question her, Maya had already unbuckled and bolted out of the car.
Now she was running, hair flying behind her, breath ragged, sweater sleeves rolled halfway up, and when she stopped, she froze. Because right in front of Alina's house stood a wall of men. Not just men's bodyguards. Tall, broad, all dressed in black suits and dark glasses. They looked more like a silent army than mere security, perfectly aligned, unmoving.
"What the heck…" Maya muttered, panting. "Why are they standing here? This is Alina's house!"
Ryan parked the car beside another one, black, expensive. He recognized it immediately. Kai's car. So this is where he came.
Maya, still unaware, pointed toward the guards and said stubbornly, "Hey! Move aside! I need to go in!"
The men didn't even flinch. Their gazes remained straight ahead, blank and unreadable. Frustration flared in her. "Seriously? Are you deaf or just rude?"
And then, from behind her, Ryan gave a small nod. Just a subtle movement, but it was enough. The formation shifted in perfect sync. The guards moved smoothly, silently, like shadows parting on command, clearing the path that led to the door.
Maya blinked, startled, then grinned proudly. "See that?" she said, turning to Ryan. "They moved because I told them to!"
Ryan crossed his arms, his lips twitching with quiet amusement. "Yeah," he said dryly, "that's your power, Maya."
"I know, right?" she replied, brushing her hair back and smirking. "Let's go."
But as they walked closer, the air thickened, tense, heavy, the kind of stillness that hums before something breaks. Inside, the sound of faint, ragged breathing filled the silence.
Alina's eyes flickered open for a second, the world spinning before her. Through the blur, she saw a tall figure steady, familiar, and heartbreakingly real. Her heart stumbled inside her chest.
She tried to whisper, but the word barely left her lips. Her vision dimmed again, and before she could say anything more, darkness pulled her under once again.
By the time Maya reached Alina's house, chaos and confusion had already begun to settle into a tense silence. The neighbors had backed away, whispering among themselves. The bodyguards stood firm, stationed at every possible corner like statues carved from stone.
Inside, the air was heavy, thick with worry, with fear, with unspoken memories. The moment Maya stepped in, her eyes widened. There, on the sofa, lay Alina pale, fragile, still as if the world had stopped for her.
"Alina…" Maya breathed out, her voice trembling as she rushed forward.
She ran like someone whose heart was about to shatter, stumbling over the edge of the carpet, catching herself, and falling to her knees beside her best friend. Her hands hovered above Alina's face, shaking, not knowing whether to touch her or not.
"Alina?" she called again, softer this time, desperate.
But Alina didn't move. Her lashes rested against her cheeks, her breathing faint but steady. Seeing her like that, lifeless yet alive, tore something inside Maya.
Her tears came before she even realized it. She leaned down, hugging Alina tightly, her words breaking between sobs.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Alina," Maya whispered against her shoulder.
"I wasn't here when you needed me the most. I should've been… I should've been by your side."
Her voice cracked completely, and she held Alina even tighter, like she could make up for all the missed moments with one embrace.
"I'm sorry," she repeated again and again, tears wetting Alina's hair.
From a few steps away, Ryan stood silently, his expression unreadable. And beside him, slightly apart, half in shadow, was Kai.
He had put on his mask and cap again, covering the face that only a few knew. But even with most of him hidden, something about him stood out. His presence filled the space quietly, steadily, protectively.
Ryan watched Maya and Alina, a deep sigh leaving his chest. "They've been through a lot," he murmured under his breath.
Moments later, the front door opened again. One of the bodyguards stepped aside, and a woman entered the doctor. She was brisk and calm, carrying her kit.
"Where's the patient?" she asked.
"This way, doctor," Ryan said quickly.
The doctor followed Ryan, kneeling beside Alina. Maya didn't move at first. She just sat there, wiping her tears with trembling fingers until Ryan placed a hand gently on her shoulder.
"Maya," he said softly, "let her check her. Come on, get up."
She blinked, dazed, then nodded, rising slowly. Her eyes were red, her face streaked with tears. She wiped them quickly, trying to regain her composure as the doctor began checking Alina's pulse, temperature, and vitals.
"Her blood pressure's low," the doctor murmured, preparing an injection and a saline drip.
"She'll be fine after rest and fluids," she added, scribbling a quick prescription.
The bodyguards moved efficiently, setting up a stand and hanging the saline bottle beside Alina's bed as the doctor finished her work.
Alina was now lying in her room quietly, hooked to the IV, breathing evenly. Maya, Ryan, and Kai stood just outside the door, the faint sound of the IV drip filling the silence.
That was when Maya finally noticed the man in the hat and mask properly. Her brow furrowed.
"Ryan," she whispered, leaning closer, "who is that guy?"
She pointed subtly towards Kai. "What's he doing here? He's not a bodyguard, I can tell."
Ryan hesitated, glancing at Kai. "He's… Alina's roommate."
Maya's eyes went wide. "What?!"
"Shh!" Ryan hissed, quickly putting a finger to his lips. "Do you want the whole neighborhood to hear?"
Maya blinked at him, utterly baffled. "Roommate? Alina's roommate?" she repeated, whispering but still loud enough that Kai turned his head slightly.
He didn't say anything, though. He just stood there, near the door, silent, still, his eyes fixed on Alina through the small gap.
Maya crossed her arms, whispering under her breath, ''So he is the unsociable person''
As she said that, she couldn't help but notice the way he looked at her friend. There was something in that gaze raw, aching, almost reverent. It wasn't curiosity or confusion. It was emotion. Deep, quiet, overwhelming emotion.
And for a second, Maya forgot to breathe. She turned her head to Ryan. "He's different," she murmured.
Ryan only nodded faintly. "You have no idea how different he is."
Maya crossed her arms. "What's he doing here? Who called him? Because when I came inside, he was already here."
Her tone carried suspicion now. Her brows furrowed as she studied Kai's figure again, the hat pulled low, the mask hiding half his face, the silence that surrounded him like a wall.
Ryan blinked. His brain worked fast. He knew Maya was observant, quick, and right now dangerously close to catching the truth.
He took a slow breath and said smoothly, ''I told him to come."
Maya blinked. "You did?"
Ryan gave a small, forced chuckle '' He called me this morning and I found out he was here near the countryside, so I sent him the location. That's why he got here before we came. As you already know that he is my friend''
Maya exhaled, finally letting her shoulders drop. "Hmm. Okay…"
Ryan's pulse was racing. He had just lied to her face, something he never did, but he knew it was necessary.
Kai's eyes didn't move from Alina, not for a second. The mask covered half his face, but his gaze said everything words couldn't. It was like he was afraid to blink… afraid that if he did, she might disappear again.
The room fell into a still silence filled only with the sound of Alina's soft breathing and the faint drip of the saline. And in that silence, three people stood: one worried, one confused, and one completely lost in the sight of the girl he thought he'd lost forever.
The soft sound of the saline drip echoed faintly in the quiet house. The scent of medicine lingered in the air, sharp, cold, sterile. Outside, the night had fallen heavily; the village was quiet.
Inside, everything felt still, painfully still. Maya sat on the edge of the couch, her fingers clenched tightly in her lap. Her eyes were swollen, red, and glassy. Across from her stood Ryan, his voice careful but curious.
"Maya," he said softly, breaking the silence. "Back there… when you said those words to her that 'I wasn't here when you needed me the most'... what did you mean?"
For a moment, she didn't move. Didn't blink. She just sat there, staring blankly at the floor, her breath shaky.
Ryan waited.
"Maya?" he asked again, gently.
But her silence was louder than words. Her throat moved as she tried to swallow the rising lump, her fingers trembling against each other. And then, slowly, the tears began to form again, glistening under the dim light. When she finally spoke, her voice was fragile.
"Because it's true," she whispered.