Ava's POV — Approaching the Lake
The wind whispered around her, cold and metallic. Every step toward the lake felt heavier than the last. Memories flashed, laughter, screams, water splashing — fragments from that long-ago summer she couldn't fully remember.
Her phone buzzed again.
Unknown: I see you.
Her pulse spiked. She scanned the shadows. Nothing. Just trees swaying in the moonlight.
"Stay away from me!" she whispered, but no one answered.
A figure emerged from the darkness.
It was him. The man she thought she had killed. Scarred, older, watching her with the same obsession she remembered.
"You came back," he said softly. "I knew you would."
Ava stumbled backward. "You're dead! I killed you!"
He tilted his head. "You tried. But I never really die, do I?"
He reached into his jacket.
Ava turned to run, but Kira grabbed her wrist. "Let her go," Kira said, voice shaking but firm.
The man laughed, low and chilling. "Always the brave one. You never change, Kira."
A branch snapped. Ethan lunged from the shadows. "Police are on their way!" he shouted.
The stalker pulled a gun.
A shot rang out.
Ava screamed. She ducked behind Kira, her heart in her throat.
Blood splattered near them. Judith had thrown herself in front of Kira.
"Judith!" Ava yelled, panic choking her.
Judith coughed, gripping Kira's hand. "He isn't done with you, Ava. This is just the beginning."
The man vanished into the trees. Sirens wailed in the distance.
Ava's hands shook. Kira's face was pale. Ethan's jaw was tight.
Everything had changed in a heartbeat.
Kira's POV — After the Shot
Blood. So much blood. The smell hit her first, metallic and sharp, burning her nose.
Judith was on the ground, coughing, her hand weakly reaching for Ava. Ava was pressed against her, shaking, eyes wide, frozen in terror.
Kira's heart hammered so hard she thought it might burst.
She looked up. The stalker was gone, vanished into the shadows. Sirens were faint, far off, but not here yet.
Kira's hands trembled as she checked Judith. She was alive, but barely.
"Judith," Kira whispered, voice cracking. "Stay with me. Please stay with me."
Judith managed a weak smile. "Kira… you have to protect Ava."
Kira's chest tightened. "I will. I swear I will."
Ava's grip on her arm was frantic. "Kie, what do we do? What do we do now?"
Kira looked around, mind racing. The lake behind them was black, water reflecting the moon like a broken mirror. Every rustle in the trees made her flinch.
"Go," she said sharply. "Get her out of here. I'll cover her."
Ava shook her head, panic making her almost scream. "No, Kira! We stay together!"
Another movement in the shadows. Kira turned just in time to see something disappear behind a tree.
Her pulse spiked. This wasn't over. Not even close.
"Ethan!" she shouted. "Help us!"
Ethan appeared, face pale, eyes wide, holding his phone. He was shaking. "We need to get her to the car, fast."
Kira nodded, trying to steady her breathing. She grabbed Ava's hand and half-dragged, half-ran toward Ethan while Judith leaned on her shoulder.
Every step felt like the stalker could appear at any moment.
The sirens were louder now. Relief? Not really. The danger wasn't gone.
Kira's mind raced with every possible scenario.
Who else knew about the lake? Who was helping the stalker?
And most importantly
Why had he come back now
She glanced at Ava, her best friend, trembling, wide-eyed.
She realized then that nothing would ever be the same again.
Hospital Chaos
The ambulance lights reflected red and blue on the walls, flashing across Ava's terrified face.
She held Kira's hand tightly, refusing to let go, while Ethan helped support Judith, who was pale and shivering under a thin blanket.
Yuri and Miyeong arrived, faces etched with panic. "Where is she? Where's Ava?"
"She's here," Kira said sharply, still gripping Ava's hand. "Judith got shot. We need help now."
Doctors and nurses rushed past, shouting instructions, moving so fast that Ava felt dizzy just watching. Machines beeped, cords rattled, and someone kept repeating that they needed blood type confirmation.
Yuri's hands shook as she took in the scene. "Who did this? Who—"
Kira's voice cut through her panic. "It was the stalker. The one who's been texting Ava. He shot Judith."
Yuri froze. "What? That man… he—"
"I saw him at the lake," Kira said. "He's still out there. He's dangerous. He wants Ava."
Ava's stomach dropped. "Why? Why me?"
Ethan's jaw tightened. "We'll find him. But right now, we have to focus on Judith."
Judith coughed weakly, her lips pale. "Kira… Ava… I'm sorry. I tried… to protect you."
Kira shook her head, tears welling. "Don't talk. Just survive. That's all that matters right now."
The doctors wheeled Judith down the corridor, and Ava grabbed the rail, following as best she could. Every siren, every footstep echoed like a drum in her chest.
Miyeong's hand found Ava's shoulder. "We need to stay together," she said firmly. "No one leaves the hospital alone."
Ava nodded, but her eyes kept darting to the shadows outside the windows, half-expecting to see the stalker watching, waiting.
The chaos of the hospital couldn't drown out the dread in her chest.
Someone was still out there.
And tonight was far from over.
Yuri and Miyeong — The Truth
The living room was dark except for the dim streetlights filtering through the curtains. Both women sat on opposite sides of the couch, tense, hands gripping mugs of tea that had long gone cold.
Yuri's jaw was tight. "He followed her from Spain?"
Miyeong nodded, voice low but urgent. "Yes. From the moment they left, he tracked her. Ava's… he's obsessed with her, Yuri. Not just dangerous. He's… unhinged."
Yuri ran a hand over her face. "And the lake… that's where it all started. The kidnapping five years ago. The same night Judith went missing."
Miyeong shivered. "Exactly. That's why he's back now. He's never stopped watching Ava. He's been patient, waiting for the right moment."
Yuri's eyes darkened. "And Judith… she helped him?"
Miyeong nodded slowly. "She's been hiding her feelings for Kira since they were kids. That's why she agreed to help him, at least partially. But she doesn't want Ava hurt. That's why she intervened tonight."
Yuri slammed her mug onto the table, making the tea spill. "We've kept Ava in the dark all these years. She doesn't even know what really happened. And now…" She exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. "…he's here. Watching her again."
Miyeong leaned forward, voice almost a whisper. "We need to tell her the truth, Yuri. Not everything. But enough for her to understand the danger she's in. And we need to protect her — all of us. No mistakes this time."
Yuri nodded slowly, eyes fixed on the darkened window. "We'll protect her. But… we can't let her know everything. Not yet. Some things… she's not ready for."
Miyeong's hand brushed Yuri's briefly. "We have to trust Kira and Ethan too. Ava's life depends on it."
Outside, the wind rustled the trees. Shadows moved under the moonlight, and for a moment both women froze, imagining the stalker watching from the darkness.
"This isn't over," Yuri murmured.
"It never was," Miyeong replied.
Both women sat in silence, hearts racing, knowing the storm wasn't coming — it had already arrived.