The rain outside never let up. It drummed against the hospital windows with relentless rhythm, a constant reminder that the world outside was still moving—still dangerous. Inside, however, the hallways were eerily quiet, broken only by the soft beeping of machines and the distant echo of hurried footsteps.
Dr. Adrian Vale stood just inside the room where the girl from the accident had been placed. He had seen many injuries in his years at the hospital, but something about this one unsettled him. The way she had moved, the way her eyes had focused on him across the street—it lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.
"Doctor Vale!" Nurse Elira's voice broke the silence, her footsteps hurrying across the polished floor. "She's awake."
Adrian's stomach tightened. Awake? That shouldn't have been possible. The girl had been unconscious when the ambulance arrived, her body fragile, drenched in rain, and yet here she was, sitting upright, alert. He followed her into the room, every step cautious, wary of what he might find.
The girl sat on the edge of the bed, her dark hair falling in wet strands over her shoulders. Despite her paleness, her eyes shone with a sharpness that unsettled him. They were not the eyes of someone recovering from a severe accident—they were the eyes of someone aware, calculating, ready.
Adrian stepped closer. "I'm Dr. Adrian Vale," he said softly. "Do you remember what happened?"
The girl's gaze didn't waver. She studied him as though trying to measure him, weigh him. Then, finally, she spoke.
"My name is Lyra."
Adrian nodded slowly. "Lyra… do you remember the accident?"
"Yes," she said, and there was no hesitation in her voice.
He frowned. "It wasn't random, was it?"
Lyra's lips pressed together, and her eyes flicked toward the window where the rain fell endlessly. "No," she whispered. "They were following me."
Adrian felt a chill. "Who? The driver?"
Lyra shook her head. "Not just the driver. Someone else. Someone who doesn't want me alive."
Adrian's pulse quickened. He had seen fear before, but this was different. This wasn't panic over an injury—it was fear for her life, a fear that reached beyond the hospital walls, beyond the accident. His instincts screamed at him that she wasn't exaggerating.
A knock at the door interrupted the moment.
Adrian spun around.
"Miss Vale," a police officer's voice called. "We're here regarding the accident."
Lyra's body stiffened. Adrian caught the fleeting shadow of panic that crossed her face before she masked it.
Adrian turned to her. "Stay calm," he whispered.
The lead officer entered with two colleagues. "Good evening. We just have a few questions regarding the accident." He looked at Adrian. "We were told a doctor was present?"
"Yes," Adrian said. "She's stable now, but she's been through a lot. Perhaps you can wait a moment while she rests?"
The officer's gaze flicked to Lyra. She did not meet their eyes, her hands clenching the edge of the blanket. "She's awake," Adrian said, softly but firmly. "She's aware, and she's tired. Please let her answer calmly."
The officers hesitated but nodded. They pulled out notepads and pens, eyes sharp, scanning the room. Adrian stepped back slightly, watching Lyra as she composed herself.
"Miss," the officer said, "can you tell us your full name?"
Lyra swallowed and said, "Lyra… just Lyra."
"Last name?"
She hesitated, her eyes darting to Adrian as if seeking approval or protection. "I can't," she whispered. Her voice trembled but held an unusual strength beneath it.
Adrian felt a surge of protectiveness. "It's okay," he said gently. "You don't have to give them everything yet."
The officers made notes anyway, glancing around the room as though suspecting they were missing something. Adrian's gaze returned to Lyra.
"You're scared," he said quietly.
Lyra's lips pressed into a thin line. "Yes."
Adrian leaned closer. "Why? What are you hiding?"
She shook her head. "I'm not hiding… I'm surviving."
He frowned. Her words made sense and yet left a gnawing worry inside him. He had dealt with fear before, but this was different—it was precise, controlled, and dangerous.
Lyra whispered again, almost inaudibly, "The accident wasn't random."
Adrian's pulse quickened. He had suspected something, but hearing it confirmed sent a chill down his spine.
The officers began their questions again, and Adrian found himself tuning out, focusing instead on Lyra's small movements, the way her eyes scanned the room, the way her fingers trembled slightly against the blanket. Something about her said she knew more than she let on.
Suddenly, the lights flickered. Once. Twice. The hum of the machines wavered.
Lyra's eyes widened. "They're here."
Adrian turned toward the door. "Who?"
She didn't answer. Her gaze was fixed on the small window in the door, watching shadows shift outside. A soft knock followed. One. Two. Three slow, deliberate taps.
Adrian felt the room tighten around him, the air heavier. He moved closer to Lyra instinctively.
"Stay back from the door," she whispered.
The handle turned slowly.
Adrian's muscles tensed.
"I—who's there?" he called.
Silence.
Then, faint footsteps approached. The sound was heavy, deliberate, confident—someone not used to hiding.
Lyra's voice was steady now, but there was a warning in it. "Don't open it. Not yet."
Adrian's heart thudded painfully. He glanced at her. "Why?"
She looked back at him, eyes wide, urgent. "Because the accident was only the beginning. And whoever's out there… they won't stop until I'm gone."
The handle clicked again, turning fully this time.
Adrian reached for the door—but Lyra grabbed his wrist.
"Not yet," she said. Her grip was firm, her eyes locked on the shadows outside. "We need to know who it is first. And we need to be ready."
The footsteps halted.
The room fell into an unbearable silence.
Even the rain outside seemed to pause, the only sound the soft beeping of the machines.
Then the door creaked open just a few inches.
A shadow fell across the floor.
Adrian's blood ran cold.
The rainstorm, the accident, the police—they all felt insignificant now compared to the presence standing in the doorway.
Lyra leaned back slightly on the bed, her voice a whisper of warning. "They've come for me."
Adrian looked at the shadow. He could barely make out the figure, but even that was enough to know the danger was real.
And for the first time, he understood the truth: this night was far from over. The real storm was just beginning.