Damien's POV
The rain hadn't stopped since last night. It tapped against the hospital windows like a persistent ghost, as if mourning the boy lying unconscious beyond the glass. Damien stood in the corridor, unmoving, his coat still damp from the storm outside. His eyes, bloodshot and raw, were fixed on the closed door to Elias's room. Inside, the machines beeped in uneven rhythms, like a song slowly fading.
He had barely slept. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Elias—his body limp, blood soaking through bandages, and the memory of his own hands trembling as he pulled him away from Alexander's broken frame. And now, with every minute Elias remained unresponsive, guilt devoured him.
"Damien Cross?"
The voice startled him.
A woman stood in the hallway, just beside the nurses' station. Slim build, pale complexion, dark brown hair neatly tucked into a bun under a police cap. Her eyes were a shade too sharp to be comforting.
"I'm Officer Mara Lynne," she said, flashing her badge quickly before tucking it into her coat. "I was recently transferred to this jurisdiction. I was hoping to speak with Dr. Cassian Ridgeway regarding the attempted murder case."
Damien blinked. "You mean the attempt on Elias Vale."
"Correct."
She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. Damien had dealt with enough liars and manipulators to feel the wrongness in people, and something about her—her poise, her calm in a situation so grotesque—was off. Still, he nodded. "Come with me."
---
POV: Cassian
Cassian glanced up from his paperwork when Damien opened the office door.
"Cassian," Damien said curtly, "this is Officer Mara Lynne. She wants to speak with you."
Cassian gestured for her to enter, rising to shake her hand. "Officer. What can I help you with?"
Mara stepped inside, her boots clicking against the tile. "I wanted a first-hand account of what happened the night someone tried to tamper with Elias Vale's life support. The suspect fled before capture."
Cassian rubbed his temples. He hadn't even had time to process the incident. The security had intervened in time, and Elias's vitals had stabilized shortly after. Still, the fear from that night hadn't left him.
"I was on night shift," he began. "Routine rounds. I checked Elias's chart and noticed a spike in his vitals. Before I could re-enter the room, one of the monitors went dark. I rushed in. Someone in a dark hoodie was messing with the ventilator wires. When I shouted, they bolted. Security caught a partial image on the cameras, but nothing conclusive."
Mara nodded, scribbling something into a leather-bound notepad. "Any idea who would want Elias dead?"
Cassian scoffed bitterly. "Where do I begin?"
Damien stood against the wall silently, watching Mara more than listening. Her posture was too relaxed. Her questions, though valid, seemed rehearsed.
"Elias Vale is connected to a lot of people," Cassian continued, unaware of Damien's growing suspicion. "He lost his brother, Noah, to what we thought was suicide. He was living with the Vales. His life... it's complicated."
Mara paused, the pen still in her hand. "Noah Vale? The same Noah who used to intern under the city DA?"
Cassian frowned. "I think so. I only know Elias mentioned his name."
Mara didn't respond immediately. Instead, she reached into her coat pocket, slowly withdrawing something small—a worn photograph.
Damien's eyes narrowed. He didn't miss the flicker of something—a personal attachment? Anger? Whatever it was, it passed too fast.
"I used to know Noah," she said flatly, placing the photo back without showing it. "Before... everything."
Cassian tilted his head. "What was he like?"
Mara smiled, but it was hollow. "Like fire. Bright. Dangerous, if you weren't careful."
She straightened. "That will be all for now. Thank you for your time."
Damien followed her out of the office. As she walked away, her figure melting into the dim hallway, something about the weight of her words gnawed at him.
Fire. Dangerous.
He glanced toward Elias's room. A bad feeling coiled in his stomach.
---
POV: Cassian
The office door closed, and Cassian let out a shaky breath. He turned back to his desk, running a hand over his face.
He still had to review Elias's latest scan results. As he reached for the file, something made him stop.
A whisper of movement.
He turned to the monitor. Elias's vitals remained steady.
But then—
The finger.
Cassian froze. Elias's right index finger twitched.
"No way," he murmured.
He stood, crossed the room, leaned in. Nothing. No more movement.
"Probably just a muscle spasm," he told himself. But doubt crept in. His pulse sped up.
Was it a sign?
He returned to his chair but couldn't focus. The image of that single twitch stayed imprinted in his mind. Hope mixed with fear.
He didn't notice the shadow that lingered beyond the security glass.
---
Cliffhanger:
As Mara exited the hospital, she moved through the parking lot with unhurried steps. Her fingers reached inside her coat once more.
She pulled out the photo. The corners were torn, the image faded from age—but there he was.
Noah Vale.
Smiling beside a younger version of herself.
She ran her thumb over his face.
"You should never have lied to me," she whispered.
And then she slipped the photo back into her coat and walked into the shadows.