♣︎ She Was Here... Then Gone! ♣︎
The same pitch-black night...
Steam rose throughout the bathroom, creeping along the cold walls and condensing over the mirror, now veiled in a heavy mist, while the sound of running water whispered like it was singing a sorrowful elegy.
I stood under the hot spray, closing my eyes, letting the water flow over my shoulders, down my arms, trickling between my fingers, then melting into my skin as if trying to soothe a tremble that wouldn't stop within me. Wet strands of my hair clung to my face, and my head was bowed forward, as though the weight in my chest wanted me to hide from everything—from everyone... even from myself.
I raised my hand and wiped the foggy surface of the mirror, searching for a reflection that might comfort me... a face that still looked like mine.
I stared at my features, pale as if life had abandoned me. My green eyes revealed nothing of me—just a forest of exhaustion and fear... a fear I couldn't name.
I breathed slowly, then murmured in a broken voice:
"Am I... stuck in a nightmare with no end?"
I hadn't finished my whisper when sparks exploded in my head—dim flashes that suddenly turned into fleeting images, as if memory had erupted inside me without mercy.
Blood... spilling across a cold floor like it was searching for escape.
Muffled screams rising from beneath the ground.
A trembling woman, reaching out as she clutched a baby... her eyes screaming in despair.
A dark laugh, inhuman, echoing in my ears.
A severed head rolling on the ground...
Guts torn open, scattered like dry leaves.
Faceless figures... watching me from behind the shadows.
I gasped, raising my hands to my head, clutching my hair violently as if I could force the images out. My breath quickened, like something was choking me from within, my body heating up as though I was about to burst into flames.
I staggered, feeling the ground tremble beneath me, reality slipping away—then suddenly, I collapsed onto the cold tile floor. The sound of my fall was sharp and lonely... like a declaration of the end.
My eyelids twitched. I tried to stay awake... to resist... but in the shadows at the corner of the bathroom, I saw him...
A tall, slender silhouette, standing still, smiling with a silent wickedness, as if my fall was the moment he had been waiting for all along.
The light faded from my eyes... and my eyelids slowly closed.
――――――――――――――――――――――
At that moment... on the other side of the city...
Zoe:
My alarm rang with a gentle tone, and the first thing that greeted my morning was a soft beam of light slipping between the curtains, dancing over the pillow.
I opened my eyes slowly, stretching in place before exhaling in relief.
A light breeze filtered through the open window, carrying the scent of dew and the calm of a city at the dawn of a new day. I rose from my bed slowly, my feet touching the cold floor, and made my way to the bathroom to wash my face.
Cold water splashes swept away the remnants of sleep from my eyes. I stared at the mirror, pushed my brown hair behind my ears, then smiled quietly.
I didn't know this day would change everything.
I dressed carefully, choosing a gray jacket over a simple white blouse, and navy slim pants. Then I grabbed my bag and left the house after bidding my parents goodbye.
At the university campus, everything seemed normal.
Students wandered lazily, faint voices echoed through the hallways, and drowsy laughter rose from small groups seated on benches.
I entered our usual lecture hall. My footsteps filled the silence with a quiet rhythm. The seats were half full, some classmates reviewed notes, others stared at their phones in boredom.
I sat in my place, placed my bag beside me, and pulled out my lecture notebook... then looked at the empty seat next to me.
Layan... why didn't you come today?
That was the first moment I felt something... indescribable.
A cold feeling, as if my morning was missing a piece of it... the most important piece.
Before I could think further, murmurs began to rise from the back of the hall, and everyone turned.
The door opened. Two young men entered—Aren and Raine, as usual.
Some whispers faded. Others grew louder. They didn't need an introduction—their presence alone was enough to shift the mood of the room.
Aren walked first, tall, steady steps, his icy blue eyes not focusing on anyone in particular, yet giving the impression he could see through souls. His face was expressionless, unmoved, as if time did not touch him.
Behind him, Raine followed with longer strides, always wearing that mischievous smile painted across his face. He glanced at a few girls with playful looks, then said in his usual sarcastic tone:
— "Didn't expect the morning to be this dull... Where's the fun?"
Some boys laughed quietly. A girl sighed from the other side. The tension began to creep into the air.
Raine was Aren's opposite—he filled the space with his voice, while Aren filled it with silence.
Raine passed by me without stopping, but his eyes caught the empty seat beside me—Layan's seat. He turned to me and asked in his calm, provoking voice:
— "Where's your silent friend?"
I looked at him coldly and replied with a tone that hid none of my irritation:
— "I don't know."
He smiled, like he enjoyed that answer, then continued to the back row. Aren sat at the far end of the last row in silence, as he always did.
His presence alone changed the atmosphere of the hall—more anticipation, more glances, like everyone was waiting for something they couldn't name.
But this time, I wasn't watching them.
I was staring at the empty seat beside me, and inside me, only one question echoed:
"Where are you, Layan?"
♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛
The lecture ended.
Soft murmurs filled the hall. Some students packed up quickly, others lingered as if they didn't want to leave.
The professor exited without a goodbye, as if something in the air had silenced him.
I sat in my place for a while, not moving, not even blinking. I was deep in my head... in that unnamed fear.
When I finally looked up, I saw Raine at the door, leaning against the wall, watching me with a playful expression.
Our eyes met for a second—then he looked away as if nothing had happened and left.
Aren had already left minutes before the lecture ended, in his usual quiet, with no one daring to stand in his way.
I sighed, picked up my bag, and walked toward the door at a slower pace than usual.
I moved through the crowded hallways, my eyes darting to my phone every so often. No updates.
I typed another message:
"Layan, where are you? I'm worried... please answer."
By the time I reached the university square, the sun had started piercing through the clouds, and the rain had slowed to a gentle drizzle. Still, the air remained cold—like spring had gone back on its promises.
I passed by the cafeteria, paused... then turned away.
"No food without Layan," I told myself quietly.
I ended my day feeling like I was walking through a thick cloud.
I received several invitations from the film team—I ignored them all. Something mattered more than a camera lens.
I opened the map app, called a cab, and typed in the address I knew well...
Layan's apartment.
I sat in the back seat, staring out the window at the road ahead, as if I was heading toward an answer... or the beginning of something I couldn't undo.
Her absence screamed in my head: "This isn't normal."
The car stopped in front of the old building where she lived.
Faded gray paint coated the walls, and iron balconies looked like prisoners to silence that had lasted years.
I got out slowly, wrapped my coat tighter around me, feeling the wind slip into my sleeves. I looked up at the balcony on the third floor... no light. No movement behind the curtains.
The place was as silent as a grave.
I climbed the wooden stairs, my footsteps echoing in the stillness, my heart pounding in a rhythm filled with both fear and dread. I stopped at the door, raised my hand, and knocked three times.
No answer.
I leaned closer and whispered:
— "Layan? It's Zoe. Are you okay?"
Silence.
I took out my phone and called again. The phone rang from inside... yes, it rang... but no one answered.
I breathed slowly and dared to try the doorknob...
It opened easily, as if it had been waiting for me.
I pushed the door gently, as if stepping into the unknown.
I entered.
Stillness ruled the place. The scent of cold coffee lingered in the air, mixed with faint traces of a perfume that smelled like old incense.
I called out hesitantly:
— "Layan?"
I walked in. Everything was neatly arranged as usual, but something felt heavy in the air.
I noticed a small towel on the floor outside the bathroom door, and the hallway mirror was still fogged.
I wondered to myself:
"Was she taking a shower?"
I approached the bathroom door and pushed it gently.
No one was there.
Steam still rose on the mirror, and water droplets shimmered on the tiles, but Layan was nowhere to be found.
A tight knot formed in my chest. I stepped back.
Then I noticed her phone on the small table beside the couch, its screen dark and cold, as if untouched since the morning.
I whispered:
— "This isn't normal..."
I headed to her room. The door was ajar.
I entered.
The bed was unmade, as if she had left in a hurry, but there was no trace of her.
Suddenly, I saw in the corner a single white flower, broken on the ground.
I approached, bent down, and picked it up.
It was wilted, as if it had been left there since last night.
As I stared at it, a chill swept from the back of my neck down my spine.
I felt... like someone was watching me.
I turned quickly.
No one.
The window was tightly shut.
The curtains shifted gently, as if an unseen breeze passed by... unnoticed.
I left Layan's apartment, stumbling with each step. My breath raced ahead of me, and the cold air no longer made me feel anything... My body felt heavy with unanswered questions, with a worry gnawing at my chest like a starving beast.
I stood in the middle of the street—no plan, no clear direction. I thought of the police, the university... then his image anchored itself in my mind—my father.
I pulled out my phone again—though I had just seen her phone lying on the table with my own eyes—I called her one last time, just to convince myself I wasn't imagining things. The phone rang... from inside the apartment. No one answered.
I flagged down a taxi in a rush, gave the driver the address of the company without any explanation, and sat in the back seat, pressing my fingers nervously into my thigh.
The windows of the buildings passed me by without meaning, the city lights reflecting on the glass as if they were watching me. My head swirled with thoughts: Was she kidnapped? Did she run away? Did she leave everything behind?
No... Impossible.
We arrived at the gleaming glass building, towering and reflecting the sunlight like it was devouring the city. I stepped out quickly, pushed the front doors open, ignored the guards' greetings, and rushed straight to the secretary's desk.
She stood up, light on her feet, eyes filled with concern:
— "Miss Zoe? Are you okay? Your father is in a meeting right now—"
I cut her off with a cracked voice:
— "Where is he?"
She replied nervously:
— "I told you, in a meeting. You can't go in now—"
But I didn't wait. I ran toward the meeting room door, my heart pounding in my chest like a war drum, and pushed the door open without hesitation.
The door opened to sudden silence. Seven men in suits sat around a long table, papers, screens, and coffee cups before them. All heads turned to look at me.
I saw my father—he stood quickly from his seat, and next to him... Andrea Ferrari, the man in the gray suit with sharp, watchful eyes.
My father said apologetically, gesturing to the others:
— "Excuse me, I'll be back shortly."
He came toward me and asked in a steady, low voice:
— "Zoe... what's wrong? Why all this chaos?"
I clung to his arm like someone grabbing the edge of survival, speaking in ragged breaths:
— "Dad... I can't find Layan. She's gone! She hasn't answered my calls, and her apartment... the door was open, and she's not there!"
He gently placed his hand on my shoulder and spoke quickly:
— "Calm down... we'll handle it. Go to my office, the meeting will end in a few minutes."
Then he called the secretary:
— "Take her. Make sure she's okay."
...
I sat in his office, eyes fixed on the ceiling, hands clenched in my lap, my pulse racing endlessly. Time felt heavier than usual.
Then finally, the door opened.
My father entered first, followed by Andrea, holding a small coffee cup and wearing a cryptic expression.
My father sat beside me, while Andrea stood near the window, silently watching the city.
My father spoke in a calm tone:
— "Sweetheart... tell me calmly. What exactly happened?"
My lips trembled slightly, then I began to speak—softly, but my voice was thick with fear:
— "I went to her apartment... she didn't open the door. I knocked several times, I called—no answer. The door... it wasn't locked. I went in. The bathroom had been used, a towel on the floor, her phone was on the table... but she wasn't there. Everything was... too tidy. It felt like something bad happened."
My father nodded slowly, while Andrea's gaze grew sharper, as if analyzing every word I said.
Finally, after a moment of silence, my father spoke:
— "Maybe she went out and forgot her phone. There's no need to panic until we're sure."
I lifted my eyes to him, my voice soft but sharp:
— "Dad... this isn't normal. Layan doesn't forget her phone. She doesn't disappear like this. And don't forget... she was at that party... you saw what happened there... the blood..."
He interrupted me gently, placing his hand back on my shoulder:
— "We'll take care of it. I promise you."
But before he could rise, Andrea suddenly spoke in a quiet, almost absent tone:
— "You said... her name is Layan?"
I looked at him warily, while my father answered:
— "Yes, her closest friend."
Andrea went silent for a few seconds, sipped his coffee, then turned back to the window and murmured something faint... I couldn't hear it.
Then he left the room quietly... without saying another word.
♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛♛
Somewhere... exactly at 9:00 p.m...
He sat in a dimly lit room, its walls draped in black, the air thick with the scent of tobacco and aged leather.
Behind a massive wooden desk, his hands were clasped before him, eyes staring into the void as if replaying a secret reel of events inside his mind.
Then he spoke, voice sharp, brimming with anger:
— "They got to her before we did... Didn't I say to keep her under watch?!"
One of them replied coolly, his voice deep like it came from the earth's core:
— "And you think I have time to babysit a girl? As far as I know, that task was assigned to the lazy one."
The "lazy one" raised his hands in mock innocence, leaned back lazily, and said with a smirk:
— "Me? I don't recall agreeing to that. I was busy... with my girls. You know I can't focus on just one woman."
The man slammed his palms on the desk, making the files tremble violently, shouting:
— "Are you joking?! Do you realize how serious this is?! La Famiglia Oscura has the winning card!"
The lazy one yawned indifferently and said:
— "Why stress yourself? Just send the cold one... he'll wipe them out in seconds."
The man shot him a deadly glare, and the lazy one raised his hands in surrender:
— "Alright, alright... I'll shut up."
Then the man suddenly stood, his voice resolute:
— "Aren."
He turned calmly, without the slightest expression.
— "Raine."
He responded instantly, a playful grin curling his lips:
— "Yes?"
The man ordered:
— "Bring me... Layan Valemont. And erase the name La Famiglia Oscura."
Aren smirked from the corner of his mouth with cold sarcasm, his icy eyes flashing with an eerie light, and said:
— "Finally... some fun."
Raine laughed mockingly:
— "You only get excited when there's blood and guts involved."
Aren replied with a wide, twisted smile—madness and pleasure mixed in his voice:
— "Why not? Nothing warms my soul like tearing them apart... and feeding them to the dogs."
Then he took a step into the darkness... and vanished.
Raine's body shivered slightly. He muttered in an anxious, sarcastic tone as he ran a hand through his hair:
— "Creepy... I don't even know how we became friends. If he even considers me one."
Then he mumbled something under his breath that no one could hear... before following the path into the shadows and disappearing as well.
To be continued....
🖤 Chapter 4 just ended... but did you catch the signs?
Nothing is random in this story — everything means something.
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Trust me... the storm hasn't even started yet.