Sera stepped out of her room with hesitant strides, her feet seemingly refusing to move forward despite the short distance. When she returned to the living room, her family's curious gazes met her.
Her mother raised an eyebrow, a firm yet caring tone in her voice. "Why were you in the bathroom so long? It's very late, Sera."
Before Sera could answer, Rina interjected with a mischievous smirk, crossing her arms. "You were scrolling through your phone, weren't you?"
Flustered, Sera looked down at the floor, slowly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I... yes, just for a bit."
Her mother sighed, rubbing her forehead. "How many times have I told you girls? Don't take your phones into the bathroom."
Eileen laughed suddenly, waving a hand in the air. "You've said it a thousand times... but that app, I don't know why it's so addictive!"
"The phone has become part of our souls," Rina added, shaking her head.
The mother checked the clock. "It's past midnight. Everyone, to your rooms. Now."
Sera retreated in silence. Once inside, she locked her door and headed to her circular balcony. She turned her gaze to the right; Aiden's balcony was still dimly lit, shadows dancing lazily behind the glass.
She stood there, staring at the light, feeling as if it were telling a story that couldn't be spoken. Finally, she sat on her bed, her cats gathering around her until they all fell into a quiet slumber.
But Aiden was not sleeping.
He stood in his bathroom, hunched over as he disinfected a deep wound on his arm. He bit his lower lip, stifling a groan through ragged breaths as the antiseptic stung the flesh. Sweat matted his hair to his forehead, and a rising fever made his eyes burn with a searing brilliance.
They were separated by balconies and heartbeats, both surrounded by the same silence, both drowning in their own pain, unaware of how vital the bond between them had already become.
The next morning arrived with an unusual warmth, carrying the scent of spring flowers. Golden sunlight streamed through the windows, and the sound of birds offered a deceptive sense of peace.
In the living room, Rina was frantically waving her phone. "Eileen! Hurry up! Stop eating or you'll miss the bus!"
"She spends too much time in front of the mirror," their mother remarked, sipping her coffee.
"Wake her up earlier then," Sera said quietly.
Once the sisters left, Sera noticed the cat food was empty. "Mom... we're out of cat food."
"I'll go buy some and take a walk," her mother replied, grabbing her keys. She looked at Sera sternly. "Aren't you looking for a job today?"
"I will," Sera said, closing a cabinet door a bit too hard. "Just not this early."
Meanwhile... Aiden was a prisoner of his nightmares.
In his dream, a child sat on an old wooden chair, bound by chains. A man held a needle with cold indifference. Behind him stood a faceless woman.
Aiden—as a young man—stared at her with silent accusation. Footsteps... a body on the floor... blood.
"You're a killer... You killed him!" a harsh voice screamed.
Aiden bolted upright, gasping for air as if surfacing from deep water.
In the opposite apartment, Sera's mother stood at the door. "Lock the door and don't open it for anyone but us, understood?"
"Don't worry, I'll be careful," Sera smiled.
As the door closed, a strange weight settled on Sera's chest. Her heart raced; an invisible force was pulling her. "Why... why do I care about him so much?"
Without thinking, she went to her balcony. Aiden's balcony was silent. Still. The absence was more unsettling than his presence.
She placed a ladder between the two balconies.
She climbed, her legs trembling. With a sharp breath, she leaped across, her heels hitting the floor with an eerie quietness. "Oh God... if I had fallen...!" She slapped her cheeks lightly. "Sera... you've really lost it."
She entered his living room and stopped. The walls were sand-beige, decorated with photos of deserted alleys and black frames. A dark bookshelf held foreign volumes bound in twine. A bronze mask watched her silently from the corner.
"Aiden... you're not just a cop," she whispered.
Then, she saw it. Dark spots on the floor. She froze. "Blood?!"
At that exact moment, the nightmare struck Aiden again. Voices, accusations, blood. He opened his eyes violently.
He heard footsteps.
He gripped his pistol and moved with lethal stealth. He swung the door open—
And snatched her.
Sera's back slammed against the wall, the air leaving her lungs. The cold barrel of a gun pressed against her temple. His eyes were icy... distant... unrecognizable.
"Who are you?" he hissed, his voice low and dangerous.