A heavy silence fell.
The road was empty, the air charged with everything left unsaid.
At that moment, the most dangerous thing wasn't the wound in his body... it was the distance that had suddenly opened between them.
Sera turned her back and began to walk away, her steps seemingly steady, but her chest was seething. At that exact moment, Aiden's phone rang.
He stopped in his tracks, his eyes still following her for a split second before lifting the phone to his ear.
"What is it?"
A formal, sharp voice came through without any introduction:
Police Officer: "Sir, we have a report on a suspicious hotel. The owner is involved in drug trafficking, and we need you immediately."
A sudden heaviness swept through his body. The road spun slightly before his eyes. He gripped the side of the car to steady himself, his breathing becoming deeper, slower. After a short hesitation, he said:
"Give me some time… I'll be on my way."
He ended the call. He lifted his head—
And found her right there, standing in front of him.
She stood firm, arms crossed, her eyes carrying a blend of anxiety and defiance.
"What 'way' are you going to be on in this state?" she asked in a decisive tone that brooked no argument.
She stepped closer, glancing at the blood staining his clothes, then lifted her gaze to his:
"Just so you know… your wound needs stitches."
She paused for a second, then added in a softer, more sincere tone:
"I've never done this before."
She took another step until she was close enough for him to see the hesitation in her eyes, then spoke with steady calm:
"But… I am with you."
He didn't answer immediately. He looked at her for a long time, as if seeing her for the first time without walls, without weapons, or illusions.
[Scene Change: The Airport]
At the airport, amidst the clatter of suitcase wheels on polished floors and the overlapping announcements of return flights, a young man walked calmly. He pulled his luggage behind him like someone who knew his destination well… or someone who had no other choice.
His phone vibrated in his hand. He answered without breaking his stride:
"Mother, I hear you."
Her voice came through, anxious and guarded:
"Have you reached Ezora? Will you work there now?"
He stopped for a moment near a glass gate, looked at his reflection, and said in a low, decisive voice:
"I have to find him. Find my brother… then we'll talk."
He ended the call, pulled his suitcase again, and disappeared into the crowd