The corridor was nearly empty, save for the hum of machines in the background and the stifling scent of disinfectants that filled the air. Aiden sat on one of the benches, his back slumped, his head resting against the cold wall. His eyes stared at the white ceiling as if searching for an answer.
Sira sat beside him, hands folded in her lap, watching the red light above the operating room door—it glowed like a slow-burning ember, consuming time itself.
After a long silence, she asked softly, not daring to look at him:
"Aiden... do you... have a connection to Arin?"
He didn't answer immediately. He closed his eyes, and for a fleeting moment, a hazy childhood memory flickered within him...
Screams... blood... a small, discarded body... the thud of heavy footsteps... a sharp ringing in his ears, like war drums beating inside his skull.
He opened his eyes slowly and whispered in a voice thick with exhaustion:
"I don't know him. I've only met him twice... but he was... strange. As if he was trying to get close to me, to speak to me... even when I didn't open the door for him."
He sighed, leaning his head back again. "But I don't understand... Why did I act that way? Why did I run to him as if my own life depended on it? Why... am I so afraid of losing someone I don't even know?"
Sira looked at him with her deep brown eyes—a gaze filled with sorrow and realization. Her heart told her what she didn't dare say aloud.
Maybe... because he is your brother, she thought.
The operating light flickered to a cold green. The surgeon stepped out, his face relaxed.
"Don't worry," he smiled. "He's stable. We'll move him to a regular room soon."
A breath escaped Aiden's chest, but he didn't dare let it go completely. Just then, Sira's phone rang. It was her mother, her voice sharp with anxiety:
"Sira! Where are you? It's so late!"
"I'm coming, Mom," Sira whispered. She turned to Aiden, wanting to stay, but knowing she had to go.
Aiden looked at her, his thoughts settling for a moment. He reached out, his fingers sliding through her hair as if trying to memorize the feeling. He pulled her gently into a slow embrace—she was his only anchor in this shifting world.
"I'll drive you," he said firmly. "Then I'll come right back."
The summer air was warm as they pulled up in front of Arcadia Vaulta. Sira didn't get out immediately. She turned to him, her eyes shimmering under the yellow streetlights. She leaned in and pressed a light, lingering kiss to his lips.
"Arin needs you now," she whispered against the night air. "He's alone, and he needs you more than you can imagine."
She stepped out and disappeared into the building. Aiden sat there, his hands gripping the wheel, before the engine roared like a caged beast suddenly set free.
In the Hospital – Room 402
The silence was absolute, broken only by the steady rhythm of the heart monitor:
Beep... Beep... Beep...
Aiden sat by the bed, leaning forward, his hands clasped in front of his face as if in prayer—or a plea. He watched Arin's pale, still face.
"Why did you do this?" Aiden whispered to himself. "Why can't I just leave you alone?"
He closed his eyes, haunted by Arin's voice and his desperate gaze. And in the stillness, the machine continued to pulse with life.
Beep... Beep... Beep