Sera's Room – Midnight
Sera lay on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling while her three cats purred contentedly around her. One stretched out by her neck, the second at her feet, and the third circled in place before settling down to sleep.
A moment of silence.
Then, a voice echoed in her memory… those final words Areen had murmured.
She was staring into "Becky's" eyes—clear blue, like a winter sky. A silent moment where time seemed to stand still, her gaze lost in the depths of the cat's eyes, as if quiet waves were crashing against the shores of her memory, awakening something dormant within her... or perhaps burying it once more.
A few steps away, Aiden sat quietly beside the reclining Areen. Areen's hand finally moved, slowly, like someone trying to remember how to move his limbs. His eyelids lifted gradually, revealing clouded eyes shrouded in a heavy mist. His voice came out hoarse, barely audible:
"Ai... Aiden..."
Aiden froze in place, a flash of astonishment crossing his features. He stared at him for a long time, then leaned in slightly, his voice low, carrying a trace of confusion no one was used to hearing from him:
"Finally... you're awake, Areen."
He paused for a second, then continued with a more serious tone:
"I have a lot of questions for you."
But no sooner had he finished his words than the ringing of a phone shattered the silence. It was Areen's phone, vibrating on the nearby table, its light glowing in the shadows.
Aiden reached for it, hesitated for a moment, then looked at the screen and said in a low voice:
"It's your mother... she must be worried about you. I'll answer."
He pressed the answer button and put the phone to his ear, but as soon as the voice came from the other end, time froze once more:
"Areen... I'm standing in front of the orphanage."
The mother was speaking, unaware that the listener was not her son.
Aiden furrowed his brows, and in a voice barely above a whisper, repeated as if unable to believe what he heard:
"The orphanage?"
Before he could utter another word, Areen sat up with difficulty, as if those words had ignited a mysterious fire within him. He reached out a trembling hand, snatched the phone from Aiden without looking at him, and ended the call with a quick press. He said nothing.
Aiden stood there, stunned, his eyes following Areen who had reclaimed his silence, though his face concealed a storm.
Aiden stared at Areen for a long moment, crossing his arms over his chest, before saying with a faint touch of sarcasm:
"Shouldn't you tell her about your condition, oh 'skilled doctor'?"
Areen didn't respond; he only gripped his aching side, pressing down slowly as his face contorted in pain. He leaned his head back, took a deep breath, and his voice came out weak yet firm:
"No... there's no need for them to know."
Aiden's eyebrows shot up, then he said in a more serious tone:
"So... do you have anyone? I mean, is there anyone who will stay with you?"
Areen shook his head instinctively and smiled with a bitterness laced with loneliness:
"No! No one... I am alone."
Silence reigned for a moment, then it was broken by Aiden's voice, low as if he were trying not to face a truth he didn't want to hear:
"Then why did you choose me? Why did you call me? Why did you tell me all of that?"