After collapsing onto the couch, Kaiser erupted into hysterical laughter, a broken, jagged laugh as if a fit of madness had pierced his chest.
A strange euphoria coursed through his veins, more toxic than any drug… whispering in his ear that the time was near, that the countdown was drawing its last breath.
"Are you watching your son from heaven, Mother?"
His eyes glimmered under the dim light of the living room, his smile struggling against the torrent of tears on his cheeks. His laughter faded, replaced by a muffled groan echoing in the silence.
"Your dear son… is approaching his revenge."
He whispered weakly, then covered his face with both hands, his body trembling under the weight of suppressed emotions.
A hazy image of a pale-skinned woman with amber eyes took shape.
"Arseny."
Her sweet voice, once calling out to him, melted away over time. The shock of his harsh childhood left him barely able to remember her, as if his mind was erasing every trace, step by step. He was racing against time, trying to repay his debt before his mother's image vanished completely.
He returned to reality, lowered his hands, and his neutral expression returned. He looked around, then rose and headed toward his bedroom.
Meanwhile, Leonid helped Charlotte carry her bag to the bedroom and unpack it.
He worked in silence, separating the dirty clothes from the clean, while she stretched out on the bed still wearing his jacket, as if she had shrunk into her shell, distancing herself from everything around her.
Since entering the building, she had returned to her reserved nature, hiding her secrets behind a cold wall. She didn't mention her unexpected encounter with Kaiser, and Leonid didn't ask again… yet she suspected he hadn't forgotten her paleness or the strange way she had sat on the floor.
"Am I staying with you tonight?"
Leonid's calm voice broke through her reverie.
She slowly turned to him, then whispered:
"You don't have to."
"Are you trying to avoid me now that we're back?"
Her lips trembled for a moment, then she answered softly:
"I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
He confirmed with a faint smile and rose from the floor. He approached slowly and sat beside her legs, pressing his weight gently onto the mattress.
"You're acting strangely again."
He accused her in a gentle tone.
Charlotte covered her face with her arms and replied:
"No…"
She was acting strangely, yet she insisted on denying it.
Suddenly, Leonid gently moved her arms aside and lay down next to her, his eyes following her as if granting no escape.
"So, tell me, my dear… what do you call these actions toward me?"
She bit her lower lip, her eyes avoiding his:
"I… I don't know."
Leonid stared at her for a long moment; he didn't like the way her eyes avoided his gaze.
"Charlotte."
He called her name as he tapped lightly on her temple with his finger.
"Look at me."
She furrowed her brow when he nudged between her eyebrows again, her lashes fluttering hesitantly, torn between the desire to look at him and the desire to run.
Finally, she sighed and gave in.
Slowly, she did, and when her eyes met his, her lips pressed together in a muffled anguish, nearly breaking into tears.
Leonid gave a sideways smile and whispered teasingly:
"Hey, I don't think my finger is that painful."
Charlotte stifled her sobs, resisting the tears stubbornly, but the quiver of her lips betrayed her. When Leonid noticed her struggle, his smile vanished, and he extended his arms to gently pull her toward him until her head rested on his chest.
As soon as Charlotte felt his warmth, she closed her eyes, and her tears finally spilled.
"Oh, my spoiled darling…"
Leonid whispered in a gentle voice, patting her back tenderly.
"Did I hurt you? I'm sorry."
"No…"
She denied with a trembling voice, barely suppressing her sobs.
"Then why are you crying? Is something bothering you?"
Charlotte hesitated for a moment, then whispered in a broken voice:
"I just… don't feel comfortable here anymore."
She clenched his shirt, holding onto it to keep from completely collapsing, yet she still crumbled, faster than she could bear.
"What do you mean?"
Leonid asked, searching for an explanation for this sudden confession.
Charlotte slowly lifted her head, tears glistening in her eyes.
"This apartment… this whole building… I can't stand it anymore."
"And are you thinking of moving out?"
Leonid held her face in his hands, his eyes gripping her tear-stained ones.
If she said "yes," it would ease him as well: he wouldn't have to watch her all the time, and he could focus on investigating the serial killer hiding within the building.
After a heavy silence, she answered in a broken voice, yet with a strange certainty:
"Yes."
"But why? Why now, all of a sudden?"
He pressed for clarification.
"Because here—"
Her sentence faltered, words stuck in her throat, her lips trembling with glaring helplessness.
Outside, the sky rumbled, and Charlotte's fragility remained too raw to allow her to fully speak what she wanted.
Leonid read the struggle in her eyes, and ran his thumb across her cheek, wiping away her tears.
"It's okay…"
He whispered softly.
"Take your time… I'm with you. I'm listening."
Then he leaned toward her, his voice steady and his resolve clear:
"I'm not going anywhere… until you tell me what makes you feel so uncomfortable here."
Charlotte's chest trembled under the weight of her sobs, choking between her broken gasps:
"I just… I can't stay here as if nothing has happened to me."
Tears slid down her cheeks, and her fist gripped Leonid's shirt so tightly that her nails nearly scratched his skin.
"What happened to you… that I still don't know?"
His voice came out heavy, as if he was pleading with her as much as he was asking.
She trembled more, her tears showing no sign of stopping:
"I can't tell you, not now… but even if I lock myself within the walls of this apartment, the feeling still follows me… it suffocates me!"
Charlotte's body collapsed into his arms, her head sinking into his chest as she wept bitterly, unable to hold back anymore.
"I really—… I can't stay strong any longer."
Leonid gazed at the ceiling with heavy eyes, his arms encircling her without hesitation, pulling her close as if trying to shield her from her pain, then his voice broke tenderly:
"I won't leave you alone in this, even if you refuse to speak."
But no matter how close he was, Charlotte continued to hide her deepest secrets behind a wall that his words could not cross.
Drenched in her tears, she fell asleep on his chest unconsciously. She hadn't intended for Leonid to sleep with her tonight, but in the end, she ended up dozing off on top of him.
Leonid tightened his arms around her, keeping her close and safe, unable to pull away or leave her alone.
Deep inside, he had made his decision: he would stay by her side this night, even if she woke up upset in the morning. He no longer planned to leave.
After the sky had unleashed a violent storm, the rain gradually eased, and the thunder faded until only a distant echo remained on the horizon.
A heavy silence settled, like a deep breath after a long cry, as if the entire city had finally exhaled.
Slowly, the dense clouds withdrew, revealing twinkling stars that had reclaimed their place in the sky. Not long after, the pale pink and golden threads of dawn shyly crept in, scattering the glow of a new day.
As sunlight filtered into the bedroom, mixing its warm light with the ceiling lamps, Leonid awoke slowly, feeling Charlotte's body trembling atop him.
He sensed her warmth clinging to him, as if she didn't want to let go after a long night.
He propped himself on one arm and used the other to sweep her chestnut hair away from her face. Her hands were still clutching his shirt, like a baby's grip on a blanket.
Her features and breaths, shattered yesterday, now seemed peaceful and beautiful as he was used to seeing them.
A faint smile formed on his lips, barely held back, until his phone began to ring. The problem was that it was on the floor next to Charlotte's bag, whose contents she had emptied herself.
Without thinking, he was about to lift her into his arms, if not for Charlotte suddenly sliding over to lie beside him on the bed.
Leonid stiffened for a moment, then turned toward her with suspicion, raising an eyebrow and asking in his hoarse voice:
"You're awake, then?"
"I just woke up,"
Charlotte replied, gently rubbing her eye before looking at him.
"And please… answer your phone, it's annoying."
"Annoying, huh?"
Leonid muttered with a sideways smile before turning his face away. Despite his desire to argue further, he ignored it under the insistence of the persistent ringing.
He rose from the bed with a smooth step and bent down to pick up his phone from the floor.
As soon as he held it to his ear, he answered in a rough, serious tone:
"Yes, what is it?"