Noah woke me up early. Before I could speak, his associates restrained me—tying my arms into one of those lunatic jackets. I didn't even know what it was called. They shoved me into the backseat of a car. Noah wasn't with me—he took a separate car. He knew if we were together, I might beg, and he might give in.
As we drove through the forest road, the wind suddenly howled—sharp and strong. It shattered the window beside me. In the chaos, I elbowed the man next to me, kicked the door open, and jumped out of the moving vehicle.
I hit the ground hard, but I ran—arms still bound, feet stumbling. The wind guided me. It knew the way. Behind me, both cars had stopped. I could hear them shouting. Their new goal: catch the lunatic who escaped.
I was helpless—my arms locked, my breath short. My foot slipped. I tumbled down a slope and plunged into a cold lake.
Somehow, I pulled myself to the edge, shivering. I dragged myself into a nearby cave, hidden in the cliffs beside the lake.
The wind curled around me like a blanket.
And then… she came.
Sofia.
She appeared in front of me, her eyes filled with tears. She collapsed beside me, weeping.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry… this is all my fault."
I leaned close, pressing my lips to her neck, whispering back, "Without you, I wouldn't even be alive. That day… dancing in the rain like a lunatic—you saved me. I was going to die the next morning… but you gave me a reason to live."
She cried harder. The rain outside grew heavier.
She held me close. I leaned into her warmth. I was too weak to cry. She wept enough for both of us.
After a while, the rain softened. I looked at her and said, "Can you help me with this jacket?"
She shook her head. "I'm not strong enough. The other spirit broke the car glass because it already had cracks."
I nodded slowly. "Then let's go."
"Go?" she looked at me, confused. "Where?"
"We can't go back to the abandoned house. Noah will expect that. There's only one place left."
"Where?"
"The old shrine."
"But to reach it… we'll have to cross the whole town," she said, concerned. "Noah's people will be looking for you."
I nodded. "That's why we need to find shelter first."
She guided us—barefoot, silent. She knew every path, every shadow. No wonder—she had been here even before the town existed.
Eventually, we arrived at my parents' grave.
"You two must be disappointed… seeing me like this—tied up, covered in dust, looking pathetic." I knelt before the tombstones. "Sorry. But I need one last favor."
The stone was sharp—sharp enough. I leaned over and used the edge to cut through the straitjacket. My arms throbbed as blood flowed back into them.
I smiled through the pain and whispered, "Even after death, you still help me."
We stayed in the graveyard until nightfall.
Then we ran.
Sofia would scout ahead—no one could see her, after all. She told me which roads were safe, which alleys to avoid. We dodged everyone. It was like a secret game of hide-and-seek, played against time and fear.
Finally, we reached the shrine.
I ran up to the old monk, desperate. "You've got to help us."
He didn't look at me. He sipped his tea calmly. "It's not my place to interfere."
"You're the only one who understands," I pleaded.
Then—Noah's voice cut through the silence.
"There you are!" he shouted. "What the hell is going on, Mustafa? I'm trying to help you! Why won't you understand?!"
He stormed toward me, grabbed my wrist.
But the monk stood, gripped Noah's hand, and twisted it gently but firmly.
"Don't get between them," he said, locking eyes with Noah. "You're making Sofia angry. And you do not want to see a spirit angry."
The wind burst through the shrine, throwing Noah backward outside.
He stared, stunned.
And then he saw it—blood soaking through my shirt. I had opened wounds from the fall, from the lake, from the jacket. I was collapsing.
"Mustafa!" he cried, rushing toward me—but the wind threw him out again.
The rain came down hard. The townspeople thought the skies might drown them. Thunder rolled like drums in mourning.
Inside the shrine, the wind howled with grief.
The monk stood over me and murmured, "He was a good kid… I feel sorry for his death."
And then everything went silent.