As Kerem shared what we'd learned from the case file and his own thoughts, watching him with the same calm, emotionless composure as last night made that heavy unease settle inside me again.
Maybe I didn't know him that well, but if there was one thing I was sure about, it was that being calm under pressure was not one of Kerem's traits. The Kerem Dinçer I knew never hesitated to show it when he was angry or when he hated someone. He made his reaction visible.
And yet, when it came to his family's possible murder case, all his emotions vanished in an instant.
Logically, of course he shouldn't make decisions based on emotion. But I didn't believe bottling up destructive feelings like that for long would end well either.
As my thoughts tangled and it became harder and harder to focus on the conversation, my gaze drifted to Rüzgar without me meaning to. My brows furrowed immediately at the difference I noticed.
It took me a few seconds to identify what felt wrong, but when I did, I was even more confused.
His expression, usually hard but emotionless, was so tense I could see a vein twitching at his temples from this distance. His jaw was clenched so tightly it felt like a miracle his teeth weren't cracking.
The moment I saw the darkness in his eyes with each word coming out of Kerem's mouth, my skin prickled. For the first time since I'd met him, I was watching that flawless mask that made his thoughts impossible to read fall away.
And even though I hadn't known before, I finally understood why he'd insisted on holding onto that emotionless posture so stubbornly.
That ghostlike emptiness wasn't exhaustion from pain. It wasn't giving up on anything good in life.
The feelings Rüzgar was suppressing were dark, just like the look that flashed through his eyes. Dark enough to be dangerous. Dark enough that he didn't want anyone around him to witness it.
All this time he'd managed to keep that darkness contained. But the possibility that his family had been, in the simplest sense, slaughtered was his breaking point.
I'd bet Kerem had been so cautious about sharing that horrific secret with him because he'd seen this side of Rüzgar. Because Kerem knew, the moment Rüzgar heard the truth, he would lose control.
At the same time, Kerem's words from the day I admitted I was scared of Rüzgar echoed in my mind, and I felt my whole body shiver.
"He can be more dangerous than anyone you know when necessary, but you don't need to be afraid."
Back then I'd thought he was just messing with me. Only now did I realize it had been the truth.
Looking at the man across from me, I could say it easily. No matter what it cost, he was planning to give the people who took his loved ones that night a far more merciless, unforgettable end than what they'd inflicted on his family.
And that was what scared me the most.
Because the urge to deliver his own justice could very well drag him into his own end too. Rage like Rüzgar's never brought destruction in only one direction.
Before things reached that point, and before Kerem joined him on the same path, I hoped he could find a plan that would satisfy both himself and his friend.
Otherwise, I didn't even want to imagine what kind of ending would be waiting for us.
"Don't you think so too, Duru?" someone asked.
"Hmm."
"Are you listening to us?"
"Hm?"
I turned at the question that snapped me out of my thoughts, and when I saw everyone looking at me, I shifted uncomfortably, embarrassed that I hadn't been listening.
"What happened?"
"Where is your head at, girl?"
My eyes flicked to Rüzgar for a split second, but the dangerous expression from earlier was gone. He was looking at me calmly like the others. I turned back quickly and murmured with a half-smile.
"Sorry. I zoned out. What were you saying, Sapphire?"
She rolled her eyes and answered grumpily.
"I was saying that instead of Bora and Nil, me and Mete should go talk to the drunk guy who said he saw someone in the garden. Not like Kerem suggested."
My brows pinched slightly in confusion.
"Why should you two go?"
"Because we're better suited for questioning than they are. They're too polite and cute for that kind of thing."
I fought a laugh at Mete's raised-brow look that openly implied she was talking nonsense, and I shook my head firmly.
"Sorry, but I disagree, Sapphire. If you show up at someone's door and say, 'We're here to interrogate you,' best case they slam the door in your face. Worst case they call the police."
I continued, not letting up.
"Also, Kerem's idea makes more sense. If you two go somewhere alone together to gather information, you'll stand out. Bora and Nil are already a couple, so they're the least suspicious pair to move together. And their politeness and cuteness are exactly what gets people talking."
After my long explanation, Sapphire's eyes widened. She looked between Kerem and me in disbelief, while I had no idea what was happening. The others were trying not to laugh.
"No way. You didn't listen to a single word we said, yet you somehow just repeated Kerem's exact argument. You two are literally soulmates."
Kerem chuckled under his breath at her over-the-top shock. I rolled my eyes and sighed. While the others started talking among themselves, I leaned back and tugged at the hair that had fallen into my face.
"Are you okay, Sunshine? You looked really deep in thought a minute ago. Something bothering you?"