"Ugh…"
A deep groan escaped my lips.
Again… I thought I had died.
But instead, I saw the familiar white ceiling above me.
Something on my face felt suffocating—
An oxygen mask.
"Mariam!"
The moment my mother noticed I was awake, she rushed toward me.
Deja vu hit me.
"Mom? What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here?!" she snapped, hitting my shoulder.
"You ungrateful girl! Are you planning to pay a monthly subscription to the hospital?!
Won't you rest until you kill us with worry?!"
'So… I'm in a hospital. Damn it… I thought I—'
"Wait—what about the kids and… and the mon—"
A calm, deep voice cut me off.
"They're fine. The mother as well. She wanted to thank you."
I turned toward the voice—
And froze.
Suleiman.
But… what happened to him?
One of his arms was hanging in a sling, and bandages were wrapped around his neck.
'What happened to him…?
No—more importantly…'
'What is he doing here?!'
I glanced at my mother nervously.
'Why is he in front of my family? Is he threatening me?'
"You—"
I was about to shout, but my mother interrupted:
"If it weren't for Mr. Selim, you would've died in that fire! I don't even know how to thank him!"
'Selim…?'
"I should be the one thanking her, ma'am."
"Still humble as ever, Mr. Selim."
'Wait…'
"You know him?" I asked, pointing at him in disbelief.
"Of course! He's a friend of the family!"
'A friend…?
Did they tamper with my family's memories too?
I've never seen him before the support group… what is going on?'
"Not exactly, ma'am. I'm just an acquaintance of Madam Mayada."
"Friends of Mayada are friends of our family. Thank you again."
"No need. I should be going now."
He waved at me casually—
My jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
'What the hell is this? What's happening? Who's Mayada?'
As he closed the door, his lips moved.
He pointed to his ear.
[Call me.]
Then he left—
Leaving behind a storm of questions in my head.
"Mom… who's Mayada?"
My mother, who was peeling an orange, paused for a moment, then said with a faint smile:
"You wouldn't know her… you were in a coma.
She's Huda's mother—your brother's wife."
"…"
"And that man is one of her acquaintances. We met them at your brother's wedding."
Then she leaned closer and whispered playfully:
"Not the kind you forget easily, right?"
'No—forget him for now! There was something I needed to remember…'
Yes!
'What happened after I fainted? How did we survive the fire?'
The last thing I remembered…
Suleiman holding a knife to his own throat.
Then I collapsed—
And the monster was about to burn us alive.
What happened after that?
Was it the shadow that came through the door…?
I had a vague feeling…
That the one who called my name before I blacked out was Lina.
But then…
Where was she all that time?
"Mm…"
I rubbed my temple as a dull headache crept in.
'I'll ask them later.'
For now…
My eyes drifted toward the black sphere floating near the hospital curtain.
'Deja vu…'
"Why are you looking at me like that?" I snapped at the black orb with its single yellow eye.
The more I stared at it, the stranger it felt.
Why was this thing following me everywhere?
The moment I snapped at it—
It hurriedly shut its eye.
"What?"
My mother stared at me in shock.
"Are you talking to me like that, you brat?!"
She smacked my shoulder again.
To her…
There was no one else in the room but us.
'Wait… isn't this thing a specter?'
Knock. Knock.
My mother finally stopped hitting me as someone knocked on the door.
She set the plate of oranges aside and went to open it.
"Oh! You really didn't have to come!"
I heard her polite voice from the doorway.
A woman's voice replied, though I couldn't make out what she said.
"Of course! Please, come in!"
She stepped aside—
And a woman entered, accompanied by two boys around ten to thirteen.
I recognized them instantly.
"You two…! Then you must be—"
"I'm their mother, miss! Thank you for saving us! Thank you so much! If it weren't for you, we would've—"
She bowed deeply, the boys beside her.
Her voice broke into sobs before she could finish.
"No, no, it's nothing—I didn't really do anything!"
I waved awkwardly.
'Honestly… I was right. I didn't do anything.
I would've probably burned with them.
But no need to say that now.'
What was strange… was me.
No matter how I thought about it—
I was the type who would never step in.
Even if an apartment burned in front of me.
I would leave it to others.
I would never rush into fire myself.
That's what I believed about myself.
But maybe…
I was never put in a situation that forced me to act.
Maybe I just discovered something new about myself.
"Ma'am… may I ask something?"
She nodded.
"What happened? I mean… how did the fire start?"
"…"
She avoided my gaze.
"It… I was cooking, and the gas pipe suddenly exploded…
It was probably old… not maintained for a long time…
This is all my fault… I'm sorry…"
'What…? That's not what happened.'
Now I was sure.
'What else did that organization tamper with…?'
I glanced at my mother.
"Excuse us, I'll let her rest now."
"Thank you!"
My mother walked them to the door and left with them.
'What's real… and what's fake?'
I never trusted that organization from the start.
But now…
After I almost died under their "protection"…
I didn't trust them at all anymore.
The headache pulsed again.
"Ugh… enough overthinking. Sleep today… questions tomorrow."
---
[Your father and I are busy today, sweetheart.
Nihal called and said she'll take you home. See you soon.]
'That's them…'
Yes.
I was sure.
This was the organization's doing.
Which meant—
That wasn't the real Nihal.
"Mm… hi."
Of course.
It was Lina.
"…" After acting like she'd cut anything with that strange sword of hers—
Where did all that courage go when Suleiman called her again and again?
She didn't show up at all.
Hypocrite.
"I'm sorry."
She bowed.
But I didn't even look at her.
"Why are you apologizing?" I said coldly.
"Because I couldn't… I couldn't save you or the children in time.
If I had moved earlier…
But I had my reasons, I swear."
She touched the scar that devoured half her face.
Her expression twisted as if it pulsed with pain.
It was just a light touch—
But I understood.
Her scar…
It was from fire.
Seeing flames must've triggered something in her.
I rubbed my own arm, still aching from yesterday's burns.
'I understand…'
I forgave her.
I couldn't blame her for something beyond her control.
But…
What I couldn't forgive—
Was why they put me in that situation in the first place.
If I was going to join them…
I needed answers.
"I want to know what happened… from the beginning."
"I understand."
Her tone now…
Was nothing like before, when she dragged me from my home like I was kidnapped.
Guilt weighed heavily on her.
And as we drove in the familiar jeep—
She began explaining everything that happened behind the scenes…