Czar's POV
"Where am I?"
He walked back and forth slowly, his steps steady, his eyes moving in every direction—but all he could see was darkness.
"Hello?"
He stopped and shouted. His voice echoed around him. Then he saw a light ahead. He squinted toward it.
"There's light…" he mumbled and began running toward it like a madman.
Just as he reached the source of the light, he stopped and touched it. Suddenly, everything changed.
He was somewhere else—somewhere painfully familiar. The smell… the warmth… was it food? Or a human presence?
His breath became unsteady when he saw lia
Czar smiled and moved toward her—then froze.
Emris was standing beside her.
His expression hardened instantly. His eyes filled with tears yet burned with sharp fury, as if he could destroy everything in front of him.
Emris was holding lia's hand. They were looking into each other's eyes.
Czar's mind clicked.
This is my home.
His eyes scanned the place. He was standing on his balcony.
At the same time, Emris and lia looked at him.
"I was a bloody fool to trust you," Czar said, his voice trembling.
"You betrayed me in a way I could never imagine. You played—played so well—that you forgot I loved you like my life depended on it. But what did you do? You broke me. My emotions. All those memories… lies. Lies I believed were real. I thought you loved me. I thought we were meant for each other. And now?"
His voice cracked.
They laughed—loud, cruel laughter—and pointed at him.
"Fool… a fool," they said together, smirking.
Rage flooded through him. He rushed toward them.
"I will not spare you both. Wallah!"
But he couldn't reach them.
It was as if the ground itself was moving, refusing to let him get closer. He looked down—and in an instant, the floor disappeared beneath him.
He fell.
Was he falling into an abyss?
Into his own mind?
Reality?
Or something else?
His eyes closed on their own, and countless thoughts rang through his head.
"Betrayal was not just from her side. You also betrayed your Lord."
Out of thousands of thoughts, only this one echoed again and again.
He covered his ears as if someone was screaming into them.
"Haram is haram, no matter what, no matter how."
The voices repeated. Again. Again. Again.
He couldn't escape.
Then—
He heard another voice.
"I SAW A LITTLE MOVEMENT IN HIS BODY—USE THE DEFIBRILLATOR AGAIN!" a doctor shouted.
The shock was applied once more.
Czar gasped—slowly, weakly—and opened his eyes.
"MashaAllah… we did it," the doctors said, shaking hands.
One doctor, around fifty-two years old, stepped closer to Czar's face.
"Superintendent Czar, you are alive."
Czar let out a weak sigh and closed his eyes again, as if he didn't want to hear it.
The doctors moved out of the OT.
Someone was waiting outside.
"He's stable now. There are no severe brain injuries. There was heavy blood loss, but we've compensated for that. All thanks to Allah," the doctor said warmly.
"My assistant Shayla will explain the medicines."
He smiled. "We thought we might lose him."
Elaya nodded silently.
Most of the officers had already left to handle the public damage caused by Czar's rash driving. Only two inspectors remained. They knew Elaya, so they allowed her to wait outside the OT.
"Why are we letting her stay?" one inspector whispered. "Czar sir doesn't like any woman around him."
"He needs someone right now," the other replied. "And maybe she can handle him. Czar sir asked us to gather information about her—maybe she's someone close."
With the doctor's permission, they entered the OT.
Ava arrived in a hurry and saw Elaya speaking to the doctor.
"Please excuse me," the doctor said politely and left. Ava bowed slightly in return.
"Thank God you told me you were here," Ava signed in hand language
Elaya glanced at her coldly.
"Don't act familiar with me."
Ava facepalmed herself and nodded.
"Sorry. I forgot."
Elaya looked around. Everyone was busy; no one was paying attention to them.
She had planned to return home, but Ava had texted her earlier:
Is Czar okay? Reach him. Maybe we'll get some answers. Send me his location.
Elaya had quickly tapped the driver's shoulder, handed him a paper, and said,
"Follow that police jeep."
That's how she ended up here.
Now, she sighed.
"I'm leaving. Handle him."
Ava nodded, pressed her lips together, and gently patted Elaya's shoulder.
"Allah Hafiz."
Elaya nodded back—and left.
Elaya waited outside when both inspectors came out of the OT.
"How is he?" Ava asked, stepping forward immediately.
"He is fine," one of them replied.
Just as Elaya was about to enter, the second inspector added,
"He said he doesn't want to see anyone right now. I told him you were waiting, but he needs time. He said he'll discuss whatever is required later."
Ava's hand stopped just inches from the door handle. She slowly smiled and nodded.
Both inspectors bowed slightly. Elaya did the same. They moved back to sit on the bench when the doctor passed by.
"He will be discharged tomorrow," the doctor said, glancing at the OT door.
"I've never seen him in this condition," the doctor continued thoughtfully. "He might be going through something serious. A year ago, he helped rescue a group of students caught by a child-selling gang. He's a good man."
He pressed his lips together and walked away. The inspectors remained silent.
Elaya went straight to the Shah house. Her mind was crowded, her thoughts restless. She threw herself onto the bed.
"Why did I become so worried when I saw him in the OT?" she muttered, facepalming herself.
Suddenly, Ava entered the room.
"Something is wrong. Extremely wrong," Ava said.
She told Elaya about the letter. Elaya covered her mouth in shock.
"What? Wait… Lia? Wasn't she the first case in South Korea connected to that blood sucker? And she was Czar's girlfriend but ditched him for Emris? Who is dead now—as per your investigation?"
Elaya ruffled her hair in frustration. Ava nodded.
"Emris could be alive. Maybe he is the blood sucker," Elaya said quietly, her brows furrowed.