Juson sat beside Yokina as the car cut through the empty road. The engine hummed steadily, the only stable thing in the middle of everything that had just happened.
Yokina didn't speak. Her hands were locked around the steering wheel, fingers pale from the pressure.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the road ahead, refusing to shift even for a second. Not toward Juson. Not toward Herik.
In the back seat, Herik's body leaned to one side. His head hung low, his face drained of all color, as if something had pulled the life out of him and left the shell behind.
Inside the car, everything was normal. No flickering lights. No glitches. No strange sounds.
That somehow made it worse.
The hospital appeared ahead, its white lights cutting through the dark. Before the car fully stopped, Juson pushed the door open and stumbled out. His legs shook as he ran forward, his voice breaking as he called for help.
Yokina followed, leaving the car behind without even turning it off.
Two nurses rushed toward them. Without wasting time, they lifted Herik and carried him inside.
Juson followed closely, barely aware of anything around him. Yokina came in seconds later, her breath uneven.
Inside the room, machines surrounded Herik. Tubes, wires, blinking lights.
They laid him down and placed an oxygen mask over his face. The soft hiss of air filled the silence.
Yokina froze.
Her eyes filled instantly, the tears spilling before she could stop them. She took a step forward, but a nurse blocked her path.
"Please wait outside."
The door closed in front of her.
Juson stood beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She didn't react at first. Then slowly, she leaned into him, her control slipping for just a moment.
"What happened?" she whispered. "Why did he collapse? And the lights… why were they flickering?"
Juson didn't answer immediately. His mind replayed everything. The house. The electricity. Herik.
"That thing," he said quietly. "Think about it again."
They sat outside the room, side by side. The corridor stretched long and empty.
Somewhere above them, a weak bulb flickered, its light trembling like it was struggling to stay alive.
Yokina noticed it.
Her breath caught. Slowly, she leaned her head against Juson's shoulder, closing her eyes.
The same flicker.
The same pattern.
Before either of them could speak again, footsteps approached. A doctor and a nurse stopped in front of them.
"What happened to the boy?" the nurse asked.
Juson hesitated, then forced out an answer. "He was playing… and suddenly collapsed."
The doctor nodded, his expression unreadable. "We'll monitor his brain activity."
He walked into the room, leaving them behind.
Time dragged.
When the doctor came out again, Yokina stood up instantly.
"He's stable," the doctor said. "But still unconscious."
"Why?" Yokina asked.
The doctor paused. "Possible lack of oxygen to the brain."
It sounded like an answer.
It didn't feel like one.
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