The colony disappeared behind him as Juson entered the main road.
His grip rested loosely on the steering wheel while the car moved through the nearly empty morning traffic. But even while driving, he kept checking the mirror repeatedly.
As if expecting something to follow him.
Then something on the dashboard caught his eye.
His phone.
He had forgotten it inside the car last night.
The screen lit up suddenly.
Buzz.
Silence.
Buzz again.
Juson frowned and leaned forward, grabbing it from the dashboard.
Two missed calls.
Both from Yokina.
The moment he saw her name, he pressed harder on the accelerator.
Several streets ahead, his car passed closely by a man standing outside a small restaurant.
Juson barely noticed him.
But the man noticed the car.
He stood still beside the glass entrance, holding a small suitcase in one hand. It looked strangely compact, almost child-sized.
After waiting several seconds, the man finally entered the restaurant.
A bell rang softly above the door.
Inside, only a few people sat scattered around the tables. The restaurant carried the smell of coffee and burnt oil.
At the far end of the room, another man glanced toward the entrance.
The newcomer walked calmly toward him.
Then he removed his glasses.
And then his mask.
It was the same doctor who had diagnosed Herik.
The doctor placed the small suitcase beside the chair before sitting down across from the man.
Neither of them spoke immediately.
The silence between them felt practiced.
Finally, the man leaned back slightly.
"You're late."
The doctor did not apologize.
Instead, he rested one hand over the suitcase.
"I brought something better this time."
Cold droplets clung to the black surface of the suitcase like condensation on frozen glass.
The man glanced at it quietly before reaching inside his coat.
He removed a thick bundle of cash.
Carefully checking the surroundings first, he slid the money across the table.
The doctor picked it up instantly.
Then he pushed the suitcase toward him.
"Six months old."
The man's expression barely changed.
"How many?"
The doctor answered with only a number.
"Twelve."
The man opened the suitcase slightly, just enough to look inside.
Then he shut it immediately.
Meanwhile, the doctor counted the cash quickly.
Not enough.
His eyes darkened slightly.
But the man had already stood up.
The conversation was over.
Without another word, he lifted the suitcase and walked out of the restaurant.
The doctor remained sitting there alone.
Outside, a horn suddenly distorted through the street air as a speeding car passed nearby.
Juson's car.
He turned sharply into his street and finally slowed near his house.
The brakes squealed softly as the vehicle stopped outside.
Inside the kitchen, Yokina heard the sound immediately.
She abandoned the half-cooked breakfast still heating on the stove and hurried toward the front door.
By the time Juson stepped out of the car, she had already unlocked it.
She didn't even speak.
The moment she reached him, she wrapped both arms tightly around him.
Juson froze in surprise.
Yokina almost never hugged him first.
For several seconds he simply stood there, confused by the sudden desperation in her grip.
Then slowly, awkwardly, he placed an arm around her shoulders.
"What happened?"
His voice came out quieter than expected.
Yokina tried to answer.
But tears interrupted her immediately.
She buried her face against him again before finally forcing out a single word.
"Wanna."
The moment he heard the name, Juson's expression changed.
"What happened to her?"
Yokina stepped back slightly, wiping her eyes quickly.
"She called me... she's in the hospital."
And instantly, Hakiten's house returned to Juson's mind.
The darkness.
The silence.
The ambulance lights.
Without another word, he told Yokina to go inside.
Both of them entered the house together.
And there, standing near the bedroom doorway--
was Herik.
Silent.
Watching them.