The day had come to an end, and the sky slowly darkened as evening settled in. The streets were quieter now, the noise of the world fading into the distance. Lila walked alone, her steps slow, her mind completely consumed by everything she had just learned. The words echoed endlessly inside her head, refusing to settle, refusing to make sense.
Aria… my sister?
She suddenly stopped walking.
"No… it can't be that simple," she whispered under her breath, shaking her head slightly as if trying to push the thought away. Nothing about this felt simple. Nothing felt right.
And then—
Her chest tightened.
"…Uncle…"
Her voice almost disappeared as she said the word.
"No… he can't…"
Memories began to rise, uninvited and overwhelming. A warm smile. A gentle voice. A hand that once held hers tightly, offering comfort in moments of fear.
"Lila, don't be afraid… I'm here."
She closed her eyes for a second, her breath uneven.
"The person who protected me…"
"…can't be the one who destroyed everything."
The evening air felt colder now as she continued walking, her thoughts tangled between what she remembered and what she had been told.
Then—
A voice.
Calm.
Familiar.
"You're still just as stubborn as before."
Lila froze.
Her breath caught instantly.
Slowly, almost unwillingly, she turned around.
At first, there was only darkness.
A shadow standing at a distance.
Then, step by step, the figure moved forward, the faint streetlight revealing his face.
Her eyes widened.
"…Uncle…?"
Adrian Noir.
The same face.
The same calm expression.
The same gentle smile.
And yet—
Something was different.
His eyes.
Colder.
Deeper.
Unfamiliar.
"It's been a long time," Adrian said softly.
For a moment, Lila couldn't speak. The world around her seemed to fall silent as disbelief took over.
"You… you're alive…" she finally whispered.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"I was never dead."
The words landed heavily.
Lila shook her head slowly, stepping back as if trying to create distance from the truth standing in front of her.
"No… you can't…"
Adrian tilted his head slightly, watching her with quiet curiosity.
"Can't what, Lila?"
Her voice trembled.
"…They said… you…"
She couldn't finish the sentence.
"They said you killed them…"
Silence followed.
Adrian didn't react immediately.
Instead, he simply looked at her.
Then—
A faint smile.
"Do you believe that?"
The question was simple.
Direct.
And far more dangerous than any accusation.
Lila's thoughts clashed violently. Her memories fought against the truth she had been told.
"I…" she started, then stopped.
"I don't know…"
Adrian nodded slightly.
"Good."
He stepped closer, his presence calm yet overwhelming.
"Because the truth is never that simple."
Lila instinctively stepped back again.
"Why are you here?" she asked, her voice sharper now.
Adrian's gaze softened, just slightly.
"I came for you."
Her eyes widened.
"That's a lie."
He let out a quiet laugh.
"You don't trust me anymore…"
"I can't!" Lila snapped, her voice breaking as emotion finally surfaced. "You cared about me… you protected me… you were always there… so how can you be the one who—"
Her voice faltered, unable to complete the thought.
For a brief moment, something flickered in Adrian's eyes.
Regret?
Or something else entirely?
"Things aren't as simple as you want them to be, Lila," he said quietly. "Some choices… are made for us."
Lila shook her head.
"No… that's not an excuse."
"You killed them."
Adrian lowered his gaze slightly.
"…I didn't want to."
Time seemed to freeze.
Lila's breath caught.
"What…?"
He looked back at her.
"I only meant to stop your father."
His voice dropped, quieter now.
"But everything went out of control."
Lila's eyes filled with tears.
"You're lying…"
But her voice lacked certainty.
Adrian didn't argue.
He simply watched her.
"You'll find the truth yourself," he said calmly.
Then, without another word, he began to step back into the shadows.
"Wait!" Lila called out. "Where are you going?"
He didn't stop.
"Find me, Lila," his voice echoed faintly.
"If you can."
And just like that—
He disappeared into the darkness.
Leaving her alone.
Lila stood there, unmoving, her chest rising and falling as emotions crashed inside her—pain, confusion, anger, and something far more dangerous.
Determination.
"I'll find the truth," she whispered slowly.
"No matter what it takes."