The night felt unusually cold, wrapped beneath dark clouds that covered the entire sky. Rain poured endlessly, growing heavier with every passing minute, while distant thunder echoed through the empty streets. The entire school had almost gone silent hours ago, the hallways abandoned and dim beneath flickering lights.
But Lila still stood alone near the back corridor of the building.
Motionless.
Lost inside her own thoughts.
Everything felt tangled now—Mrs. Carter's confession, Adrian's sudden return, the truth about Aria, the lies, the memories, the unanswered questions. It all pressed against her mind until breathing itself felt exhausting.
"…She's my sister…"
Even whispering the words felt unreal.
Impossible.
Lila leaned back against the cold wall and closed her eyes tightly. For a moment, memories flooded through her mind again—fire spreading through darkness, terrified screams, smoke filling the air, and Adrian's voice from earlier that evening.
"I came back for you."
Her eyes opened immediately.
"Liar…" she whispered under her breath.
"Everyone's lying…"
"Lila?"
The familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts instantly.
She turned around.
Aria stood a few steps away, holding an umbrella above her head while rain dripped softly around her. Concern was written clearly across her face.
"You're still here?" Aria asked gently.
Lila didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she simply stared at her.
Aria slowly walked closer. "Are you okay?"
"Yes."
Another lie.
Aria let out a quiet sigh, clearly unconvinced. "You know," she said softly, "when something's bothering you, you get this really distant look in your eyes."
Lila blinked slightly, surprised.
Then she looked away.
For a brief moment, silence settled between them, broken only by the sound of rain hitting the pavement.
"Are you avoiding me?" Aria asked quietly.
Lila's chest tightened.
She didn't know how to answer that question anymore.
Because now, every time she looked at Aria, everything felt different.
Friend.
Classmate.
Or—
Something much deeper.
"I'm just…" Lila hesitated before finally speaking again. "…confused."
Aria stared at her for a second before letting out a small laugh.
"Wow. Lila being confused? That's rare."
For the first time that night, a faint smile appeared on Lila's face.
A tiny one.
Almost invisible.
"Yeah," she muttered quietly.
The rain continued to fall around them as they stood side by side beneath the umbrella. Somehow, despite everything happening around her, Aria's presence still felt strangely comforting.
Then Aria gently held the umbrella closer toward her.
"Come on," she said. "I'll walk you home."
"You don't have to."
"I know," Aria replied lightly. "I want to."
This time, Lila didn't refuse.
The streets were nearly empty as they walked through the rain together. Streetlights reflected across the wet roads, their glow blurred beneath the storm. The cold wind brushed past them, yet neither of them spoke for a while.
Lila kept glancing at Aria from time to time.
Her smile.
Her voice.
The warmth in her eyes.
Now that she knew the truth, every small detail felt different somehow.
"What?" Aria suddenly asked with a small grin after catching her staring.
"Nothing."
"Liar."
Lila immediately looked away again.
Aria laughed softly under her breath.
Then, after a few more steps, she suddenly slowed down.
"Lila…"
"Hm?"
"No matter what happens…"
Her voice softened slightly.
"…I'll always stay by your side."
Something about those words hit harder than they should have.
Lila's chest suddenly felt heavy.
And for reasons she couldn't explain—
Fear crept into her heart.
Then—
Bright headlights suddenly appeared in the distance.
A car.
Moving far too fast.
The loud sound of the horn tore through the rain-filled street.
Lila turned instinctively toward the light.
For one second—
Her entire body froze.
The car was heading straight toward them.
"LILA!"
Aria screamed.
And then—
She shoved Lila away with all her strength.
Everything slowed down.
Rain falling endlessly from the sky.
Blinding headlights.
The sound of tires screeching against the wet road.
And then—
The crash echoed violently through the night.
Lila hit the ground hard, her vision spinning as the world blurred around her. For a few seconds, she couldn't hear anything except a faint ringing in her ears.
Then—
"…Aria?"
Her voice trembled.
Slowly, she lifted her head.
And froze.
Aria lay motionless in the middle of the road.
Rainwater mixed with blood beneath her.
Lila's eyes widened in horror.
"…No…"
She crawled toward her immediately.
"Aria!"
Her voice cracked completely.
Aria's eyes were barely open now, her breathing weak and uneven.
"H-Hey…" she whispered painfully, trying to smile. "You're okay…"
"Don't talk!" Lila nearly shouted, her hands trembling violently as she held onto her.
"Someone help!" she screamed desperately into the empty street.
The rain only grew heavier.
Lila held Aria tightly, unable to stop shaking.
"Why would you do that…?" she asked, her voice breaking apart.
Aria looked at her weakly.
"…Because…"
She struggled to breathe.
"…I couldn't lose you."
Lila felt something inside her shatter completely.
"No… no, no…"
Distant sirens finally echoed through the night.
But everything around Lila felt blurred and far away now.
All she could do was hold Aria's hand tightly.
"Stay awake…"
Her voice cracked through tears and rain.
"Please…"
Across the street, hidden beneath the darkness inside a black car, someone watched silently.
A faint smile appeared.
"…Interesting."
Moments later, the car slowly disappeared into the rain-filled night.