The hospital corridor felt unbearably cold.
The white lights above made everything look emptier, quieter, and somehow more lifeless. Outside, the rain continued pouring endlessly against the glass windows, thunder rumbling faintly through the dark night.
But Lila couldn't hear any of it anymore.
She stood completely still in front of the emergency room doors, unable to look away for even a second.
Her clothes were still soaked from the rain.
Small stains of blood remained on her trembling hands.
And inside her mind—
The same moment kept repeating over and over again.
Aria screaming her name.
Pushing her away.
Then—
The crash.
"…No…"
Lila's breathing became uneven.
"This happened because of me…"
Her throat felt painfully dry.
"If I wasn't there…"
"ARIA!"
A terrified voice suddenly echoed through the hallway.
Lila turned around immediately.
Aria's parents came rushing toward the emergency room in panic.
Her mother looked seconds away from collapsing, tears already falling from her eyes, while her father tried desperately to remain calm even though fear was written clearly across his face.
"Where is my daughter?!" her mother cried out shakily.
"What happened?" her father asked quickly.
For a moment, Lila couldn't answer.
"…A car…"
Her voice cracked.
"She got hit trying to save me…"
Aria's mother immediately covered her mouth as tears escaped her eyes.
"…She did it again…"
The words slipped out before she could stop herself.
Lila noticed instantly.
"…Again?"
But before anyone could answer—
More footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Ryan.
Maya.
Ethan.
All three of them had clearly run the entire way there.
"What happened?!" Ryan asked immediately.
Then he noticed the blood on Lila's hands.
His expression changed instantly.
"…Where's Aria?"
"Emergency room," Lila answered quietly.
Maya covered her mouth in shock.
"Oh no…"
She quickly moved toward Lila.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly, her voice filled with concern.
Lila didn't answer.
Ethan nervously looked around the hallway before speaking quietly.
"…We were literally together a few hours ago…"
Even his voice carried fear now.
Silence slowly filled the corridor again.
Heavy.
Painful.
Then—
The emergency room doors finally opened.
Everyone stood up immediately.
A doctor stepped outside, removing his gloves slowly.
"Doctor, how is my daughter?" Aria's mother asked desperately.
The doctor stayed silent for a brief moment before answering carefully.
"…She's stable for now."
The entire hallway seemed to breathe again at once.
But the doctor continued.
"She lost a lot of blood."
"The next few hours are very important."
Aria's mother broke down into tears while her husband quickly held her to keep her standing.
Meanwhile—
Lila remained completely still.
But her eyes slowly darkened.
"…That wasn't an accident."
Everyone immediately looked at her.
"What?" Ethan asked.
Lila spoke slowly, her voice calm but cold.
"The car came directly toward us."
Silence.
Ryan's expression immediately turned serious.
He understood instantly what she meant.
"…You think someone targeted you?" he asked quietly.
Lila didn't answer.
But the look in her eyes was enough.
At that moment, Aria's father suddenly looked away.
Too quickly.
Lila noticed.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"…You know something."
Both of Aria's parents froze.
"Lila…" her mother whispered nervously.
"No more lies," Lila said firmly this time.
"Not tonight."
The hallway fell silent again.
Even the air suddenly felt colder.
Then—
Aria's father slowly closed his eyes.
"…Aria is not our biological daughter."
Time stopped.
Maya stared at him in complete shock.
"…What?" Ethan whispered.
Ryan stayed completely silent.
Lila didn't move.
Didn't blink.
But inside—
Everything was slowly falling apart.
"We found her that night…" Aria's father continued quietly.
Lila's heartbeat stopped for a second.
"…The night of the fire."
Flashback
Flames consumed the Noir mansion.
Smoke filled the night sky.
People screamed while gunshots echoed endlessly through the chaos.
Aria's current parents desperately tried to escape through the burning mansion.
Then suddenly—
They heard a child crying.
Both of them turned immediately.
A little girl sat alone in the corner, terrified and covered in ash.
Young Aria.
"We can't leave her!" the woman cried out desperately.
"There's no time!" the man shouted back.
But even then—
They still ran toward her.
The woman quickly picked the little girl up into her arms.
Aria immediately clung tightly to her, shaking in fear.
Then—
Shadows moved inside the darkness behind them.
Cold voices echoed through the flames.
"Find them."
Fear took over instantly.
Without looking back, they escaped into the night while the mansion collapsed behind them in fire.
Present
"She forgot everything after that night," Aria's mother whispered through tears.
"The doctors said the trauma destroyed most of her memories."
Her voice trembled.
"So…"
"…we raised her as our own daughter."
Aria's father lowered his head slightly.
"She may not share our blood…"
"But she is our daughter."
Silence filled the corridor once again.
This time—
Not because of fear.
But because of pain.
Maya quietly wiped her eyes.
Even Ethan looked unusually serious now.
"…So someone from that night is still alive," Ryan said quietly.
"And now Aria became a target."
Lila's eyes slowly darkened again.
Only one name echoed inside her mind now.
Adrian Noir.
"We're not staying quiet anymore," Maya suddenly said firmly.
She gently held Lila's hand.
"You're not alone."
Ethan clenched his fists tightly.
"Whoever did this…"
"…we'll find them."
For the first time in a very long time—
Lila slowly looked at all of them.
Friends.
Or maybe…
Something closer to family.
Outside the hospital, thunder crashed loudly across the dark sky once again.
And somewhere far away—
Inside a black car hidden beneath the rain—
A man silently watched the storm outside the window.
Adrian Noir.
A slow smile appeared on his face.
"…The game has finally begun."