Naira was still staring at her phone screen.
The last message from that unknown number kept replaying in her mind.
“ And he knows you’ve started remembering.”
Who had sent it?
And who did “he” mean?
Naira tried calling the number.
The call wouldn’t go through.
She sent a message.
“Who are you?”
There was no answer.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Twenty minutes.
Still nothing.
Naira finally set her phone on the table.
But only a few seconds later...
Ping!
A message came in.
Naira snatched up her phone.
“Don’t trust Arsen.”
Her breath caught.
A second message appeared.
“He never told you the real reason he left you.”
Naira stared at the screen in confusion.
“The real reason...?”
Then a photo was sent.
An old photograph.
One Naira had never seen before.
In the photo, a young Arsen stood in front of his house.
Naira’s father stood beside him.
The two of them appeared to be having a serious conversation.
Naira zoomed in on the photo.
Someone was visible behind them.
A woman.
Her face was blurry.
But Naira recognized what she was wearing.
The woman who had been inside the car that afternoon.
Elara.
Naira immediately called Arsen.
This time, the call connected.
“Naira?”
Arsen sounded surprised.
“Do you know Elara?”
Silence.
“Naira, where did you hear that name?”
“Answer me.”
Arsen didn’t answer right away.
“Why is she in a photo from my childhood?”
“Naira...”
“And why has she been following me?”
Arsen’s voice turned serious.
“Don’t go anywhere tonight.”
“What?”
“Don’t leave the house.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m on my way to you.”
Naira stood up.
“Arsen, what’s really going on?”
“I’ll explain everything.”
“Where are you right now?”
“I—”
Suddenly, a loud impact sounded from Arsen’s end of the call.
Naira flinched.
“Arsen?”
There was no answer.
“Arsen!”
The call disconnected.
Naira immediately tried calling back.
The call wouldn’t go through.
Her heart began pounding.
She grabbed her jacket.
But just as her hand touched the doorknob...
Ping!
A new message came in.
Naira looked at the screen.
“If you leave tonight, Arsen will die.”
Naira’s body instantly went rigid.
Her hands trembled.
“Who are you?”
The next message appeared.
“You have one hour.”
“Come to the old house alone.”
“Don’t tell anyone.”
Naira stared at the address that had been sent.
It was the house where she and Arsen had lived as children.
The house that had burned down fifteen years ago.
The house she had never dared to visit all this time.
Naira knew it could be a trap.
But if Arsen was truly in danger...
she couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.
Meanwhile, on a deserted road...
Arsen opened his eyes.
His head felt heavy.
He tried to move.
His hands were tied.
The room was dark.
Someone stood several yards in front of him.
“Awake?”
Arsen lifted his head.
“Who are you?”
The person didn’t answer.
They simply placed a photograph on the floor.
A photo of Naira.
Arsen immediately tensed.
“Don’t touch her.”
The person laughed.
“You’re still the same as you were back then.”
Arsen glared at them.
“What do you want?”
“The truth.”
“What truth?”
The person stepped closer.
“Fifteen years ago, you chose to leave Naira to save her.”
Arsen fell silent.
“But this time...”
The person crouched in front of him.
“...you won’t be able to save her.”
Arsen struggled against his restraints.
“Don’t involve Naira.”
Suddenly, Arsen’s phone, lying on the table, lit up.
A message came in.
The person picked up the phone.
Then they smiled.
“Naira is already on her way to the old house.”
Arsen’s face immediately went pale.
“No!”
He tried to get up.
“DON’T LET HER GO THERE!”
But the person only laughed.
Eleven o’clock at night.
Naira stood in front of the old house.
Its iron fence was already rusted.
The house looked dark and empty.
The night wind blew through her hair.
She gripped her phone tightly.
“Arsen...”
Naira stepped inside.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
Then a sound came from inside the house.
Creak...
The old door opened by itself.
Naira stopped.
Inside, the house was pitch-black.
But then...
a light suddenly came on.
Dozens of photos hung on the living room wall.
Photos of her.
Photos of Arsen.
Photos of them when they were children.
And in the middle of them all...
there was one photo that made Naira feel as if the blood had stopped flowing through her veins.
A photo of her as a child, crying.
Her father stood behind her.
And beside her father...
young Arsen was being led away by an unfamiliar man.
Naira covered her mouth.
“This...”
Suddenly, the door behind her slammed shut.
BANG!
Naira spun around.
Someone stood there.
Their face was hidden in shadow.
Then a voice she knew all too well rang out.
“You’ve finally come back, Naira.”
Naira froze.
Because that voice...
belonged to someone she had always believed was dead.
TO BE CONTINUED...