The world around Danna felt like it was vanishing.
The letter still clutched in her trembling hands,
her vision blurred as the darkness began to pull her in—
like it had done years ago.
That night…
That blood…
Her father's lifeless eyes…
The memory played in her mind on repeat, like a nightmare she couldn't wake from.
Her hands shook violently.
Her feet went numb.
Her lips trembled, whispering the same word again and again—
"Dad… Dad…"
Eva stirred in her sleep, frowning at the soft, broken cries.
When she opened her eyes and saw her sister collapsed on the floor, gasping, eyes wide—
she knew.
Without a second thought, Eva rushed across the room and switched on the light.
If Danna was ever in the room, the lights were never supposed to be off.
Because darkness hunted her.
It remembered her.
And now… it had found her again.
Eva dropped to her knees beside Danna, heart racing as she gently grabbed her sister's icy hands.
"Danna… Danna, look at me," she said, her voice soft but urgent. "I'm here. You're safe."
Danna's breathing was shallow, chest heaving as her eyes stared blankly at the floor.
She kept whispering, "Dad… Dad…"
Eva wrapped her arms around her, holding her tightly, grounding her.
"I'm here," she whispered again, rocking her gently like their father used to do when they were little.
"The darkness can't take you… I won't let it."
Danna gripped her tightly, as if afraid she might fall through the world.
Tears-soaked Eva's shoulder, but she didn't care.
She just held on.
"I turned on the lights… see? Nothing's going to hurt you. Not while I'm here."
The two sisters stayed like that for minutes that felt like forever—
one falling apart, the other holding the pieces.
Eva's eyes fell on the envelope lying beside them on the floor.
Carefully, she picked it up and unfolded the letter, her face paling with each word she read.
Her voice trembled. "Danna… this—this isn't normal. I need to call Mom."
She moved to get up, but Danna clutched her wrist, her grip weak but desperate.
"No… don't go," Danna whispered, her voice cracking.
"Dad also left…"
Those words broke something in Eva. She knelt back down and gently cupped Danna's face.
"Okay… I'm here. I'm not going anywhere," she said softly, brushing hair from her sister's face.
But she knew they couldn't ignore this.
With one hand still holding Danna's, Eva reached for her phone and called their mother. Her voice was calm, but the panic in her chest was loud.
Then, with shaking fingers, she dialed the police.
Within half an hour, two officers arrived.
They took the letter as evidence, carefully placing it in a sealed bag.
Danna sat curled on the couch, Eva beside her, refusing to let go of her hand.
Danna, still trembling, recounted everything—
the man, the knife, the chase, and the letter he left behind.
She spoke in a quiet voice, but every word felt like reopening a wound.
By the end, even the officers looked troubled.
"Thank you," one of them said gently. "We'll look into this. And we'll make sure you're safe."
After the police left, Danna sat in silence, curled up on the couch like a fragile piece of glass.
Her mother arrived minutes later, her eyes wide with panic and heartache.
Without a word, she rushed to Danna and pulled her into the tightest hug.
"My baby… you're safe now. You're home," she whispered, holding back tears of her own.
Eva sat beside them, never letting go of Danna's hand.
Their younger brother sat quietly near the armrest, his eyes full of worry, too young to understand it all but old enough to feel the fear in the room.
They didn't ask for explanations.
They didn't speak much.
They just stayed.
One by one, her siblings pulled closer.
A soft blanket was draped over her.
A warm cup of tea placed by her side — untouched.
And when Danna finally leaned her head against her mother's shoulder, her eyes heavy with exhaustion and her breathing softer…
She fell asleep.
Surrounded.
Protected.
Loved.
Danna hadn't left her room in two days.
Her mother refused to let her go back to university, and Danna didn't protest.
She stayed curled under her blanket most of the time, Eva never far from her side.
The room was quiet, dimly lit, the soft rustle of pages from Eva's book the only sound—
until a soft knock interrupted the stillness.
Eva got up and opened the door slowly.
Natalia stood there, holding a small bag in one hand and worry written all over her face.
"Hey," Natalia said gently, eyes peeking past Eva into the room.
Eva stepped aside. "She's not really talking much… but maybe you should try."
Natalia nodded, stepping inside quietly. She saw Danna sitting up, eyes dull, her blanket pulled around her shoulders like armor.
"I brought your favorite… red velvet cake," Natalia said gently, stepping closer to the bed.
Danna sat still, wrapped in her blanket, eyes fixed on nothing.
Natalia's voice softened even more.
"Aunt Liya told me what happened. I—I couldn't stop myself from coming…"
She placed the cake box on the table beside Danna's bed and slowly sat down near her feet, not too close, not too far.
She held her breath for a second, then whispered,
"Could you please tell me… why are you mad at me?"
Danna finally looked up, her hazel eyes tired, but steady.
"You're starting to value new people," she said softly, voice cracking.
"You're forgetting me…
or maybe I should say avoiding me."
Those words hit like a storm.
Natalia was just staring at her when one tear fell from her eye.
"Who… who did I give value to over you?" Natalia asked, her voice cracking.
"Aiden," Danna said quietly, looking straight into her eyes.
"I understand… I really do. You liked him. You wanted to spend time with him.
But, Natalia… at least you could have told me."
Her voice trembled now, raw and honest.
"I was your best friend. You were my person.
And then suddenly, I saw you coming out of his car, all smiles—
and it felt like I was just… watching from a distance. Like I didn't belong anymore."
"It was too fast, Danna," Natalia said, her voice trembling.
"Even I couldn't understand it at first. But my feelings for him… they're real."
She gently reached for Danna's hands, holding them with care.
"I thought I'd tell you soon… but then you were already upset, missing your dad.
You were breaking, and I—I didn't want to be one more thing that hurt you."
Danna's eyes filled again, searching Natalia's face for truth.
"So… you like him?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Natalia nodded slowly.
"I do."
There was a long pause. The room held its breath with them.
Danna didn't pull her hands away.
But she didn't smile either.
"I'm not mad that you love someone, Nat…
I was mad that you forgot I was still here."
Natalia blinked back tears. "I never forgot you. I just… messed up."
Danna let out a quiet sigh, her walls still up—
but a crack had opened.
Natalia's eyes shimmered as she waited, scared that the silence meant goodbye.
But then…
Danna leaned forward.
Without a word, she wrapped her arms around her.
Natalia's breath hitched—like her heart had just found its rhythm again.
She hugged her back tightly, burying her face in Danna's shoulder.
"I'm sorry," she whispered again, barely holding in her tears.
"I missed you every day."
"I missed you too," Danna murmured, her voice cracking.
"I just… needed you to still be mine too."
They stayed like that for a while—no noise, no explanations, just two hearts reconnecting after being quietly broken.
Eva watched from her seat near the desk, a tiny smile on her face.
For the first time in days…
Danna felt like the light was trying to come back.
Sometimes, we just need the love we once gave…
and when it finds its way back to us, the pain begins to fade.