The morning sky was dull and colorless. A thin layer of grey clouds hung low above the city, pressing down like a silent weight. The wind moved slowly through the empty street, carrying dust and bits of broken glass across the pavement. Yellow police tape fluttered weakly around the wreckage of the old garage. The structure looked like it had been torn apart by something violent. The metal shutter was twisted inward. One side of the concrete wall had partially collapsed. A long black mark stretched across the ground where a vehicle had slammed through the entrance without slowing. But the most disturbing thing was not the damage. It was the blood.
Dark stains spread across the cracked floor and splattered onto the broken walls in irregular patterns. Some had already begun to dry under the cold morning air. Others were smeared, as if something or someone had been dragged through them. Several officers moved around carefully, photographing every detail.
Detective Victor Kolon stood near the entrance of the garage, silent and unmoving. His eyes were fixed on the ground. For a long time, he said nothing.
A police vehicle pulled up behind the scene. The door opened, and a tall man stepped out carrying a compact black forensic case. Dr. Varun. Within the department, people simply called him Dr. Kai Varun. He walked toward the crime scene with measured steps, adjusting the cuffs of his gloves as he approached. His expression was calm, professional, almost detached the expression of someone trained to face the worst things a human body could endure without letting it show.
Kolon glanced at him briefly. "You're late."
Kai stopped beside him. "Traffic," he replied quietly.
Without wasting another second, he crouched beside the largest bloodstain. His gloved fingers hovered just above the surface before lightly touching the dried edges. He studied the color, the thickness, the direction of the splatter. His eyes moved slowly across the ground. Then to the bent metal beams. Then to the cracked concrete wall. He stood up and walked a few steps deeper into the garage. Every movement was careful. Observant. A few officers instinctively stepped back to give him space. Kai examined the twisted entrance frame where the vehicle had broken through. The impact point was obvious. The metal was bent inward at a sharp angle. He ran a gloved finger along the dent. Then he looked at the ground again. More blood. But this time the pattern was different. Thinner...Dragged...
He followed the faint smear line for a few feet before it disappeared near the edge of the structure. His eyes narrowed slightly. Fifteen minutes passed like this. Slow observation. Silent calculations. Finally Kai removed his gloves and turned toward Kolon.
"The vehicle entered from that direction," he said calmly, pointing toward the road. "The impact speed was high. There are no skid marks outside, which means the driver didn't attempt to brake." Kolon listened without interrupting. Kai continued. "The collision occurred inside the garage. The metal beams and wall structure indicate a frontal strike." He walked a few steps and pointed toward the largest bloodstain. "The victim was already bleeding before the impact." Kolon looked up. Kai explained further. "The splatter pattern here is secondary. It spreads outward rather than originating from a single traumatic point. That usually means the person was already injured when the collision happened."
He paused briefly.
"After the crash, there was massive blood loss."
Kai looked around the room once more.
"Too much blood for minor injuries. The victim likely suffered severe internal trauma combined with open wounds."
Kolon folded his arms.
"And?"
Kai gestured toward the faint smear marks on the ground.
"There are drag patterns leading away from the primary blood pool."
The nearby officers exchanged uneasy looks.
Kolon's voice remained flat.
"Meaning the body was moved."
"Yes."
Kai looked toward the broken entrance again.
"If the victim survived the initial impact, she would have been extremely weak due to blood loss."
A brief pause followed.
"Without immediate medical attention," Kai added quietly, "survival would be… unlikely."
The wind moved through the open garage again, carrying a faint metallic smell.
Kolon stared at the blood on the ground.
"To simply put it," he said slowly, "you are telling me Rhea is dead by now."
Kai did not answer immediately.
"There is a high possibility."
Silence followed.
Then Kolon spoke again, more carefully this time.
"Rhea is your friend."
Kai didn't respond.
Kolon tilted his head slightly.
"You're not concerned?"
Still nothing.
Kai let out a small awkward laugh.
"You two were very close. The entire department used to joke about when you would finally start dating."
Kolon's eyes shifted toward him.
Kai shrugged lightly. "How can I not worry?" he said. "But this is my work. I cannot let emotions interfere with the investigation of my dear friend."
Kolon studied his face for a moment. Then he turned away without replying. Kai watched him leave. And as the wind carried the faint smell of blood through the broken garage, another memory rose quietly in his mind.
A sound...
A single long tone...
A heart monitor...
Flat...
The hospital room had been filled with chaos that night.
Doctors moved rapidly around the bed.
"Pulse lost!"
"Start compressions!"
The machine screamed its sharp, endless beeeeeep.
Outside the ICU door, Rhea stood frozen.
Her hands trembled against the glass.
The world felt like it had stopped breathing.
Then suddenly...
"Wait!"
One of the doctors leaned closer to the monitor. A tiny spike appeared on the screen. Then another.
Beep...
Beep...
Beep...
The rhythm slowly returned.
"Pulse is back!"
Three seconds. Noah's heart had stopped for three seconds. But it came back. Doctors rushed to stabilize him.
Rhea's hand flew to her mouth as tears filled her eyes.
"He's alive…"
The relief hit her like a storm.
Across the corridor Kai stood still... Watching...
His face slowly turned red. His fingers curled tightly into fists. Noah was supposed to die. Instead, he lived.
Kai turned and walked away before anyone could see his expression. His thoughts were already moving to the next step. That was when he saw Rhea hurrying down the corridor. Her pace was fast. Kai followed quietly.
She went to her office. Kai stopped outside the door. Through the small gap, he watched. Rhea sat down and began pulling out files. Stacks of documents spread across the desk. Notes, timelines, crime scene reports. Her eyes moved rapidly across the pages. Then suddenly, She froze.
Kai felt a sharp drop in his stomach. Her breathing changed. Her chair pushed back as she stood up. The expression on her face told him everything. She had solved it. Kai's face went pale. If Rhea exposed him—Everything would collapse.
Rhea grabbed a file and turned toward the door. The moment she stepped out, Kai was standing behind her. She barely had time to react. The heavy vase struck the back of her head with a dull sound. Rhea collapsed instantly. Kai caught her before her body hit the floor. Blood began to trickle down from her hairline. He quickly placed his jacket beneath her head to prevent the blood from reaching the floor. His breathing had become fast now. Uncontrolled.
He started gathering files from the desk. Paper after paper. But his mind was racing. Someone could walk in any second. This place was not safe. Frustrated, he dropped the files. Then he spotted the laptop. Without hesitation he smashed it hard against the desk. The screen shattered instantly. He threw the broken device into the dustbin. Then lifted Rhea into his arms. For the first time in years Kai was not following a plan. He was improvising. Running on panic.
When Rhea woke up, the world felt like it was spinning. Her head throbbed violently. Her vision slowly cleared. She realized she was being carried. Her eyes lifted. Kai... She was in his arms. Ahead of them, dark shapes rose from the ground. Gravestones...a graveyard.
A weak laugh escaped her lips.
"So this is it…"
Kai didn't respond.
"Are you going to bury me?" she whispered. "Bury the truth with me?"
Her breathing was shallow.
"I can't believe I liked you… no… I loved you."
Kai kept walking.
"You must have laughed at me a lot," she continued faintly. "But why are you doing this?"
Her eyes searched his face.
"I know everything now."
A pause.
"I just don't know why."
Kai stopped walking. Slowly, he looked down at her.
"You?" he said quietly. "You are nothing to me."
His voice turned cold.
"Love? Like? That's nonsense."
Rhea stared at him.
"Just because I said a few kind words, you started imagining things," he continued. "I never planned to take you down."
His eyes darkened.
"But you ruined everything."
"And now you must pay for it."
His calm had cracked. For the first time Kai looked unstable.
Rhea saw the opportunity. Using the last strength left in her body, she twisted out of his arms. Her fist struck his face. Kai stumbled backward. Rhea ran.
Her legs barely held her weight. Blood dripped down her sleeve. But she ran.
Kai recovered and chased her. He knew she could not go far. But he could not risk losing her. Rhea reached the road and stumbled across it. Kai followed. But sudden headlights rushed toward him. A car sped between them. He had to step back. For a moment the light blinded him. When the car passed, Rhea was gone...
Kai's heart pounded. He searched the road. The sidewalks. The shadows. Nothing. Panic filled his chest. Then he ran back to his car and began searching the streets. Minutes later, he saw her...inside a rusty garage...holding a phone...talking to someone.
Kai didn't hesitate. The engine roared. His foot pressed the accelerator. And—
BOOM.
Somewhere far from that broken garage, inside a quiet, dimly lit house, a woman laying on a bed. Her body wrapped in thick bandages. Her breathing slow...fragile...barely alive.