The rain had stopped by the time Liora finally reached home.
The streets of Nemor were quiet again, as if the chaos of the night had never happened. The wet pavement reflected the dim glow of the streetlights, and the cold wind carried the faint scent of rain through the empty roads.
Liora stood in front of her house for a moment.
Her hand rested on the gate, but she didn't open it immediately.
Her mind replayed everything.
The alley.
The blood.
The men with guns.
And Adrian.
The way he moved.
The way he fought.
The way he disappeared into the darkness without even saying goodbye.
She exhaled slowly and pushed the gate open.
Maybe he was right.
Maybe she should just forget.
The next morning felt strangely normal.
Sunlight streamed through the classroom windows as students talked noisily around their desks.
Someone complained about homework.
Someone else laughed loudly at a joke.
It was the same ordinary school day as always.
But for Liora, everything felt different.
She sat quietly in her seat near the window, staring at the notebook in front of her.
The words written on the page blurred slightly.
"Liora."
She blinked.
"Liora!"
Her head snapped up.
Sofia stood beside her desk, hands on her hips.
"You're not listening to anything I'm saying."
"Oh… sorry."
Sofia squinted at her suspiciously.
"You look like you didn't sleep at all."
Liora forced a small smile.
"I'm fine."
"Liar."
Sofia leaned closer.
"Did something happen last night?"
Liora hesitated.
Her mind instantly flashed back to the subway station.
The gunshots.
The men collapsing to the ground.
Adrian's cold expression as he disappeared into the tunnel.
"No," she said quietly.
"Nothing happened."
Sofia frowned.
"Then why do you look like someone who saw a ghost?"
Liora looked out the window.
"Just tired."
Sofia didn't look convinced.
But before she could ask more questions, the teacher walked into the classroom.
The chatter died down immediately.
"Everyone, open your books."
The lesson began.
But Liora barely heard a single word.
Her thoughts kept drifting back to one person.
Adrian.
Where was he now?
Was he safe?
Was he still injured?
Or…
Was he already gone from the city?
The thought left an unexpected emptiness in her chest.
Across the street from the school.
A black car was parked beneath the shade of a large tree.
Inside the car, a man sat quietly in the driver's seat.
His sharp eyes were focused on the school gate.
Students walked in and out of the building.
Laughing.
Talking.
Completely unaware they were being watched.
The man tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel.
Then he spoke.
"She's inside."
A voice came from the back seat.
Cold.
Calm.
"I see her."
The man in the driver's seat glanced at the rearview mirror.
"Boss didn't say anything about a girl."
The person in the back seat leaned slightly forward.
His face was partially hidden in shadow.
"But Adrian was with her."
The driver frowned.
"You think she knows something?"
The man's eyes remained fixed on the school building.
"Maybe."
Outside, the school bell rang.
Students began pouring out into the courtyard.
And then—
She appeared.
Liora stepped out of the building with Sofia, the two girls talking quietly as they walked toward the gate.
The man in the back seat watched her carefully.
"So that's her."
He studied her face for a long moment.
Then he smiled faintly.
"Interesting."
The driver looked uneasy.
"What do we do?"
The man leaned back into the shadows.
"For now?"
His smile widened slightly.
"We watch."
Liora walked home with Sofia that afternoon.
The sky was cloudy again, but the rain hadn't returned yet.
"You're still acting weird," Sofia said suddenly.
"I told you, I'm fine."
"Then explain something."
"What?"
Sofia stopped walking and turned toward her.
"Why do you keep looking behind us?"
Liora froze.
She hadn't realized she was doing it.
"…Habit," she said.
Sofia raised an eyebrow.
"That's not reassuring."
Liora forced a laugh.
But something inside her felt uneasy.
The strange feeling from last night had returned.
Like someone was watching her.
She glanced behind them again.
The street looked normal.
People walking.
Cars passing.
Nothing unusual.
Still…
The feeling wouldn't go away.
High above the street.
On the rooftop of a nearby building.
A tall figure stood silently.
The wind moved his dark coat as he watched the two girls walking below.
Adrian.
His bandaged arm rested against his side.
The wound still hurt.
But his attention wasn't on the pain.
It was on Liora.
His sharp eyes scanned the street carefully.
The black car across the road hadn't escaped his notice.
Neither had the men inside it.
His expression darkened slightly.
"They found her already," he muttered.
That was faster than he expected.
His gaze returned to Liora.
She laughed softly at something Sofia said, completely unaware of the danger circling around her.
Adrian exhaled slowly.
"This is why I told you to stay out of it."
But it was already too late.
The moment she helped him…
She had stepped into his world.
And that world was far more dangerous than she realized.
Adrian pushed himself away from the rooftop edge.
His decision was already made.
If his enemies were watching her…
Then he had no choice.
He would stay close.
Even if it meant stepping back into her life.
Because whether she liked it or not—
Liora was now connected to the man in the rain.