It was nearly three in the morning.
The streets of the city had become almost completely empty while the rain slowly faded into a cold mist hanging in the air.
Inside the hospital—
Everything felt unnaturally quiet.
Aria still remained unconscious inside Room 306 while additional security guards stood outside the hallway after the incident earlier that night.
Maya sat beside Aria's bed quietly, watching her with worried eyes.
"You guys need to be careful," she said softly.
Lila gave a small nod.
Ryan was already standing near the door with his laptop bag over his shoulder, fully prepared.
And Ethan—
Ethan looked both terrified and excited at the same time.
"We are literally going into a creepy abandoned building at three in the morning," he whispered dramatically.
"Does nobody else think this is a terrible life decision?"
Ryan answered without even looking at him.
"You can stay here if you want."
Ethan immediately shook his head.
"No thanks. In horror movies, the person who stays alone dies first."
Maya couldn't stop herself from laughing quietly.
Even Lila's lips curved slightly for the first time in hours.
For a brief moment—
The heavy tension surrounding them became lighter.
But only for a moment.
Because a few minutes later—
The black car stopped in front of a massive building standing in the middle of the dark city.
Everyone slowly looked up.
🜂 NOIR GROUP CENTRAL TOWER 🜂
The building looked enormous beneath the stormy sky.
Tall glass walls.
Most of the lights turned off.
The entire place looked abandoned.
And yet—
Something about it felt horribly wrong.
Lila slowly stepped out of the car while cold wind pushed against her hair.
Several faint lights still glowed near the upper floors.
Ryan narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Someone's here."
Ethan stared at the building nervously.
"…Nope."
Maya blinked.
"What do you mean nope?"
"Rich psychopath buildings are never safe."
Ryan replied dryly.
"That sentence somehow made sense."
The group slowly approached the main entrance.
Surprisingly—
The doors were unlocked.
That only made the atmosphere worse.
As soon as they stepped inside, darkness swallowed them almost immediately.
The hallway stretched endlessly ahead beneath dim lights.
Old marble floors reflected their footsteps while giant Noir family portraits covered the walls around them.
Every step echoed loudly through the empty building.
Ethan glanced toward one of the portraits and whispered—
"Okay, this family seriously had dramatic genes."
Lila ignored him.
Because her eyes remained focused on the faint light glowing at the end of the hallway.
Ryan lowered his voice carefully.
"…Someone's upstairs."
At that exact moment—
The hallway lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then steadied again.
Maya quietly moved closer toward Lila.
"Told you this feels like a horror movie," Ethan muttered nervously.
Lila slowly began walking toward the staircase.
The others followed behind her immediately.
The deeper they entered the tower—
The quieter everything became.
No voices.
No movement.
Only the distant sound of an old clock ticking somewhere in the darkness.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Finally, they reached the top floor.
An office door stood slightly open ahead of them while pale light spilled out into the hallway.
Lila's heartbeat slowed painfully.
She carefully pushed the door open.
Then everyone froze.
A man stood near the massive windows overlooking the city.
Black coat.
Tall figure.
His back facing them as rain covered the glass behind him.
Adrian Noir.
Silence filled the room instantly.
Lila's expression immediately turned cold.
"…You."
Adrian slowly turned around.
His face remained calm.
Almost unreadable.
"You shouldn't have come here."
Ryan subtly tensed beside her.
Maya looked nervous.
But Lila stepped forward anyway.
"We want answers."
Adrian stayed silent for several seconds.
His eyes slowly moved across the room.
Ryan.
Maya.
Then Ethan.
And at that exact moment—
Ethan quietly muttered—
"…Okay but why does your uncle still look this handsome?"
The entire room froze.
Ryan slowly closed his eyes in disappointment.
Maya stared at Ethan in complete shock.
Lila turned toward him very slowly.
"…Ethan."
Ethan immediately raised both hands defensively.
"What?! I'm just saying!"
For two seconds—
Nobody moved.
Then suddenly—
Adrian smiled.
Very slightly.
Almost invisible.
But enough for everyone to notice.
Lila completely froze.
Because this was the first time she had seen him smile since the night everything was destroyed.
But the moment disappeared quickly.
Adrian's expression slowly became cold again.
"You really shouldn't have come here."
Suddenly—
The office lights began flickering violently.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then—
A loud metallic sound echoed somewhere deep inside the tower.
THUD.
Everyone immediately turned toward the hallway.
And for the first time that night—
Adrian's eyes became genuinely dangerous.
"…Too late."