Chapter 1

"THUD."

My hands trembled. My legs shook beneath me as I slowly stepped toward the bloodbath before my eyes.

"This isn't my house... no... where am I?" I thought, frantically scanning the unfamiliar room.

My lips quivered, but my voice refused to obey. I reached for my phone, only to find it lying on the floor, completely shattered.

A window caught my attention.

Without thinking twice, I climbed onto the sill and jumped. Luckily, it was only the first floor. Pain shot through my legs as I landed, but the surge of adrenaline kept me moving.

As I staggered away, a thought slammed into my mind.

What if someone comes? What if they find something that connects me to this place?

It was the middle of the night. Every light was off, and darkness stretched around me like an endless abyss.

Should I call the police?

But will they believe me?

The question echoed in my head, followed by another voice—quiet, almost like a whisper.

"No. Remove every trace first."

Before I realized what I was doing, I turned around and ran back.

The front door stood open.

Was it open before?

I couldn't remember.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears as I rushed into the bathroom, grabbed whatever cleaning supplies I could find, and began wiping away every stain I could see. My hands moved on instinct while my mind spiraled into chaos.

How did I end up here?

What happened?

Whose blood is this?

Did anyone see me?

The questions came one after another, but no answers followed.

I quietly pulled the door shut—not completely, just enough that it wouldn't arouse suspicion if anyone happened to pass by.

Then I walked away.

Slowly.

Calmly.

As if everything was perfectly normal.

While cleaning the room, I noticed something strange. I only had my phone with me. No wallet. No purse. No keys. Nothing. It was as if I had stepped out for a short walk to meet someone and never expected to be gone for long.

But my mind...

It was empty.

A blank canvas, with only my desperate assumptions painting possibilities across it.

I had no money and no way to contact anyone.

I avoided the main road, slipping instead through narrow, dark alleys. Every shadow made my heart race, but nothing in that darkness frightened me more than what I had already seen tonight.

After what felt like hours, I spotted a gas station glowing beneath flickering fluorescent lights.

Relief washed over me.

I hurried inside and asked the cashier if I could borrow a phone. After a hesitant glance, he handed it to me.

With trembling fingers, I dialed the only number I could remember by heart.

The call connected.

"Jeane... it's me." My voice cracked. "Please... I need your help. Can you come get me?"

There was silence.

Then—

"Sam... is that really you?"

Her voice was shaking.

"Where are you? Where have you been?"

"I... I don't know."