The afternoon in the Dock Sector descended with a strange slowness.
The sun hadn't fully set yet, but the light was already fading into a dull grey. The wind blowing from the sea carried a sharp, cold edge today. It was as if the wind wasn't just chilly—it brought with it an unknown warning.
Shadows lengthened against the walls of the old warehouses lining the streets.
The iron chains swayed in the breeze, creating a dry, rhythmic clinking.
The Dock Sector had witnessed many things.
Smuggling, missing persons, bizarre rumors.
Yet, today's silence felt different.
Today, it felt as if the city itself was holding its breath.
---
The street in front of Asha's house was nearly empty.
A few people walked in the distance.
But around the house, there was an eerie stillness.
As if all the surrounding sounds simply stopped once they reached this perimeter.
---
Standing on the roof of the opposite building was Iren.
His eyes were still fixed on Asha's house.
He had barely slept in the last two days.
Dark circles of exhaustion had formed under his eyes.
But his mind remained sharp.
He knew—now was not the time to be careless.
---
He slowly stepped closer to the edge of the roof.
His gaze was locked on Asha's window.
Asha was lying in bed.
The curtains were slightly parted, allowing the outside light to filter in.
Iren stared for a long time.
An unease churned in his chest.
"The fever hasn't gone down..." he said in a low voice.
---
He had seen Asha sitting by the window earlier this afternoon.
For a long time.
Waiting for someone.
Waiting for him.
This realization made Iren's heart feel heavy.
He had wanted to go down.
To forget everything and just knock on the door.
But he couldn't.
Because one name kept circling his mind—
Dok.
---
Where was Dok now?
Was he still nearby?
Or was he just playing?
Iren didn't know.
But he understood one thing very clearly—
Dok hadn't come just to scare him.
He had come to break him.
Slowly.
Psychologically.
---
Iren's eyes suddenly darted to the alley beside Asha's house.
A movement.
Extremely fleeting.
As if a shadow had slipped past the wall.
He stood up straight instantly.
His vision turned razor-sharp.
He stared for several seconds.
But there was nothing.
The alley was empty.
Nothing moved except the wind.
---
"Did I see it wrong...?" Iren whispered.
The unease in his mind grew again.
He looked back at Asha's house.
The house was quiet.
Unnaturally quiet.
---
Right then—
The light inside Asha's room flickered briefly.
A single second.
Then it went steady again.
A cold sensation washed over Iren's chest.
He knew that this kind of occurrence was not normal.
---
A decision came to him.
Sudden.
Hard.
He said in a low voice—
"I won't stay outside anymore."
---
A few minutes later, Iren descended to the street.
His pace was fast, yet cautious.
He looked around to see if anyone was watching.
The streets of the Dock Sector could hide many things.
---
He stopped in front of Asha's house.
The front door was closed.
Normal.
But there was an internal pressure in his chest.
He didn't knock.
Instead, he took the narrow path along the side and went to the back of the house.
---
The backyard was dark.
Sunlight rarely reached this spot.
An old tree stood there, its shadow cast against the wall.
Iren stood by the wall, his eyes on a window.
Through this window, the corridor of the house was visible.
---
Nothing was moving.
Everything was silent.
Perfectly still.
---
Right then—
A sound from inside the house.
*Khat.*
As if weight had been placed on the wooden floor.
Iren became alert instantly.
His eyes were locked on the window.
He moved closer.
---
The corridor was half-dark.
No lights were on.
Yet, some light from the window made it visible.
The walls.
The floor.
The doors.
Everything looked normal.
---
Then—
For a split second—
Something moved.
At the far end of the corridor.
A shadow.
Very fast.
Human-like.
But not quite human.
---
Iren's heart skipped a beat.
He narrowed his eyes, staring into the gloom.
"Who's there...?"
His voice was very low.
But no answer came.
---
The shadow moved again.
This time, it was clearer.
It looked like someone was standing pressed against the wall.
Then, it slowly moved away, deeper into the darkness.
---
Iren's breathing gradually became heavy.
A thought replayed in his head—
Asha was supposed to be alone.
Then...
Who was inside?
---
Right then, the sound of coughing came from Asha's room.
Weak.
Sick.
Asha.
---
Iren's expression changed instantly.
He knew that waiting any longer would be a mistake.
He rushed toward the back door.
The door wasn't fully closed.
There was a slight gap.
---
Warning signals were blaring inside his head.
But he didn't stop.
He slowly pushed the door open.
It made a harsh, grating sound.
---
Inside the house, it was dark.
Cold.
Unnaturally cold.
As if the air inside this house was separate from the world outside.
---
Iren stepped inside.
His eyes scanned the surroundings.
The corridor.
The walls.
The floor.
Everything seemed fine.
Yet—
Something was wrong.
---
Then—
His gaze drifted to the far end of the corridor.
Where he had seen the shadow just seconds ago.
There was nothing there now.
---
But something was lying on the floor.
Small.
Yellow.
A flower.
---
Iren stared at the flower.
A cold sensation spread through his chest.
He whispered in a very low voice—
"Dok..."
---
At that very moment—
The door behind him
Slowly,
On its own,
Closed.
*Click.*
---
**Chapter End.**