The next morning felt heavy and silent after the terrifying events of the previous night.
Henry, Cathy, and Maria were sitting in the hospital waiting area. The white walls and the faint smell of medicine made the place feel even colder. Their faces were filled with sadness and exhaustion. None of them had slept properly, and the shock of what had happened still lingered in their minds.
Henry leaned forward in his chair, resting his hands together. His voice was low and filled with disbelief.
"I still can't believe it," he said slowly. "Silane… trying to kill Roshan last night… it just doesn't make sense to me."
Cathy sighed deeply and looked toward the hospital corridor where Silane had been admitted.
"But it's true," she replied softly. "We all saw it, Henry. Maria's mother tried to kill Roshan yesterday. And now she's lying unconscious in this hospital."
Maria sat beside them, her eyes red from crying. She stared quietly at the floor, trying to process everything. The thought that her own mother could do something so terrible was breaking her heart.
A few tears rolled down her cheeks.
Cathy gently placed her hand on Maria's shoulder and nodded softly, trying to comfort her.
"Hey… it's okay," she whispered. "We'll figure out what really happened. There must be a reason behind all of this."
Maria wiped her tears, but the sadness in her eyes remained. Somewhere deep inside, she felt that something far darker than they understood was beginning to reveal itself.
The nurse suddenly walked toward them with a gentle smile.
"Excuse me," she said softly, "the patient has regained consciousness. She is feeling better now. You can come and see her."
Hearing this, Henry, Cathy, and Maria quickly stood up and hurried toward the ward.
Inside the room, Silane was slowly sitting up on the hospital bed while the doctor checked her pulse. She looked confused and weak, her eyes moving around the room as if she were trying to understand where she was.
She looked at the doctor and asked nervously,
"Where… where am I? What place is this? What happened to me…? Is this a hospital?"
At that moment, Henry, Cathy, and Maria entered the ward.
Silane looked at them with confusion.
"Henry… Maria… Cathy… what happened to me? Why am I here?"
Henry was about to explain everything that had happened the previous night. The terrible scene of Silane attacking Roshan was still fresh in his mind. He opened his mouth to speak.
But suddenly Maria noticed something strange.
Her mother looked completely normal. Her eyes were calm, her expression innocent. There was no sign of anger or madness that she had seen the previous night. It was as if the woman lying on the bed was not the same person who had tried to kill Roshan.
Maria quickly raised her hand slightly toward her father, silently stopping him from speaking.
She stepped closer to her mother and forced a gentle smile.
"Mom," Maria said softly, "we tried to wake you up this morning, but you didn't wake up at all. You were unconscious. That's why we got scared and brought you to the hospital."
Silane looked at her with slight confusion but slowly nodded.
"Oh… I see," she murmured weakly.
Behind Maria, Cathy and Henry exchanged confused looks. They clearly knew Maria was lying, but they didn't understand why she would hide the truth from her own mother.
After some time, they helped Silane sit comfortably and gave her some fruits and light food that the doctor allowed.
Later, Maria and Henry walked out toward the parking area to bring their car.
The parking lot was quiet and almost empty.
Henry turned to Maria with a serious expression.
"Maria," he asked, "why did you lie to your mother? We should have asked her why she tried to kill Roshan last night."
Maria looked thoughtful for a moment before replying.
"I know mom tried to kill Roshan," she said slowly. "But she didn't do it with her own mind. At that moment… she wasn't our mom."
Henry frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
Maria lowered her voice.
"It felt like she was hypnotized… or maybe even possessed by something."
Henry stayed silent for a few seconds, thinking about what she said.
"Honestly," he replied quietly, "I was thinking the same thing."
Maria took a deep breath.
"Let's just take mom home and let her rest. We'll figure out everything later."
Henry nodded in agreement.
They brought the car from the parking area and drove back to the hospital entrance, where Cathy was waiting beside Silane.
Carefully, they helped Silane into the car.
The car slowly left the hospital parking lot and began the quiet journey back to their home, while an uneasy silence filled the air — as if the darkness of the previous night was still following them.
The car slowly stopped in front of the house.
Jenifer was already standing near the entrance, waiting for them with a concerned expression. As they stepped out of the car, she quickly walked toward them.
Inside the house, the atmosphere still felt heavy after the terrible incident of the previous night.
In the guest room, Roshan was sitting quietly on the bed. His face looked pale, and he was still shaken by the trauma. Johan sat beside him, trying to comfort him.
"Try to relax, Roshan," Johan said gently. "Everything is okay now. You're safe here."
Roshan nodded slowly, though the fear had not completely faded from his eyes.
Meanwhile, Henry, Maria, Cathy, and Silane entered the hall area.
Maria and Cathy noticed someone sitting on the sofa waiting for them. It was Dr. Robin, Maria's psychiatrist who had been giving her therapy sessions. They were not shocked to see him because they already knew he had recently come to Los Angeles from San Jose.
Jenifer walked closer and explained softly.
"He came here a few minutes ago," she said. "He told me he knows you, Maria, so I asked him to wait."
Maria quietly leaned toward Jenifer and asked in a low voice,
"Did you tell him about what happened last night?"
Jenifer gently shook her head.
"No, Maria. I didn't say anything."
She gave Maria a reassuring look.
"You go and talk with him first. I'll take care of your mother."
Maria nodded.
At the same time, Henry and Cathy carefully helped Silane walk toward her bedroom so she could rest. Silane still looked weak and tired. They helped her lie down comfortably on the bed.
"I feel a little dizzy," Silane murmured.
"It's okay," Cathy said softly. "Just rest for a while."
Jenifer stayed in the room with her to make sure she was comfortable.
Meanwhile, Maria walked back to the hall where Dr. Robin was waiting.
Dr. Robin stood up calmly when he saw her approaching.
"Maria," he said with a gentle smile, "it's good to see you again."
Maria sat down across from him and tried to compose herself.
"I am good, doctor… how are you?" she asked politely.
Dr. Robin smiled gently.
"I'm fine, Maria."
He looked at her carefully for a moment before continuing.
"Are you feeling better now? And are you taking your medications regularly?"
Maria nodded slowly.
"Yes, doctor. I'm taking my medicines regularly. But… the dark memories are still making me feel very sad." She paused, her voice becoming softer. "It's not easy for me to overcome that trauma… because I lost my boyfriend, Nick."
Dr. Robin's expression became sympathetic.
"Maria," he said calmly, "time will heal everything. Grief takes time, and what you went through was very painful."
He then noticed the tension in her face and glanced around the quiet house.
"But tell me something," he added gently. "Why are you looking so worried today? And your family members also seem sad. Did something happen?"
Maria hesitated for a moment. Then she took a slow breath and began explaining everything that had happened the previous night.
She told him about the terrifying moment when Silane suddenly attacked Roshan. She described the fear, the chaos, and how her mother later collapsed and had to be admitted to the hospital.
"But doctor," Maria said firmly, "my mother didn't do that intentionally. At that moment… she wasn't herself. It felt like she wasn't in control of her mind."
After Maria finished explaining everything that had happened the previous night, Dr. Robin listened quietly without interrupting. His expression remained calm and thoughtful.
He gently nodded and spoke in a reassuring voice.
"Maria, don't worry too much right now. Later, I will speak with your mother personally and try to understand why she behaved like that."
Maria looked at him with a little relief, hoping he might find some explanation.
Dr. Robin continued calmly,
"Sometimes extreme stress or psychological triggers can cause people to behave in ways they don't remember later. In such moments, a person may not be fully aware of their actions."
He paused for a moment before adding,
"For now, the most important thing is that your mother rests properly. We shouldn't jump to conclusions until we understand what truly happened."
His calm words slowly helped Maria feel a little more stable.
Just then, footsteps were heard from the corridor.
Cathy entered the hall along with the others. Johan walked beside Roshan, who still looked quiet and shaken. A few of the cousins followed them as well.
They noticed Dr. Robin sitting with Maria.
Cathy smiled politely and greeted him.
"Hello, Doctor. Welcome."
Dr. Robin stood up briefly and nodded politely.
"Hello."
They all sat down together in the hall, filling the sofas around the room.
Cathy soon returned with a cup of coffee and handed it to him.
"Please have some coffee, doctor."
"Thank you," Dr. Robin replied warmly as he accepted the cup.
The group sat together in the quiet hall, the morning light slowly entering through the windows. Though they were gathered in one place, the shadow of the strange and frightening event from the previous night still lingered silently among them.
Maria slowly stood up from the sofa and looked toward Roshan, Johan, and Jenifer.
"Can you all come to my room for a moment?" she asked quietly.
They nodded and followed her down the hallway into her room. Once the door closed, Maria turned toward them with a serious expression.
"I need you all to understand something," she began.
Roshan looked at her nervously, still shaken from the previous night.
"My mother didn't try to hurt you intentionally," Maria continued softly. "At that moment… she wasn't in control of herself. I'm sure of it."
She stepped closer to Roshan and spoke gently.
"Roshan, my mom would never do something like that with her own mind. Something was wrong yesterday… something we still don't understand."
Roshan stayed silent for a few seconds. Then he slowly nodded.
"I believe you, Maria," he said quietly.
Johan placed a reassuring hand on Roshan's shoulder.
"We all know your mother," Johan added. "She's not that kind of person."
Jenifer also agreed.
"Something strange definitely happened last night."
Maria felt slightly relieved hearing their support. She managed a faint smile and helped Roshan calm down, speaking to him gently until his fear slowly eased.
Meanwhile, in the hall, Cathy was speaking with Dr. Robin.
Dr. Robin finished the last sip of his coffee and stood up.
"I should leave now," he said politely.
Cathy nodded.
"Thank you for coming, doctor."
Before leaving, Dr. Robin added,
"Please send Maria to my hospital in Los Angeles tomorrow. I would like to talk with her more and check on her condition."
"Of course," Cathy replied.
Dr. Robin gave a polite nod and walked toward the door before leaving the house.
A few minutes later, Cathy walked toward Maria's room to inform her about the appointment.
At the same time, in another room, Henry was sitting beside Silane.
Silane was sleeping quietly on the bed, her breathing slow and calm after the exhausting night. The curtains near the window moved slightly as the wind passed through.
Henry sat silently, watching over her.
Suddenly…
something strange caught his eye.
Near the window, on the thin white curtain, a dark shadow slowly appeared.
It looked like the outline of a woman standing outside.
Henry frowned and stood up slowly.
The shadow didn't move.
It just stood there… watching.
His heart started beating faster.
"Who's there?" he called out cautiously.
No answer.
The shadow remained still.
Henry slowly walked toward the window and pulled the curtain aside.
But the moment he looked outside—
there was no one.
The garden was completely empty.
The trees moved quietly in the wind, and the evening light cast long shadows across the ground.
Henry looked around, confused.
"Maybe I imagined it…" he muttered to himself.
But far away, behind the tall tree near the edge of the yard…
something moved.
Hidden in the darkness, a woman stood silently. Her blood like gown make the birds to scare and fly
Her long hair moved slightly with the wind.
And her eyes…
They were an unnatural deep blue, glowing faintly in the shadow.
She stared directly at the house.
A slow, unnatural smile spread across her face.
Then she slowly whispered in a chilling voice that no one inside the house could hear.
"Soon…"
Inside Maria's room, the group continued talking.
Maria sat quietly, lost in her thoughts.
Questions kept swirling in her mind.
Why did my mother try to kill Roshan?
Why was Nick murdered?
Is there some connection between these events?
Her thoughts felt like a tangled web she couldn't escape.
Johan spoke first.
"Maria, whatever this is… we'll figure it out together."
Jenifer nodded.
"You're not alone in this."
Roshan added quietly,
"We'll help you find the truth."
Maria looked at all of them, feeling a small spark of strength return inside her.
"Yes," she said softly. "We will find out what's really happening."
The group began discussing how they could start searching for answers, determined to uncover the mystery behind the strange events surrounding them.
But outside the house…
hidden in the darkness…
the blue-eyed woman continued watching.
Her glowing eyes stared through the window as if she could see everything inside.
The wind suddenly blew stronger, rustling the trees.
And in that darkness, her smile slowly widened.
Something far more terrifying than they imagined had already begun.