In a house filled with warmth and love, Adel lived with his only daughter, Lily. Since the passing of her mother, they were all each other had in this world.
Early in the morning, as the sun began to peek through the window, Adel stood before Lily's door, knocking gently.
"Come on, Lily... wake up. We're going to be late," Adel called out.
"Oh, Dad, please... just a little longer," Lily replied, her voice thick with sleep.
Adel smiled. "Lily, stop being spoiled. I know you're only doing this so I'll drive you myself."
Suddenly, the door swung open. Lily stepped out, still half-asleep but with a mischievous grin. "You caught me!" she laughed, rushing to give him a tight hug.
"Good morning, to the best Dad ever!"
Adel patted her hair affectionately. "Good morning. Now, go wash up. Breakfast is ready."
Lily hurried to the bathroom and was back at the table in minutes. As they ate, she looked at him with pleading eyes. "Dad... just drive me today... I promise, it's the last time."
Adel raised an eyebrow. "The last time, Lily?"
She grinned. "Thank you!" and hurried to get ready.
But the truth was, Lily wasn't just happy because her father was driving her. She was excited because whenever he drove, Seif, the neighbor's son, would ride with them.
After they reached the school, Lily seemed upset. She thought Seif had forgotten her birthday. Seif noticed, but he decided to tease her first, acting as if he had no clue.
Lily's frustration grew. She left him and sat alone on a bench in the school courtyard. Seif ran after her, laughing as he stood before her.
"I could never forget your birthday, Lily... here." He handed her a small box.
Inside was a couple's bracelet—the kind that glows on one person's wrist when the other person presses theirs. Lily's eyes lit up with joy.
"Thank you, best brother in the world!" she exclaimed.
Seif froze for a second, his expression shifting. "Brother? Right... you're welcome."
Despite the happy moment, Lily noticed something. "But Seif, how will you wear it? You're allergic to this material."
Seif shrugged. "I'll manage." Then he asked for her homework to copy before class.
Lily teased him. "Seif, rely on yourself! What would you do if I wasn't here?"
Seif looked at her, his voice suddenly quiet and serious. "I feel like as long as you're here... I don't have to."
Before she could process his words, Lily playfully threw her notebook at him. "Just get it done and bring it to class!" She laughed and headed upstairs.
Standing by the classroom window, Lily looked down at the courtyard. But suddenly, a strange feeling gripped her heart. A sharp, heavy tightening in her chest.
"What is this...?" she whispered to herself.
At that exact moment, the lights flickered and died. A small alarm echoed through the halls. The announcement was chilling: The security cameras have been disabled.
Lily stood confused at the window... and slowly, a cold shiver ran down her spine. She felt a dark shadow looming right behind her.
She began to turn her head, inch by inch. But before she could see a face, a pair of strong hands shoved her with sudden, violent force.
It all happened in a heartbeat. Lily's world tilted, her balance vanished, and she plummeted through the school window.
A deafening scream erupted from the students in the courtyard. Chaos took over the school in seconds. Students rushed toward the scene, their faces frozen in horror.
When Seif heard the scream, his heart stopped. He looked toward the gathering crowd—and then he saw her.
"LILY!" Seif's voice cracked with a pain he had never known.
He sprinted toward her, falling to his knees on the cold pavement. Her face was deathly pale, and blood stained the ground around her. Seif took her trembling hand in his, his own body shaking uncontrollably.
"Lily! Wake up, Lily... please!" Seif sobbed. "I didn't even get to tell you I love you... please, my love, wake up."
Suddenly, Lily stirred. Her lips moved, her voice a faint, ghostly whisper. Seif leaned in closer, his ear nearly touching her lips.
"Lily, don't talk... please... stay with me. The ambulance is coming," he pleaded.
"S... Seif..." she breathed out, her voice breaking. "I... I love you..."
And then, her eyes drifted shut. Seif collapsed beside her, completely shattered.
At the same time, the news reached Adel. The moment he heard, he raced to the school like a madman. He arrived to find his only daughter lying on the ground, pale and surrounded by blood.
Adel lunged toward her, throwing his jacket over her small, broken frame. He sat on the dirt and pulled her into his arms, cradling her as if she were a child again.
"Lily, my darling, wake up... I'm right here," Adel wept. "Hold on, please... you're all I have."
People were screaming for the ambulance, but Adel heard nothing. He just held her tighter, whispering into her hair with a broken soul: "Lily, my baby... you won't leave me, will you?"
He lay down beside her on the ground, holding her close as the world around them faded into gray.