Fatal Fixation

Chapter 15: After the Storm

Daniel's first sensation was disorientation. He blinked, squinting against the bright light that filled the room. It took him a moment to realize he was in a hospital bed, his left arm bandaged and throbbing with a dull ache. He tried to move, but pain shot through him, reminding him of the night's events.

A soft rustling sound caught his attention. Turning his head slowly, he saw Kiriana sitting in a chair beside his bed. Her face was drawn and tired, but her presence was a comforting anchor amidst his confusion.

"Hey," Daniel croaked, his voice rough from disuse.

Kiriana eyes met his, and she offered a weak smile. "Hey. You're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been run over by a truck," Daniel replied, trying to lighten the mood despite his discomfort. "What happened?"

Kiriana gave a small grin, continuing to lighten the mood of the situation. "Melanie, the one who attacked you... she managed to stab your left arm. You know, the one you were holding my hand with. I think she got jealous."

Daniel's face twisted to a smirk, then disgust. "Jealous? Oh brother."

"Yeah," Evelyn said, her gaze dropping. "Listen, I'm sorry about this. That stab was meant for me, but instead I dodged it and managed to get you hurt."

"Hey," Daniel said softly, resting his good hand on Kiriana's cheek, "it's good that you dodged it. I'm happy that she got me instead of you. I told you I would protect you.. even though you kind of did that yourself. Haha."

She couldn't help but smile at his lighthearted words. "Thank you, that makes me feel if not a bit better about the situation."

Daniel tried to sit up, but Kiriana placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "Rest," she urged. "You need to recover. There's more you need to know."

"What happened?" Daniel asked, his concern growing.

"When we were still underground," Kiriana began, her voice steady but strained, "we heard the twins arguing. It was intense, and then... we heard a blood-curdling scream. Julie killed Melanie. She was furious that her sister had messed up their plan."

Daniel's eyes widened in shock. "So she was serious about that?"

Kiriana nodded solemnly. "Yes. Julie escaped before we could react. We don't know where she is now, but we've reported everything to the authorities. They're on the lookout."

Daniel's mind raced with the implications. "This just keeps getting worse. What's going to happen now?"

Kiriana's face was etched with worry. "We need to figure out our next steps. For now, the most important thing is that you recover. You've been through a lot."

Daniel looked at Kiriana, her eyes reflecting a mixture of exhaustion and concern. "Thanks for being here with me. I don't know how I would've handled this without you."

Kiriana eyes softened, and she reached out to hold his uninjured hand. "It's the least I could do, after all that you've done for me."

A silence settled between them, both of them processing the gravity of the situation. Daniel could see the strain in Kiriana's eyes and knew that she had been carrying a heavy burden. He wanted to comfort her, but his own pain made it difficult.

"I'm sorry," Daniel said finally, breaking the silence. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Kiriana shook her head. "None of this is your fault. We're all caught up in something much bigger than us. But we have each other, and that's what matters."

The room was quiet again, filled only with the soft hum of medical equipment. Daniel's thoughts churned with a mix of confusion, anger, and sadness. The night's events had revealed deeper layers of deceit and danger, and the loss of one of the twins only heightened the urgency of their situation. If Julie had the guts to kill her own family, there was no telling how far she would go to cause terror.

Kiriana's presence was a steadying force, and as he drifted back into a restless sleep, Daniel clung to the hope that things would start to go back to normal again.