Cause and Effect

Karin sat on the kitchen floor, her body trembling and in pain. Her injured hand was still bleeding, and every little movement made her wince. Mr. Ali stood by the kitchen door, staring at her with a cold, angry gaze.

"Sooner or later, you're going to lose, Karin," Mr. Ali said, his voice hoarse but threatening. "You're already exhausted. There's no point in fighting back."

Karin swallowed, trying to calm herself, though the fear was clearly on her face.

In the corner of her eye, Karin saw a coffee mug on the table. Thin steam could still be seen coming out of its surface, a sign that the coffee was still hot. Her brain worked quickly, devising a plan even though her body could barely stand.

She shifted her body slowly towards the table, trying to look weak in Mr. Ali's eyes. "Why?" Karin suddenly asked, trying to buy time. "Why are you doing all this? What did I do wrong?"

Mr. Ali gave a small grin, as if enjoying the fear radiating from Karin. "You're naughty children who need to be taught. Just like the others. Just like Heri and the others," he replied in a satisfied tone.

Karin bit her lip, holding back the fear that was increasingly suffocating her chest. Karin slowly tried to reach for the coffee cup on the table. Her injured hand was trembling, but she forced herself. "Actually, what do you want? Is it better to stop?"

Mr. Ali raised an eyebrow, then stepped closer. "Quit? Nothing can stop me, Karin," he said in a confident tone. "You're very attractive, so I'd like to play with you for a while."

Karin immediately felt her hair stand up all over. This man in front of her was completely crazy and could no longer be helped.

"Sir, repent, Sir." Karin did not know what else to say. She began to rise slowly with the table as her support. Karin could see blood splattered everywhere. It was the blood from his hands.

"Why do you think I let you live this long?" Mr. Ali took a step forward. "I deliberately let you run away that time, all to enjoy your fear."

As he stepped closer, Karin suddenly grabbed the coffee cup and threw it with all her might at his face. The hot liquid instantly splashed his face, making Mr. Ali scream in pain while holding his now reddened face.

Karin wasted no time. With her remaining strength, she tried to run out of the kitchen. However, her badly injured body couldn't cooperate. She tripped over a chair and fell to the hard floor. Her left hand hurt even more as it was crushed by her body.

Mr. Ali, who was still grimacing in pain, slowly got up. His face was now full of anger, more frightening than ever. He grabbed a knife from the kitchen table and walked over to Karin. "You're in big trouble!" he growled.

Karin tried to crawl back, but her body was too weak. Her eyes widened as she saw Mr. Ali raise the knife, ready to end it all.

CRACK!

A loud noise echoed through the kitchen, and Mr. Ali staggered forward before falling to the floor. Behind him, Selin stood breathlessly, a hammer in her hand.

"Karin!" Selin ran over to her fallen friend.

However, as Selin turned to Mr. Ali, the man's body began to move again, signaling that it wasn't quite over. He staggered back to his feet. The knife was thrown and landed near Karin's feet. Selin swiftly picked up the knife and pointed it at Mr. Ali.

"I should have killed you from the start." Mr. Ali looked sharply at his two students. His anger was now at its peak.

***

Arzan wondered about the girl named Selin, who had now left first. Reluctant to go with the police to the psychopath's house. The girl was really too brave to face someone as dangerous as Mr. Ali.

The police car pulled up in front of Mr. Ali's house with its rotator lights spinning, illuminating the increasingly tense night. Arzan got off the bike in a hurry, his face full of worry. Several policemen got out of the car, ready with their gear.

"Sir, hurry up, my friends are inside!" Arzan urged one of the policemen, his hands shaking as he pointed toward the house.

"Relax, we'll handle this," one of the policemen replied in a firm tone.

However, these words were not enough to calm Arzan down. "Selin went in first! She didn't wait for me! If anything happens to them, it's my fault!" He spoke in a trembling voice, between anger and fear.

Without waiting for further instructions, Arzan ran to the side of the house. He saw a side window that was slightly open. His feelings were getting more and more confused. "Sorry, Sir," he muttered as he climbed up and through the window.

Arzan landed carefully inside the dark house. A musty odor mixed with the smell of iron made him sick to his stomach. He heard a faint commotion from the direction of the kitchen, a shout and a loud crash.

Without thinking, Arzan strode quickly toward the sound. His steps were heavy with gripping fear, but he forced himself forward.

When he reached the kitchen, Arzan saw a sight that made his blood boil. Mr. Ali stood with a face full of anger, moving menacingly towards Selin and Karin who were injured on the floor. Selin tries to protect Karin by pointing a knife at Mr. Ali, but she is clearly not strong enough to fight the man.

Without warning, Arzan shouted, "OI, ALI!" and leaped at the man, swinging his leg with all his might. His kick hit Mr. Ali squarely in the chest, sending him flying backward and hitting the wall hard.

Mr. Ali groaned in pain, but Arzan didn't stop. He ducked down, and stamped his foot several times on Mr. Ali's body. "Don't touch them again, asshole!" he shouted, his eyes full of anger.

The next second, the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard from the front of the house. The police entered with guns drawn, aiming them at Mr. Ali who was still lying on the floor.

"Nobody moves!" one of the policemen exclaimed sternly.

Arzan stood between Selin and Karin, his breathing ragged. He turned toward them, bending down to check on Karin. "Karin, Selin, are you okay?" he asked hoarsely.

Selin nodded weakly, while Karin gave a small smile despite her trembling lips. "You're so slow," Karin whispered.

The police quickly secured Mr. Ali and began inspecting the scene. However, amidst the relief, Arzan couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt that continued to gnaw at his heart. If only he had arrived sooner, maybe his friends wouldn't have to go through all this.

"Chika is still inside." With trembling hands Karin reached into her pocket and pulled out the key to where Chika was. "She's badly injured," said a girl with a screwdriver in her hand.

Arzan looked at Karin for a moment, then nodded firmly. "Come on, let's get this over with," he said, before he moved towards the room where Chika was, carrying the last hope of saving her.