A Dark Turn

The night was quiet, almost too quiet for Hua's liking. She had just come back from a small gathering with her friends, feeling lighter after reconnecting with Ming. Their bond seemed unshakable now, and for the first time in a long while, Hua felt like her life was finally falling into place.

Her phone buzzed, breaking her from her thoughts. It was her mother, but there was something off in the way the phone rang. With a sense of dread crawling up her spine, Hua answered the call.

"Hua… it's Shen…" her mother's voice cracked.

Hua froze, her heart skipping a beat. "What about Shen? Is she okay?"

There was a long pause, heavy breathing on the other end. "She's gone. Someone... someone killed her."

Hua's world collapsed around her. The air was sucked from her lungs, and the ground seemed to vanish beneath her feet.

"No… No, that's not true," she stammered, shaking her head even though her mother couldn't see. "Shen can't be… she can't be gone."

Her mother's sobs were the only answer.

Hua's vision blurred as tears welled up, her mind refusing to process the words she just heard. Shen, her beloved sister, had been murdered? Who could've done this? And why?

She collapsed onto the floor, gripping her phone so tightly her knuckles turned white. The pain in her chest was unbearable, and all she could think about was Shen's bright smile, the way she used to tease Hua about Ming, and the way she always believed in her. How could something so horrible happen?

Her phone slipped from her trembling hand, the screen still illuminated with her mother's sobs in the background. Hua's head spun with grief, anger, and confusion.

Ming, who had been waiting to meet her, called her name from outside the door. He noticed the door was ajar and entered. The moment he saw her on the floor, broken and crying, he rushed to her side.

"Hua, what's wrong?" he asked urgently, kneeling beside her. But she couldn't find the strength to speak.

When Ming saw the phone on the floor and heard Hua's mother on the other end, he pieced together what had happened. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"Shen… she's gone…" Hua finally whispered, the words barely audible through her cries.

Ming clenched his jaw, his heart breaking for her. He had never seen Hua like this before, so shattered, so vulnerable. He knew he had to be strong for her now, even though he was equally as shocked by the news. He needed to find out what had happened.

But for now, all that mattered was being there for Hua.

As they sat together on the floor, tangled in grief, a storm of emotions brewed in Hua's heart. Whoever had done this to Shen was going to pay. She would make sure of it.