001, prolog

December 28, 2009

The night was cold. Rain poured down in torrents, reflecting the glow of streetlights on the wet pavement. The wail of sirens filled the air, blending with the rhythmic drumming of raindrops against the asphalt. Police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks crowded the city streets. Onlookers huddled under umbrellas, their gazes locked onto a single point—a towering, abandoned building engulfed in flames. The fire roared hungrily, licking at the night sky.

Among the murmurs of the gathered crowd, whispers of curiosity and unease spread.

"Wasn't that place abandoned?" a man muttered, his voice tinged with doubt. "How could it have caught fire?"

"I don't know… Something like this has never happened before."

But far from the crowd, in a darkened corner untouched by the flickering glow of the inferno, I stood in the rain.

My small body trembled, but not from the cold. My feet were submerged in a murky puddle of rain and mud, yet I remained frozen in place. My breath came in short gasps—not from fear, but from something deeper, something far more suffocating.

Before me, a woman lay wounded, a deep gash in her abdomen. She struggled to smile, though her pale lips quivered, stained with blood. Her hands trembled as she held me close, her grip weak yet desperate.

"S-Senu… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" Her voice was fragile, her breaths shallow.

I felt her body growing heavier against me. My small hands clutched at her clothes, trying to hold her up, trying to stop her from slipping away.

"Kara…? Kara!" I called out, my voice hoarse. But she didn't answer.

She pulled back just enough to look at me, her eyes filled with something indescribable. There was warmth in them, yet also sorrow. She smiled, but it was the kind of smile that felt like goodbye.

"Listen to me, Senu…" Her voice was barely above a whisper, but her gaze never wavered. "This isn't your fault. This… this was just an accident."

I didn't understand. I didn't understand why she was saying that. Why was she crying? Why did her body feel so cold?

I wanted to ask, to understand, but before I could, the screech of tires cut through the sound of rain.

A black car skidded to a stop nearby. The door swung open, and a tall man stepped out in a hurry. His heavy footsteps splashed against the waterlogged pavement as he rushed toward us, his voice laced with urgency.

"Kara, what happened?!"

I stared at him blankly. He knew Kara? Who was he?

Kara lifted her head with effort, her body trembling. Even so, her voice remained steady.

"Atticus… you came."

Atticus.

That was his name. I memorized it, even though I had no idea who he was or what role he played in this chaos.

"There's no time," Kara gasped, pressing a shaky hand to her wound in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. "Take the child. Get him as far away from here as possible. Don't let them find him."

Atticus hesitated. His gaze flickered between Kara and me, torn between decisions.

"But what about you?" His voice wavered.

"It's too late for me." Kara's weak smile returned, her eyes losing their focus. "This wound… it's too deep. I've lost too much blood. If you want to help me, then take Senu and go. Now."

Atticus clenched his jaw, frustration flashing across his face. He didn't want to leave her behind. But in the end, he nodded.

Without another word, he lifted me into his arms. I didn't resist. I couldn't even feel my own body anymore.

Rain drenched my face as he carried me toward the car. The back seat was cold as he placed me down. But my eyes never left the window.

I watched as Kara's figure grew smaller and smaller.

And there, amidst the raging flames consuming the old building, she smiled. A smile so weak, yet so full of warmth.

"Live, Senu…" she whispered, as if speaking only to herself.

That was the last time I saw her.

That night, I lost everything.