Falling Apart

Chapter 38

                    Third person's pov 

Miray ran through the darkness, her lungs burning with every desperate breath. The night pressed down on her like a heavy blanket, swallowing every sound except the pounding footsteps behind her. She darted down a narrow alley, only to find herself trapped, the walls towering on either side like prison bars.

A twisted, mocking laugh echoed through the shadows.

“Going somewhere?” Arthur’s voice cut through the silence, cold and venomous. He stepped out from the darkness, his eyes gleaming with a cruel satisfaction. Adrian was beside him, a dark smirk twisting his face, a knife gleaming in his hand.

“Oh baby, I missed you” Adrian sneered, taking slow, deliberate steps toward her.

“No, no, please…” Miray whispered, backing up until her shoulders pressed against the cold wall. Her heart hammered, her chest heaving as they closed in, blocking out any chance of escape.

Arthur tilted his head, a sick grin spreading across his face. “You’re not going anywhere, Miray. You’re ours.”

A voice rang out from somewhere behind them, filled with desperation. “Miray!”

Elijah. Her heart surged with hope as she saw him appear at the edge of the alley. But before she could call out, Arthur turned, leveling a gun at Elijah’s chest.

“No!” Miray screamed, her voice breaking. “Elijah, don’t—”

A gunshot shattered the silence, reverberating through the dark alley. Elijah fell to the ground, his body limp, his eyes lifeless as blood pooled around him.

Miray collapsed, her knees hitting the ground as a suffocating numbness spread through her. She tried to reach for him, her fingers scraping against the rough pavement. “Elijah…”

Arthur’s laugh echoed around her, harsh and unrelenting. “This is just the beginning,” he said, his voice dripping with malice. “One by one, they’ll fall. And you’ll watch every second.”

Her breaths came faster, each one more ragged than the last. Panic clawed at her chest as Arthur and Adrian closed in, their hands reaching for her—

The gunshot echoed again, louder, sharper—

---

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The harsh beeping of the heart monitor pierced the darkness. Her eyes flew open, and she gasped, her body trying to sit up, but pain shot through her, keeping her down as her hands clenched the hospital sheets. For a moment, she was disoriented, her vision swimming as the nightmare clung to her like a shadow.

“Miray?” Elijah’s voice was there, real, and filled with worry. She blinked, her eyes finally focusing on his face, then the doctor’s and Maxim’s, each of them looking down at her with expressions of alarm and concern.

“It’s okay,” the doctor said gently, moving to check her vitals. His presence was steady, calm, a sharp contrast to the chaos of her dream.

Elijah’s hand settled on her shoulder, grounding her as he searched her face. “You’re with us, Miray. You’re right here.”

She looked at him, her pulse still racing as the nightmare’s images faded. Her mouth felt dry, her throat sore from her screams. “I… I saw you—” she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. “They… Arthur and Adrian… they…”

Lorenzo drew closer, his hand enveloping hers with gentle reassurance. 'Calm down first, Rei. Whatever you saw, it’s over. They’re not here,' he whispered, his steady voice and warm hold offering comfort.

Miray’s heart pounded painfully as the reality of the hospital room came into focus, each face in front of her real, alive. But the fear refused to let go.

“I thought you were gone,Eli ,” she murmured, her voice breaking as tears slipped down her cheeks.

Elijah crouched beside her, his hand over hers as he looked her in the eyes. “You’re stronger than they ever imagined, Miray,” he said quietly. “And you’re not facing any of this alone. I'm right here and I always will be.”

The doctor made a final adjustment to her monitor, giving her a reassuring nod. “Take your time,” he said softly. “You’re safe here. We’ll take care of the rest.”

Miray nodded, her chest still tight, but slowly, her breaths steadied. 

As the doctor slipped out of the room, her brothers moved closer, grounding her in their presence. But when her gaze landed on Lorenzo, her breath hitched. His face bore cuts and bruises, a deep slash across his cheek, and his arm was wrapped in a thick bandage.

Fear and guilt twisted inside her. “Lorenzo… what happened?” Her voice trembled, panic rising in her eyes. “How did this… we escaped Arthur, didn’t we? I remember the car… how did you end up hurt?”

Lorenzo tried to give her a reassuring smile, waving a hand dismissively. “It’s nothing I couldn’t handle, Miray,” he said gently. “We just ran into… complications.”

Miray’s brow furrowed as she listened, her hand still gripping the bedsheet."I’m… I’m so sorry you had to go through that because of me…”

Ethan moved closer, his voice low and steady. “No. This isn’t on you. You’re not responsible for what he’s done. None of this is your fault.”

Lorenzo reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. “You’re a part of us, Miray. You’ve always been. Nothing—no one—is ever going to change that.”

Miray’s eyes grew misty, a soft smile breaking through despite the weariness." Thank you". She hesitated before asking, “How… how did you even find me?”

“Liam and some of our other friends,” Elijah said. “We wouldn’t have reached you in time if it weren’t for liam."

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Liam entered, his face softening when he saw her awake. Miray managed a small smile, feeling a swell of gratitude. “Liam...… thank you. If you hadn’t been there…”

Liam gave a dismissive wave, grinning. “Hey, you’re family. No thanks needed.”

His words struck something deep within her. But as Lorenzo’s voice echoed in her mind—“You’re a part of us”—she felt a chill, Arthur’s voice weaving its way into her thoughts, the cruel words he’d used to twist her fears: “They aren’t your real brothers. They’ll hate you when they know everything.”

Her breath hitched, and she froze, her mind caught between their love and the poison Arthur had tried to plant inside her. She blinked, her eyes wide, but just then the nurse entered, a small cup of pills in hand.

“These will help with the pain and get you some rest,” the nurse said gently, offering Miray a kind smile. Miray reached for the cup, her brothers watching over her, each one a silent guardian as she took the medication. She lay back, her breathing beginning to steady, and as the nurse nodded and left, her brothers lingered by her side until they were sure she was asleep.

They stepped out into the hallway, the tension in their eyes revealing their unspoken worry. Liam crossed his arms, his gaze serious as he addressed them. “We’ve tracked every lead, checked every source. Arthur… it’s like he’s disappeared into thin air. No one has seen or heard anything.”

Elijah’s jaw tightened. “We'll keep looking for him. I'll call a few more people.”

“I’ll call Grey,” Maxim said, his tone dark.

---

Days passed like this, with each one blending into the next. They kept constant watch over Miray, alternating between keeping her comfortable and digging for any trace of Arthur’s movements. But each lead went cold, and every contact Liam followed turned up empty. They were left waiting, tense, preparing for the day they’d finally catch him.

After nearly a week, the doctors finally gave them a piece of good news—Miray had healed enough to be discharged. Though she wasn’t completely recovered, the relief was unmistakable as they finally brought her home, each one silently promising to keep her safe from the darkness still lingering out of reach.