30 minutes after Karin's kidnapping
Selin parked her motorcycle in front of Karin's house. Under the dimming afternoon sunlight, her eyes immediately fixed on the figure standing restlessly in front of the door. It was Arzan. He was pacing back and forth with his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the terrace floor.
Hesitantly, Selin approached him. "Arzan? What are you doing here?" she asked casually, though her heart was curious, seeing the worry on Arzan's face.
Arzan immediately turned, looking like someone who had been waiting for help for too long.
"Selin?" he asked, as if confirming. Selin nodded. "Have you seen Karin today?"
"Not yet," Selin answered, starting to get suspicious at Arzan's hurried tone. "I was about to meet her. Why, what's going on?"
Arzan glanced at Karin's door, his face tense. "I can't reach her. Her phone is off. I've knocked on this door several times, but there's no answer."
Selin also looked at the door, trying to understand the situation. "Her parents usually work at this time," she muttered, pulling her phone out of her jacket pocket. She quickly tried to call Karin, but just like Arzan said, her call only showed as calling.
"I was still able to chat with her this morning, two check marks. Now it's only one," Selin continued, her voice growing more worried.
Arzan lowered his head, his face seemed to lose all hope. "I'm too late," he said weakly.
Selin squinted, confused. "Too late? What do you mean by too late?"
Arzan didn't immediately respond. His breathing was heavy, as if carrying the weight of the guilt that haunted him. Finally, he muttered quietly, "It's Mr. Ali's doing."
Selin frowned. "Huh? Mr. Ali? What's Mr. Ali got to do with Karin?" Arzan remained silent, his head bowing even lower. The silence made Selin's anger boil over. She approached Arzan and pushed his shoulder roughly. "Answer, man! What's happening to Karin?" she snapped.
Arzan finally looked up, his voice low and full of regret. "Mr. Ali killed Heri. He also attacked Rafi, and now Karin is his next target."
Selin went silent. Her breath caught in her throat when she heard Heri's name. Memories of their friend's death played in her mind like a film. "Are you serious?" Selin murmured almost inaudibly.
"Selin, I know this is all too sudden. But I'm sure it's Mr. Ali's doing. He's after Karin now," Arzan said desperately.
Selin glared at Arzan, anger and fear mixing into one. "You're sure it's him, but you're just standing there? You're here, pondering, instead of saving her? Arzan, you're a guy, not a statue! If something happens to Karin, can you forgive yourself?"
Arzan tried to speak, but Selin didn't give him a chance. "Listen, we don't have time to blame ourselves. If Mr. Ali is the one behind this, we need to act now. I don't care how difficult it is, I won't sit still if Karin needs us!"
Selin grabbed her phone, trying to come up with a plan. "We need to find traces of her. Maybe she left something behind, a clue, anything. We also need to report this to the police if you're sure it's Mr. Ali. Do you understand, Arzan? We can't wait any longer!"
Seeing the determination in Selin's eyes, Arzan felt a glimmer of hope. He nodded, his previously gloomy face now showing a hint of bravery. "Okay," he murmured. "You're right. We can't waste time."
"Good. Now we need to report to the police and ask them to check the nearby CCTV," Selin commanded in a firm tone, taking control of the situation.
Without wasting any more time, both of them shifted into serious mode, determined to save Karin before it was too late.
***
Karin removed the key from the door with her right hand, while her left hand, still impaled by a screwdriver, continued to bleed, making every movement feel excruciating. Each pulse in her palm reminded her of the wound that kept bleeding, but she had no choice but to keep moving.
Her focus now was to find Chika. Luckily, on the keychain, there were several keys, hopefully one of them would open the exit door and the door where Chika was locked.
She stood in the living room, observing the four other doors in the house. The first door, closest to her, was immediately tried. Unlocked. It turned out to be just a bathroom. She didn't have time to investigate further, so she quickly moved to the second door.
The second door was locked. Breathless, Karin raised her right hand to knock, hoping for a response from inside. But there was no sound. Karin bit her lip, gathering what little strength she had left, and tried to open the door with the keys she had.
First attempt, failed. Second attempt, the key didn't fit. Her right hand began to tremble from the strain, while her left hand pulsed with pain. But she didn't stop. It took five attempts before she finally heard a small click from the door. With a sigh of relief mixed with nervousness, Karin turned the handle and opened the door.
As soon as the door opened, the smell of blood hit her nose. The stench was so sharp it almost made Karin gag. The room was dark, and nearly the entire floor and walls were covered in plastic. Every step she took made a soft crackling sound on the plastic.
Her eyes finally caught sight of a figure lying in the corner of the room. It was Chika.
"Chika!" Karin hurried over, holding back the pain in her hand, and knelt beside her friend. She stretched out her right hand to gently tap Chika's cheek. "Chika, wake up! It's me, Karin."
Chika didn't respond. Panicked, Karin felt Chika's neck, searching for her pulse. There it was. Weak, but still there. She felt a little relief, but time was running out, and she knew they weren't safe here.
"Chika, I promise we'll get out of here. Just wait a little bit, okay?" Reluctantly, Karin decided to leave Chika in the room for now. She pulled the plastic off the wall with all her strength to wrap Chika's body, giving her some warmth.
She looked at Chika, helpless, with guilt haunting her. However, carrying Chika in this condition would be far too dangerous. With the keys in hand, she stepped out of the room.
Each step felt heavy, not only because the blood continued to drip from the palm of her left hand but also because of the weight of the decision she had just made. Their time was running out, and Mr. Ali could return at any moment. Karin steeled her resolve. She had to find a way out of this house, for herself, for Chika. There was no room for mistakes anymore.
Karin leaned against the door she had just closed, her face pale from losing so much blood. Her breath was heavy, and her vision was starting to blur. In front of her, the loud banging on the door echoed, growing more intense with each passing second. Mr. Ali's voice calling her name with anger sent chills down her spine.
"Karin! Don't think you can escape from me!" The voice was hoarse, mixed with the sound of pounding that almost made the door break.
Karin tried to regulate her breathing, though it felt as if something was squeezing her throat. Her hand trembled as she held her left palm, but she didn't have time to wrap the wound with cloth. She knew she didn't have much time left.
With great effort, she tried to rise. Her knees wobbled, and the world seemed to spin around her. But Karin had no choice. If she didn't move, this would be the end. She couldn't give up now.
She stumbled toward the living room, her eyes fixed on the small nightstand in the corner of the room. She hoped to find a phone there, something she could use to call for help. She opened the first drawer with her trembling right hand. Empty.
"Where is it?!" Karin muttered in frustration, opening the second drawer. Still nothing. Her hands moved faster even though her body was getting weaker. Cold sweat drenched her face, mixed with the suffocating panic.
Suddenly, the sound of the door finally breaking through stopped all her efforts. Karin froze. Mr. Ali had broken out of the room. She didn't know how he managed to break the door down.
The man stood in the doorway, breathing heavily, then a sly smile spread across his face, his eyes filled with madness as he looked at Karin like a hunter who had found his prey.
"I told you, you're not going anywhere," Mr. Ali said coldly, his voice sending a shiver down Karin's spine.
The nearest room to Karin was the kitchen. With the last of her strength, Karin tried to run toward the kitchen. Though her steps were stumbling, it didn't stop her from trying to escape. Even her left hand, which she couldn't move, wasn't enough to stop Karin from thinking of ways to get out of this place.
Mr. Ali followed her with a relaxed step, standing in the kitchen doorway, watching Karin with a terrifying smile.
"Troublemakers need to be punished, right?"