This was the path he had chosen, the only path left that would silence the storm within. Felix could not live in despair any longer, could not bear the agony of knowing he hadn't been able to save Sophia from a cruel fate. The memory of her haunted him, her laughter now a distant echo drowned by the darkness that consumed him. He would make the ones responsible suffer; he would bring them to their knees, just as they had brought him.
Tonight, his heart would find peace—not through forgiveness, but through the finality of revenge.
Felix tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the empty road ahead. The night was cloaked in an eerie stillness, broken only by the hum of his car's engine. His thoughts spiraled into a whirlwind of anger and pain, but he welcomed it. This was his fuel. This was his purpose now.
Suddenly, the screech of tires pierced the silence. Felix slammed on the brakes, his heart lurching as the car skidded to a halt. The impact was jarring, a sickening thud that sent a chill down his spine.
His hands trembled as he pushed the door open and stepped out into the cold night. The dim glow of his headlights illuminated a small, fragile figure lying motionless on the pavement. A little girl—no older than six.
"What… what is she doing here?" Felix muttered, his voice shaking with disbelief.
He knelt beside her, his heart pounding as he checked for signs of life. She was unconscious but breathing. Her face was pale, her tiny frame so delicate it seemed as if the world itself had conspired against her.
"This wasn't supposed to happen," he whispered, guilt clawing at his chest. He had intended to hurt those who had wronged him, not innocent lives.
Felix scooped the girl into his arms and rushed her to the hospital. The drive felt endless, the weight of her limp body in his arms a stark reminder of the kind man he used to be—the man he thought he had buried along with Sophia.
At the hospital, chaos erupted as doctors and nurses swarmed around the child. Felix paced outside the emergency room, his mind a whirlwind of emotions. He hadn't meant for this to happen. He had no idea who she was or why she had been on that desolate road.
When the doctor finally emerged, Felix rushed forward.
"She's stable for now," the doctor said, his expression grim. "But she's malnourished—starved for at least five days. She may have internal injuries as well. We'll need to run more tests."
Felix swallowed hard, guilt and concern battling within him.
"Are you her father?" the doctor asked.
The question caught Felix off guard. "No… I'm not."
But as the doctor walked away, Felix found himself rooted to the spot, his mind reeling. When he finally gathered the courage to step into the room, the sight before him left him breathless.
The little girl had opened her eyes—hazel eyes so vibrant, so hauntingly familiar that Felix felt as though the air had been knocked out of him.
"Your eyes…" he whispered, his voice barely audible. "They're just like hers. You have the color of Sophia's eyes. Is this… fate?"
The girl blinked at him, her expression dazed and innocent. Felix's chest tightened as memories of Sophia flooded back. Her laughter, her warmth, her unwavering kindness—all reflected in the gaze of this fragile child.
"Who are you?" Felix asked softly, his voice trembling with an emotion he couldn't name. But the girl's condition was still critical, and she was too weak to answer.
As Felix stepped out to speak to the doctor again, one thought consumed him. This little girl had stumbled into his life on the night he had chosen revenge. Was she here to remind him of the man he once was? Or was she meant to be part of the storm that still raged within him?
For the first time in years, Felix found himself at a crossroads.