Chapter 33 The Moment
Lina's POV
This made me close my eyes for a moment and breathed out shakily.
“I left my keys,” I began quietly. “I stormed out of your room, and I didn’t even know I forgot them there. When I got downstairs and the elevator opened, I realized I didn’t have them. So I went back up.”
My voice trembled a little.
“I didn’t even knock properly. I pushed your door open and—”
My words suddenly caught in my throat but I forced myself to continue.
“You were standing at the window. Your foot was already on the ledge. You were going to throw yourself off the building.”
Then I saw it. Noel’s jaw suddenly tightened, but he didn’t interrupt. His eyes waited patiently to see me say more.
“You didn’t hear me at all,” I whispered. “I was calling you. Shouting your name. You didn’t even move. You looked like someone else… your eyes weren’t yours. They were empty.”
Noel looked down at his hands slowly, like he was afraid of what I might say next.
“I tried pulling you down,” I continued. “You didn’t respond. You didn’t blink. You didn’t breathe right. It was like… like you were possessed.”
Noel shut his eyes tightly.
I swallowed, wanting to stop, but I continued.
“And then I called you LEON.”
The minute he heard this last part, Noel’s head suddenly snapped up.
My voice lowered, confused even now. “I don’t know why I said that name. I don’t know where it came from. I’ve never heard of it before. I don’t know anyone named Leon. But the moment I said it—” I paused to bite my lips but Noel had already helped me complete my sentence.
“I responded to the name,” Noel finished quietly, like he already knew what I was about to say.
“You didn’t just move,” I whispered again, softer this time around like I didn't want to scare him with my words. “Tge minute you heard the name, you came down immediately. Like nothing happened. Like someone pressed a switch and turned you back on.”
The room fell into a thick, tense silence.
We sat there next to each other, just breathing but neither of us could understand what any of this meant.
Noel finally spoke, voice barely above a whisper. “Why would I respond to a name that isn’t mine?”
I shook my head tightly. “I don’t know. But something happened after that. Something big. I just… don’t remember the ending.”
Noel pressed his palm against his forehead as if trying to pull out a memory that wasn’t there.
We were still trying to piece everything together when the door to my hospital room suddenly flung open with such a force that caused both of us to jump.
“Lina!”
“Child, are you awake?!”
Father Eron and The Revealer rushed inside, their clothes sweeping the floor as they hurried toward my bed. Their faces were full of fear and confusion.
The Revealer was the first to lean close. “Are you okay? Are you in pain? What happened to you?”
Father Eron exhaled in relief when he saw me sitting. “Thank God. You scared us.”
I blinked at both of them. “I’m… I’m okay. Just a little pain everywhere.”
Father Eron nodded slowly but his eyes scanned my body like he didn’t fully believe me.
“What happened before you passed out?” he asked gently. “Do you remember anything?”
I hesitated.
Then I eventually nodded.
“I saw something,” I said quietly.
The Revealer’s face sharpened instantly. “What did you see?”
I looked between all of them, my fingers curling into the blanket.
“I saw… all of us.”
Father Eron frowned. “All of us? Where?”
“In a dark place,” I whispered. “Very dark. No one could see each other. But we were all there. I don’t know how I know, but I just knew it was all of us.”
The two men exchanged a confused, uneasy look.
“What does that mean?” The Revealer muttered.
“It’s not a normal vision,” Father Eron said under his breath. “Darkness like that… everyone present… it means something. But I’m not sure what.”
Before anyone could speak again—
The door burst open again …for the second time now, just that it was a sudden person that showed up this time around.
Everyone’s heads snapped toward the entrance…even mine too.
And standing by the entrance door was Kate.
But she wasn’t the Kate we all knew. Something was different…. something seemed off…in fact, everything seemed off.
This Kate?
This wasn't the shy, scared, timid Kate who always spoke like she was apologizing simply for breathing.
This Kate walked in slowly, confidently. Her posture straight. Her chin slightly raised. Her eyes sharp and steady. She moved like someone who finally remembered who she truly was.
My mouth fell open—not at Kate's sudden change, but at the strange way we had all somehow gathered here once again.
And now, just like I’d seen in my vision when I passed out… we were all together.
Something is indeed pulling us back to each other at all costs, and I’m scared. I bet we all are.
Of course, I can’t be the only one seeing and noticing this, right?!
Father Eron straightened.
The Revealer froze.
Noel didn’t even blink.
We were all scared.
However, Kate didn’t look nervous at all. She didn’t rush. She didn’t hunch her shoulders.
She didn’t even hide behind her hair like she used to. She simply walked into the room, her heels soft against the floor, and, without a word, she placed her bag on the couch.
Then she looked at everyone again—one after the other—like she was studying them.
The entire room went silent.
As for me, I felt my heartbeat pick up. And for a spilt second, even breathing felt difficult.
Nobody said anything.
Kate didn’t seem bothered by the silence. She crossed her arms slowly and let out a small breath, almost like she had finally gotten tired of waiting for people to catch up.
Then she spoke.
“I know what’s happening.”
Her voice wasn’t shaky. It wasn't small either.
She wasn't frightened… unlike us.
Her voice was steady. Full.
Everyone’s eyes widened at once.
I even pushed myself up straighter, ignoring the pain stabbing my ribs. I didn’t want to miss a single word.
Kate looked at them all once more.
And then she dropped the bombshell.
“There’s no missing children.”
The room fell completely silent.
Not a sound. Not even a breath.
Everyone just stared at her—stunned, confused, and horrified all at once.
Kate didn’t blink. She didn’t flinch.
She just stood there, like the truth had been sitting in her mouth all along, waiting for this exact moment to come out.