They finally arrived at Rudra's place.
"Rudra really has a nice house," Star said, admiring the cozy yet modern design as she stepped out.
"Yup. I'll have my own place in just a few days," Mandume replied.
"Days?" Star looked at him, confused.
"Years. What, you want me to say it like that?" Mandume smirked.
Star didn't quite get what he meant. Instead, she figured he was still stressed about his mom's reaction earlier that morning.
"It wasn't even that serious... why's he acting weird?" she thought as Mandume knocked on the door.
It took a while, but Rudra finally opened it. His face froze the moment he saw them.
"You… what are you doing here?" Rudra stuttered, nervous.
"Dude, I told you last night," Mandume said, stepping in.
"But you were supposed to call before coming," Rudra shot back, irritated.
"Oh please, like I haven't done this before," Mandume shrugged.
Rudra looked nervously angry, shifting uncomfortably in the doorway.
"It's okay," Star offered, sensing the tension. "Let's just go back and call you first—or maybe I should just go back?"
"No, no, that's not what I meant. Just—next time, let me know," Rudra said quickly, ushering them in.
"…or were you eating?" Mandume asked with a sly grin as they walked in.
"No! I just didn't expect you to come with Star," Rudra muttered under his breath.
"There's nothing wrong with that. She's mine now," Mandume said proudly. "She goes where I go—so better get used to it."
Star was still busy admiring the décor, too absorbed to notice their low-toned conversation.
Rudra gave Mandume a look.
"What? I just dropped news and now you're glitching?" Mandume said.
"This is your plan?" Rudra chuckled. "Bro…"
"What plan? What's funny?" Mandume asked, brows furrowed.
"You guys gonna be parents or something?"
"Yes, and we're totally gonna buy a house like this," Star said out of nowhere, her voice dreamy.
Both Rudra and Mandume froze.
"Wait… what did you just say?" Star asked when she saw their stunned faces.
Rudra clapped. "Congrats!"
Star blinked, utterly confused.
Mandume was beaming now. Rudra walked off to get drinks.
"Hello, Mr. Smiley? What's up?" Star said, waving a hand in front of Mandume.
"You just admitted we're expecting," he said, smug.
"When did I agree to that? Expecting what?" she asked, alarmed.
"I'm not telling. You might take it back," he teased.
"What did I agree to?" she whispered anxiously.
Rudra returned with drinks, breaking the tension. They chatted for a while before Mandume got serious.
"Bro, like I told you last night... I think my father is alive. And he can be found."
Rudra frowned. "Why do you think so?"
"Yesterday Star found a report at a psychiatric clinic. It said Dad's been there since 2016—since the day he went missing—up until August last year. And Mom knew about it."
"So he's mentally unstable?" Rudra asked.
"According to the report. But Rudra… you know my father. He wasn't sick. No serious health issues. It doesn't add up."
"Where's the report?"
Star tensed. "The lady at the front desk didn't give it back."
"At the clinic?" Mandume asked.
"Yes."
"Which clinic was it?" Rudra leaned forward.
"We went there to ask who'd been taking care of him… but they refused to give us any info," Mandume said. "But Star stayed. Maybe she got more out of them?"
He turned to Star, who shifted uncomfortably again. Then he remembered—the mutism.
"Um… did they say anything after I left?" he asked gently.
"Ah… um, no," Star said, voice shaky. "The lady just sent me to the manager. He told me the same thing. That they don't give out information when the patient's no longer there."
"Are you sure, Star?" Rudra asked.
"Yes… I… may I use the toilet?"
"Yeah, down the hall. Second door on the right," Rudra said. Star nodded and walked off—hurried, almost frantic.
Rudra stared after her, confused.
"Actually… I think Star saw something at that clinic that shook her," Mandume said quietly. "We just came from the hospital—she's been diagnosed with mutism. It's caused by fear."
"What the hell could she have seen to scare her like that?"
"I don't know," Mandume murmured. "But when she came out of that clinic, she looked terrified. She even told me to be careful of Mom. I got distracted… I didn't press. But when I asked again last night… she just shut down."
"Wait—was your mother at the clinic too?" Rudra asked.
Mandume's eyes widened as he remembered.
"Yes. When we came back from the clinic, Mom said she was also there. She was coming from the gate…"
Meanwhile, down the corridor, Star wandered lost in thought.
Why do I feel this heavy fear every time I try to talk about what happened at the clinic? And I don't even have proof to back it up… God, this is eating me alive.
She reached the end of the hallway and frowned.
"What's this? Where's the toilet? None of these doors have signs…"
She kept looking—and bumped into a flower vase set outside a closed room. The vase tipped over and crashed to the floor.
From behind the door, came a sound.
Like someone inside… had just been startled.
Back in the lounge—
"Wait a minute… no. Mom can't do that," Mandume muttered, suspicion creeping in.
"Can't do what?" Rudra asked, just as the sound of shattering porcelain echoed from the hall.
He jumped to his feet and rushed toward Star.