Raisem's POV
I had no idea how many hours had passed.
At first, everything felt distant, like I was underwater, trapped between sleep and pain.
Then a sound broke through the fog. Soft, broken and trembling.
"Raisem… Raisem. Wake up."
The voice cracked, soaked with tears.
My eyelids felt heavy, like they had been glued shut. When I finally forced them open, the world came back in blurry fragments—bright mall lights, the smell of dust and fear, and Alexa's pale face hovering above mine.
"Raisem, Raisem. Wake up," Alexa cried again.
My vision slowly adjusted. The moment she realized I was awake, she broke down completely and threw herself into my arms, hugging me tightly like she was afraid I would disappear again.
"I'm sorry. This is all my fault," she sobbed.
I didn't respond immediately. I just stared at her, shock freezing me in place. My mind was still trying to catch up and my body ached.
Then instinct kicked in.
I gently pulled her back, my eyes scanning her face, her clothes—until I noticed the blood.
A thin line of red ran down her wrist. I looked around quickly, my heart pounding as I searched the area.
Ara wasn't there.
I ignored the pain in my body and focused on Alexa. I carefully checked her arm, took off my jacket, wrapped it around her shoulders, then tore a piece from the inner lining and tied it firmly around her wrist to stop the bleeding.
"Don't move," I muttered, concentrating.
"You're bleeding," she said softly, reaching up and touching my forehead with shaky fingers.
"I'm fine," I replied.
But my eyes were already moving around again.
Where could Ara be?
"Ara," I called.
Only echoes answered me.
The sound bounced off the empty space, mocking me.
There was no sign of her anywhere.
I lifted Alexa carefully into my arms. The mall felt endless, hallways stretching in every direction, doors leading nowhere. Anyone could get lost here.
I needed to make sure Alexa was safe first.
Then I would come back to get Ara.
No matter what.
We finally made it back to the car, where Alexa's mum and the body guards were already waiting. The moment she saw us, her face crumpled and she ran toward us.
"Alexa!" She pulled her daughter into her arms. "Oh my Alexa!" she screamed, crying uncontrollably.
"Get her wrist checked and leave here immediately. It's not safe here. Call the cops," I ordered.
She stared at me, confused and frightened.
"Go now," I screamed.
That snapped her out of it.
She rushed into the car with the bodyguards.
"Uncle Raisem!" Alexa screamed through tears.
I didn't look back. I ran.
I ran back into the madness.
Back into the mall.
"Ara! Ara!" I shouted, my voice cracking.
No response.
Panic settled deep in my chest.
I didn't even know where to start. I searched every corner, every door, every shadow. My heart pounded violently with every step.
I wasn't like this. I had never felt like this before. So why was I so scared?
I forced logic on myself. It was because she would carry my child. Because she was a perfect match.
Nothing more. That had to be it. The real reason I was worried.
"Ara," I called again.
There was no response. Where the hell could she be?
Where could she be?
I checked everywhere, every locked room, every dark corner. Nothing.
Ara, wherever you are… just hold on.
I'm coming.
******
Ara's POV
"Hello, family."
That was the last thing I heard, before everything shattered into darkness.
I had no idea how long I was out. When consciousness returned, it came with a sharp sting in my head and a cold weight pressing against my body. I inhaled sharply—and choked.
Dirty water.
I jolted upright, my heart slamming violently against my chest. The first thing I noticed was the smell—damp, rotten, heavy. My hands splashed against shallow water as I scrambled to understand where I was.
My phone was gone from my grasp. My body ached everywhere.
I lifted my head slowly.
Stone walls surrounded me, rising endlessly upward. Narrow, cacked and old. The light above was faint, barely slipping in like it didn't want to be here.
It looked like a pit. No, it was a well.
My breathing grew shallow as panic crept in. I turned slowly, my eyes scanning every inch of the space. The walls were covered in engravings—ancient markings, worn drawings, familiar symbols that made my stomach twist painfully.
I recognized them.
The symbols in the show, Hola family.
A cold chill ran down my spine.
"Wait…" I whispered, my voice trembling.
My gaze dropped to the water beneath my feet. Coins littered the bottom—silver, gold, old and new, stacked and scattered like offerings.
My chest tightened. This was the wishing well.
Reality crashed down on me all at once.
I was trapped.
"How… how do I get out of here?" I whispered, my voice breaking.
Tears filled my eyes before I could stop them. My throat felt tight, like someone was squeezing it from the inside.
"Raisem," I called out, panic seizing me. "Raisem."
My voice echoed back at me, weak and hopeless.
Then, a shadow moved above.
A figure leaned over the opening and fear locked my body in place. It was the Hola family.
One of them appeared, dragging a heavy cover closer to the opening. My heart raced wildly as I backed away, slipping slightly in the water.
"No… no," I said, my voice barely audible.
Another one stepped forward with a large bucket.
Before I could react, he tipped it and coins poured down violently.
They hit my shoulders, my arms, my head. Sharp pain exploded everywhere at once.
I screamed, instinctively raising my hands to shield myself.
Laughter followed.
A loud, twisted, maniacal laugh echoed above, bouncing off the stone walls and drilling into my head.
Then I watched helplessly as they dragged the cover over the opening.
The light disappeared instantly and the only opening of the well was closed completely.
The sound of the cover sealing the well was final.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
I stood there frozen, my chest rising and falling rapidly. The silence was suffocating. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't even see my own hands.
My fingers trembled as I remembered my phone. I quickly reached into my pocket, my heart hammering as I pulled it out.
It was wet but not completely ruined. I turned on the torch.
Light spilled across the stone walls, revealing just how trapped I truly was.
"I can do this," I whispered to myself, even though my voice shook.
I tried climbing.
The stones were slick with moisture. My hands slipped immediately, and I fell back hard into the water. My body slammed against the coins, pain shooting through my back and legs.
I groaned loudly.
It took several minutes before I could move again. My body burned, my skin stung where the coins had scraped and cut me.
I tried again. Same thing.
My strength felt like it was draining fast.
"I can't give up," I whispered, tears sliding down my cheeks. "Not now. Not when I was finally close to starting over."
This had to be a dream.
I climbed again, forcing my aching muscles to obey me. This time, I almost reached higher.
Hope surged through my chest.
Then my foot slipped. I fell back hard.
A sharp coin brushed my skin, slicing it open. Pain exploded, and I cried out.
"How can a place like this exist?" I whispered, shaking.
I thought of Raisem.
I remembered him falling down the stairs with Alexa, the blood on his forehead.
"I just hope he's okay," I murmured.
I summoned what little courage I had left and tried climbing again.
This time I was so close to the top. Closer than before. I was almost there.
Then it happened again.
I slipped and fell back even harder.
The pain broke something inside me.
I cried, crouching down as the water soaked my clothes completely. Every breath felt heavy. My chest hurt.
I stayed there for a few minutes, my hope slowly slipping away.
If I die here, no one will know.
I doubt if Raisem would even care if I was alive or not. I let out a bitter hiss.
"He probably only cares about Alexa," I muttered under my breath.
I curled into myself, my knees pulled to my chest, crying quietly like a wounded animal.
Then, I heard something.
The metal cover was shifted aside by someone and I could hear voices.
"Someone's down there."
The cover moved fully and light poured in suddenly, blinding me. I lifted my head slowly.
And then I saw him.
Raisem.
He came back for me. My heart stopped as I could believe it.
More voices followed, it sounded like the cops.
A ladder was dropped into the well. My hands trembled as I grabbed onto it and began to climb. My body protested with every movement, but I didn't stop.
When I reached the top, Raisem grabbed me firmly and pulled me up.
The moment my feet hit solid ground, our eyes met.
The look in his eyes, worry—made my chest ache. I hugged him tightly before I could stop myself.
"Thank you," I whispered, my voice shaking.
He didn't hug me back immediately. His hands hung in the air as if he didn't know what to do.
I slowly pulled away.
He caught my wrist, his grip firm but careful, and his eyes scanned my body—my arms, my legs, my neck.
There were bruises and scratches.
His eyes darkened when they landed on my neck.
"It's nothing," I said softly, covering it with my hand. "It's just a scratch."
He said nothing. His face was unreadable.
More footsteps approached.
"Mr. Hargrave, by the time we got to the Hola family characters, two of them already bit off their tongue and one escaped," the cop reported.
Bit off their tongue?
Escaped?
What kind of madness was this?
"I don't care about what happened to them," Raisem roared. "Make sure you find every one of them."
The man bowed and left.
"Let's go back to the apartment," Raisem said.
"How about Alexa?" I asked, worry slipping into my voice.
"She's with her mum now. She's safe," he replied.
I nodded, though my heart still felt heavy.
Then I noticed the dried blood on his forehead.
I raised my hand instinctively, but he caught it mid-air.
"Sorry," I whispered, pulling away.
Suddenly, he crouched in front of me.
"What are you doing?" I asked, confused.
"Hop on. I'll piggyback you," he said firmly.
"No, it's fine. I can walk," I argued weakly.
"Don't waste my time." he said.
I obeyed.
I climbed onto his back, my arms wrapping around his shoulders. He lifted me effortlessly, adjusting my weight, making sure I was balanced and secure.
For the first time since everything happened, I felt safe.
He carried me steadily, his steps firm and careful as if he was afraid I might break if he moved too fast.
My arms were loosely wrapped around his shoulders, my cheek resting against his back.
His body was warm, solid, grounding. Each step sent a dull ache through my body, but I stayed quiet.
Finally… everything was fine. We were safe.
Alexa had been found.
I released a slow breath I didn't realize I had been holding. My guesses had been right all along. The Hola family really were a bunch of maniacs roaming freely, hiding behind rituals and madness.
I regret ever watching that show and the fact that this had been going on for years, is just crazy.
As we got into the car, exhaustion settled deep into my bones. My head leaned against the seat as the car moved. The city lights blurred past the window.
Then I noticed something.
He passed the familiar turn. My brows furrowed slightly.
"Where are we going?" I asked, lifting my head slowly.
"Hospital," he said shortly, eyes fixed on the road.
"No, there is no need. I'm good. It's just a scratch. I could just use a little bandage," I said quickly, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.
He didn't reply. Not a word.
His silence told me everything — he had already made up his mind.
I sighed quietly and leaned back. I was too tired to argue anymore. Whatever he wanted to do, let him do it.
Instead of the hospital, the car soon slowed down and parked in front of a pharmacy. I glanced at him in surprise.
He stepped out of the car without saying a word.
Through the windshield, I watched him walk inside. A few minutes later, he came back with bandages and a small first aid kit in his hands.
He placed them in the car gently, then drove us back to the apartment. The ride was quiet.
The kind of silence that carried too many unspoken thoughts.
******
When we arrived, I went straight to my room. My body felt weak, my clothes damp and uncomfortable. I barely had time to sit when I heard a knock.
Before I could respond, the door opened.
It was Raisem.
He walked in slowly, the first aid kit in his hands.
"Thank you," I said instinctively, standing up and reaching for it.
But he pulled it back, stopping me.
"Sit down, I'll help you," he said firmly.
"It's fine. I can clean a little wound myself," I replied, trying to take it again.
"You argue a lot," he said lazily, clearly already irritated. "Just sit down."
I sighed. I gave up. I sat on the bed, my movements slow. He sat beside me and opened the kit. His hands moved carefully as he cleaned the wounds on my neck, hands, and legs.
The moment the cotton touched my skin, pain flared. I flinched badly. A small gasp escaped my lips. He paused instantly and looked up at me.
"It hurts a bit," I muttered, biting my lip.
He didn't say anything, but his movements became gentler, slower. He finished in a few minutes, wrapping the wounds neatly.
Then I remembered. He was injured too.
I picked up the kit.
"Let me help you clean yours," I said softly.
He didn't argue. He simply nodded.
I moved closer and carefully cleaned the wound on his forehead. My hands weren't perfect, but I had learned to take care of myself growing up. I focused carefully, trying not to hurt him.
He didn't flinch. Not even once. Instead, his eyes stayed on me, not moving but staring.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" I asked softly. "It's making me feel uncomfortable."
"Did you remember what I told you the other time?" he asked suddenly.
"What was that?" I replied, confused.
He closed the space between us. Before I could react, his lips were on mine.
A real kiss.
I froze in shock and pulled away immediately.
My heart was racing. What was he doing?
What was that?
But… it didn't feel bad. I could still feel him. Taste him.
His eyes searched mine, trying to understand my reaction.
"You don't like it?" he asked quietly.
I swallowed.
"I do," I admitted softly, barely above a whisper.
And that was all he needed.
He kissed me again, slower this time, deeper. I responded, my hands gripping his shirt lightly.
His hand moved to the side of my face, holding me firmly yet gently as he guided me back onto the bed.
He hovered over me, his body weight careful, controlled.
His hand slid to my thighs and his lips brushed my ear as he whispered softly.
"Do you want it?"