The sun prepared itself to settle beyond the horizon within a few hours.
Its fading light entered the hospital room through the large window beside the bed.
Hakiten stood near that window.
His reflection stared back at him through the glass.
Expressionless.
His eyes were not focused on the setting sun outside, nor on the city below.
They remained fixed on his own reflection.
Across from him, Juson sat quietly on a chair.
The room had become unusually calm.
The hospital itself felt quieter than before.
Yet neither of them felt any peace.
Their minds carried entirely different storms.
Hakiten thought about what he was supposed to do next.
Juson thought about the problem that had continued growing around them.
The silence stretched between them.
But it did not last long.
Someone broke it.
Not Hakiten.
Not Juson.
The door suddenly burst open.
Both of them turned immediately.
The nurse had returned.
This time she was not calm.
The door slammed against the wall behind it with a loud crash.
For a moment nobody spoke.
Before either of them could ask anything, the nurse quickly stepped forward.
"You both need to go to the other hospital."
Neither Hakiten nor Juson moved.
The nurse continued without waiting.
"Wanna's condition is getting worse."
The words left her mouth naturally.
Too naturally.
It was a lie.
A lie told to hide a truth neither of them was supposed to hear yet.
The instant she said it, Juson understood.
Something had happened.
Something bad.
Hakiten frowned.
"How am I supposed to get there?"
Before he could continue, Juson immediately stood from his chair.
"I'll take you."
Hakiten looked towards him.
Juson had already made his decision.
He pointed towards Hakiten's shirt.
"Get dressed."
Without another word, Juson walked out of the room.
The door closed behind him.
For several seconds Hakiten remained standing where he was.
Then he slowly reached for his shirt.
There was no reason to stay behind.
A few minutes later he finished dressing.
The nurse returned and helped him leave the room.
Together they moved through the corridor.
Meanwhile, Juson had already reached the parking area.
He opened the driver's door and stepped inside the car.
His hand moved towards the ignition.
Then he stopped.
Something caught his attention.
His phone.
It rested on the dashboard.
For reasons he could not explain, he felt the sudden urge to check it.
He picked it up.
The screen lit immediately.
A missed call.
Yokina.
One hour ago.
Juson stared at it briefly.
Then placed the phone back down.
Whatever it was could wait.
He turned the key.
The engine started.
Outside the hospital, Hakiten slowly approached the vehicle.
The nurse remained beside him, helping him walk.
Yet Hakiten refused to lean too heavily on her.
He wanted to walk by himself.
Juson had already turned the car around and parked closer to the entrance.
Before Hakiten even reached it, the passenger door opened.
Juson waited silently.
A few moments later Hakiten entered the car.
The vehicle already faced the main road.
Juson did not waste another second.
His foot pressed down on the accelerator.
The car pulled away from the hospital.
The nurse remained standing near the entrance.
Watching them leave.
Neither Juson nor Hakiten looked back.
The vehicle disappeared further down the road.
Towards the riverside hospital.
For several seconds everything remained normal.
Then something changed.
The lights inside the hospital began to flicker.
At first it happened only once.
Then again.
And again.
The nurse looked upwards.
The bulb above her head flashed repeatedly.
The brightness weakened.
Returned.
Weakened again.
Within moments the flickering spread.
Not only the reception lights.
Not only the hallway.
Every light inside the hospital.
Something was happening.
And the source was somewhere above her.
Inside a room where another man sat alone.
Watching.
Waiting.
Unaware that his own creation had already begun moving beyond his control.