Chapter 1
One night, I was in my room getting ready for a party my father was holding at home to celebrate my twin sister's and my eighteenth birthday.
I was extremely happy, and while choosing a dress that suited me, another dress carefully placed on the chair near my bed caught my attention. I approached it curiously... It was elegant and black, with long sleeves, accentuating my slender waist and revealing part of my chest in an attractive way. Its appearance amazed me, so I decided to wear it without hesitation.
As soon as I put it on, a strange and suspicious feeling crept over me. I ignored it, and beside it was a bracelet bearing the symbol of the moon, with delicate lines intertwined in red and black. It looked enchanting... so I put it on.
I applied my favorite perfume and stood in front of the mirror, examining my appearance. One final touch of lipstick and an inspecting look at myself made me wonder:
«Who put this dress in my room?»
I left my hair falling loose down my back and went out looking for my mother, perhaps she was the one who had left it for me as a gift for this special day.
I went downstairs and the place began filling with guests. I moved among them, searching for her with my eyes.
«Where could she be now? Perhaps Fana knows»
I headed straight toward my sister's room. I approached the door and was about to knock, but I suddenly stopped when I heard my mother's voice from inside.
«No, Fana... nothing will happen tonight»
«Are you sure, Mom?»
«Yes, even if they come tonight... they won't...»
Suddenly, a voice from behind me startled me:
«Are you eavesdropping?»
I quickly turned around.
«Dad! I... I didn't mean to»
«That's not like you, Rana»
«I'm sorry... I just wanted to ask Mom something»
I opened the door without knocking and was startled by the uneasy looks on my mother's and sister's faces. Fana was hiding behind my mother, so I added in a cheerful tone:
«Don't be afraid, it's your sister Rana»
«Afraid of what? What were you two expecting!»
«Thank God... it's you»
«You still haven't answered my question!»
My father jokingly intervened:
«I thought you were that ghost we talked about yesterday!»
My mother quickly replied in an exaggerated tone:
«Yes, yes... and you know Fana is afraid of ghosts. She's still affected by what we talked about yesterday»
I thought to myself: They really must think I'm that stupid...
«But what about the person you were talking about?»
«What person, my daughter?»
«I heard you talking to Fana... You said that nothing would happen tonight. Is there something I should know?»
Fana suddenly approached me and shouted angrily in my face:
«Eavesdropping? And from the people closest to you?»
As my parents exchanged sharp looks, I muttered calmly:
«Believe me, I only heard it by accident»
«Come on, get out of my room right now!»
«But...»
My father interrupted me, saying:
«It's alright, my daughter»
As for my mother, she remained still in her place, looking at me in silence.
I looked at them, then withdrew from the room.
As I left, I bumped into a young man standing at the door. His appearance had been unexpected. He was tall, wearing elegant black clothes with touches of purple, and his features carried a strange look... as if he were searching for something or someone. I asked him:
«Are you looking for something?»
The young man replied in a cold tone:
«I simply took the wrong way. I was looking for somewhere to rest»
I told him:
«You can go up to the roof, but be careful, it's dark there»
The young man left before saying another word. I went down the stairs and continued walking through the crowd until I reached my friends. The place was extremely crowded. It seemed that my father had invited everyone.
«Hello, friends!»
«Hi, Rana. I really like this place»
«I'm glad to hear that, darling»
«Me too. I hope my father throws me a party like this on my birthday»
Sarmeen was a sweet and well-liked girl, but she lacked her parents' attention, and that made her miss out on many things.
«Don't worry, Sarmeen. If he doesn't throw one for you, I will»
We exchanged laughter and took a sip of our drinks.
«I hope that happens soon, but who is that young man beside us? He looks handsome»
«Yes, I saw him. He really is attractive»
«Enough, girls. You're going to draw attention to us»
«So what? Look for yourself»
«No, I don't want to»
Sarmeen pushed me slightly backward. I stumbled over the leg of the table and was about to fall, but I felt someone touch my waist. I raised my head to see who...
«You!»
«You were about to fall to the ground»
«That was kind of you, thank you»
We exchanged looks. His gaze was sharp as a sword as he moved his hand away. Matia approached to greet him, but he stepped away, leaving behind the sound of his footsteps.
We were still astonished by what had happened when Sarmeen said:
«Girls, did you see what I saw?»
«Yes, but wasn't he far enough away from us?»
«Yes, Rana. The two of you are wearing the same clothes. Didn't you notice that?»
«No, Matia. It's just a similarity in the design»
«Impossible! Are you two dating and hiding it from us?»
«What nonsense!»
«Then go talk to him before he falls into the clutches of your wicked sister. Matia, say something!»
«Yes, but look...»
«He disappeared into the crowd!»
«Looks like he stole both your hearts and disappeared» I told them, then added:
«I'll leave you now. Enjoy your drinks. See you later»
«Ranaaa!»
I heard someone calling my name, and when I turned around, I found my sister in a terrible mood approaching me. I felt a pang in my chest.
«F... Fana, what happened to you?»
«Everything is because of you, so leave this place»
She said it in an annoyed tone:
«What? What are you saying?»
Sarmeen intervened, trying to stop the argument:
«It seems you've lost your mind. She's your sister»
«Leave right now. There's no time to waste, and you stay out of what doesn't concern you»
She grabbed my hand and began dragging me outside.
«Have you gone mad? Let go of my hand!»
«Mom is in serious danger because of you»
Mom? While I tried to process her words, I said:
«Huh, what happened to Mom?»
I quickly pulled my hand away from hers and ran through the crowd, going up the stairs.
She shouted from behind me: «They won't let you in»
I turned toward her and looked into her eyes, saying:
«Impossible!»
The room was locked. I tried to open the door, but to no avail. I tried again and again, all in vain. I began shouting, calling out:
«Mom, can you hear me?»
«Dad, is anyone inside?»
The room door opened, and his eyes were filled with tears.
«Dad, is Mom okay?»
He did not utter a word from the force of the shock evident on his face. He merely nodded at me and moved slightly away from the door so I could enter.
«Mom!»
My tears poured down from the force of the shock. My mother lay on the floor, her body still and cold, her eyes open without blinking, staring at the ceiling as though she were still waiting to wake up from a nightmare, but the nightmare was real.
Her chest was open... torn out, where her heart had been was nothing but an empty cavity drenched in blood, impossibly wide, as if a monstrous hand had plunged into it and ripped out everything living.
Blood was everywhere—on the walls, the floor, even the curtains. Its droplets were scattered randomly, yet among them was a horrifying pattern, as though someone had enjoyed doing it.
The room itself was in complete disarray. An overturned table, broken chairs, things scattered here and there, and the silence was heavy. The only sound I could hear was my rapid breathing and the sound of drops of blood falling from the edge of the table onto the floor.
«Dad, who did this to Mom?!»
«Stay away from Dad. Ever since you came, you've brought nothing but misfortune upon us!»
«Fana, enough! Respect your sister!»
«No, Dad. She has to leave!»
«Why am I the one who has to leave? I won't leave my parents in this state. You go if you want. I'm not going»
«Yes, you are. You're leaving right now. I'll tell you something: you were never my sister. You're nothing but a calamity that descended upon this family, nothing more. The police car is coming, so it's better for you to leave»
She fell silent suddenly for a few moments, then continued in an increasingly furious tone:
«If you don't leave, you'll be arrested. I told you, you're the reason»
«No, I didn't do it! Dad, say something!»
«I'm sorry, my daughter. It's better for you to leave»
«Dad!»
«Now take her and throw her outside!»
I pleaded with him in a sobbing voice:
«No, please, Dad, don't do this, Fana! The one inside is my mother... She's my mother»
Everyone stood in silence, staring at me as if I were the murderer.
Chaos erupted inside the party as they pushed me outside. I said:
«It wasn't me, and I won't let you wrong me. Damn you all»
