Chapter 3

Two weeks had passed since Lyra's first day of King's school, and her routine had settled into a comforting rhythm. Each day she would visit her sister, Lena in the hospital, spending hours beside her, talking silently with her through the unspoken bond they shared, and holding her hand until she fell asleep. In the evening, she would return home, where her aunt and uncle waited with warm dinner and kind smiles.

One evening, Lyra arrived home to an unusual silence. The house was quite, devoid of the usual sounds of her aunt humming in the kitchen and or her uncle watching TV. She looked around, her heart starting to race with unease. She searched each room, but there was no sign of them.

Suddenly, the TV of the living room flickered to life, the abrupt noise, making her jump. On the screen she saw a sight that made her blood run cold. Her aunt and uncle were tied to chairs, bruised and beaten, their faces showed pain and fear.

A deep menacing voice filled the room, "Well, well, well Lyra. It seems like you've finally joined us. Your aunt and uncle...they couldn't just stay out of trouble, could they?"

The camera panned, revealing a shadowy figure standing behind them. "They deserve to die, Lyra. And you...you don't deserve any happiness. You deserve to suffer."

Lyra's heart pounded as she watched in horror. The figure moved closer to her aunt and uncle, speaking with chilling calmness. "Goodbye, Lyra. Remember, this is all because of you."

Without any other word, the figure took a knife, stabbed her uncle's chest five times and then stabbed her aunt's throat, ending their lives ruthlessly. The screen went black, as their final moments played out. Lyra's breath caught in her throat, her vision blurred as the shock and horror overwhelmed her.

Her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed to the floor, the last thing she saw before darkness took her was the lifeless TV screen, her mind unable to process the nightmare that has just unfolded.

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The hospital room was dimly lit by the moonlight streaming through the window, casting a gentle glow over Lena's still form. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound, a steady reminder of her fragile state. The room was quiet, the air heavy with the sterile scent of disinfectant.

In the middle of the night, the heart monitor's steady beep suddenly became erratic, alarming the nurses on duty. Within moments, the room was filled with doctors and nurses, their faces tense with urgency. "We need to stabilize her!" one of the doctors shouted as they worked quickly to assess Lena's condition.

The doctors moved with practiced precision, adjusting monitors, administering medication, and checking vital signs. The minutes felt like hours as they worked to bring Lena back from the brink. Her body trembled and convulsed, the machines around her responding with frantic beeps and flashing lights.

Suddenly, Lena's eyes fluttered open. The room went silent, all eyes on her. The doctors paused, holding their breath as they watched her slowly become aware of her surroundings.

"Lena?" one of the doctors said gently. "Can you hear me?"

Lena's gaze shifted slowly around the room, her face blank, showing no emotion. She didn't react to the doctor's questions or the concerned faces looking down at her. The doctors exchanged puzzled glances, continuing their attempts to communicate.

"Can you tell us how you're feeling, Lena?" another doctor asked, but there was no response. Lena's eyes seemed distant, unfocused, as if she were looking through them rather than at them.

The head doctor turned to the others. "We'll need to run more tests. This could be a result of prolonged unconsciousness. Let's keep monitoring her closely."

As the medical team began to disperse, they left the room with a sense of uncertainty. Lena remained in her bed, her expression blank and unreadable, her eyes staring into the distance. The night stretched on, filled with the unanswered questions and the distant, steady beeping of the heart monitor.

Meanwhile, Lyra, unaware of the dramatic change in her sister's condition, was at home, still unconscious from the shock and grief of her aunt and uncle's tragic deaths.

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