"Hurry! She is losing a lot of blood," murmurs echoed followed by a loud buzz and words colliding in the air.

"Take her to the ICU. We have to operate on her immediately."

Aria's eyes sprang open as she found herself in a room—no, wait—it was a hospital. Her eyes landed on some drips connected through a pipe with an IV in her hand.

Aria felt a sharp stung, as memories of last night flooded back. Tears broke out; her expression turned somber as the feeling hit her again, remembering Mia's death and the fact that it was all real—a hope she had that it was all just a nightmare, one she wished to wake up from.

"You're awake! Oh my, she is awake," a snap, as Aria noticed the presence of a woman who, judging from her clothing, Aria could tell she was a nurse. But before she could even utter a word or raise a question, the nurse rushed out of the room.

Not long after, the room door creaked as Aria caught sight of two women and a man walking in, accompanied by the same nurse who had rushed out of the room.

"It's good to see you're awake, ma'am. This was truly a miracle," Aria heard the man utter as she approached her side.

"My name is Doctor Andrea. What's yours, ma'am? And please, can you explain what happened last night at the roadside?" Andrea's voice trailed off, hoping to get a glimpse of what had happened and how she ended up here, all bloodstained. Their line had been rung for an emergency call from someone who saw her bleeding on the roadside.

"W-where is everyone, Doctor? Tell me, Doctor."

Her hope was lost on the fact that she would ever see her friend again, but yet she couldn't deny the fact of the rest who found themselves in the attack—the same group...the ones she had played along with for a drink.

"Please rest up for now. We shall take our leave now," she heard Andrea insist, hoping to leave the room after.

"Please, can I be discharged today, Doctor?" Aria cut through. Her words caused a halt in Andrea's steps.

"I want to be discharged today, Doctor," she requested, insisting further, as she watched Andrea's gaze travel, flickering at the nurse beside him before they returned back to Aria.

"Well, I wouldn't advise such because you are still not fully recovered.." he started, only to be hindered by a loud sound as five men walked in.

"Oh, you are here already."

It was the police force. As stood in front of them was a detective. The detective was in charge of the killer case.

"Take her in," the detective spurred as, in a blink, three of the policemen approached Aria, discharged all the tubes connected to her, only to handcuff her hands after dragging her off the bed, caring less about the pain that shot through her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Andrea cut in, stepping forward, his voice firm. Aria's gaze darted widely between the officers, her face pale.

"We are doing our job here, Doctor, and I would advise you, for your best interests, to stay out of this," the detective snarled, his gaze darkening.

"Take her to the vehicle."

The two officers dragged Aria, who found herself too weak to resist. All she could do was glare as everything unfolded before her eyes.

Andrea blocked the two officers' path, unwavering, as his feet remained glued to the ground.

"I can't allow you to take her anywhere. Can't you see she is still weak? She still needs some treatment. Don't you get that." Andrea cutted in, but a push from the detective almost caused him to stumble, his words clashing.

"This is your last warning, Doctor. Don't get involved in any of this," the detective warned further, this time bringing out a gun, pointed with his fingertip at the trigger.

Andrea's gaze widened as the others trembled, watching as Aria was dragged out of the room in a furious rage.

"Bring her in now."

Aria was brought into the officer's van as they started the engine, driving off, leaving the hospital after.

Gunshots pierced the air as the loud, deafening sound echoed through. Aria found herself seated on a chair, unfortunately facing the same detective who had ordered her to be brought out and dragged.

"Why?" she muttered in a whisper, completely numb to all that was happening right in front of her.

"Speak! Did you do it? Did you kill everybody? Are you the serial killer?" Those words sounded foreign in her ears.

The serial killer? Her? What were they blubbering on about? How could she...?

"W-what are you saying?" she managed a voice, her gaze raising to meet the detective's dark, unwavering glares.

"What am I saying?" The detective scoffed, chuckling slightly, mocking Aria's words.

"Don't play games with me, dear. Do you think we are fools? Everybody was murdered. The killer brutally killed everybody present there, and now, all of a sudden, one weak girl seemed to be the only survivor. Now, how does that sound? Does this look like a fairy tale movie to you?" He snapped, his hand hitting the chair, causing a jolt in Aria.

"What... what do you mean...?"

"You killed them all, right? You killed your friend and every single person that was there."

"I? Killed them?" Should she be crying at the words that broke out of the detective's mouth or sad that she had survived the killer's attack and was proved to live her cursed fate where she was blamed for everything bad and seen as something not worth a dime?

"You just said yourself—a weak girl. So how am I supposed to kill them all? How do you—"

"You're trying to twist my words. Do you think I am here to play?" The detective yelled, his hands hand raised to inflict a impact only for him to halt in midair.

"You're going to hit a woman?" Aria uttered.

"A woman? All I see here is a psychopathic killer who goes around killing innocent people. A murderer—that's what you are, a killer. And I shall make you witness a greater hell than you had made any of your victims witness." He sneered, his words piercing through Aria's as those little tears hoped to fall. But she couldn't let them fall. That would prove her guilty, even though she wasn't. Why would they even think she... her? The killer? She had just escaped a nightmare. Those moans, those screams—people running helter-skelter as they were brought down after the loud, deafening sound of the gunshots. The daggers that dripped with their victims' blood, the cries stained as they splashed upon their mere hit on the ground. Those memories lingered, tormenting her. And now he had the guts to call her the killer.

"What's going on here, Detective Hughes?" a yell as everywhere went silent. The same detective with those darkened eyes dropped down with a salute.

"I am still interrogating her, sir." he started.

"Enough!" the man cut in. Aria managed a proper gaze at the man as he approached their side. "You have no evidence proving she was the killer, and yet you went ahead and brought her in, that too without my say in it." He continued, his eyes narrowing, and gaze locked on Hughes.

"I am very sure she is the one. I just need some time," Hudges requested.

"Time? Holding someone captive without any provided evidence, and that too, a victim of the famous serial killer?" the old man chided.

"But she is no victim..." Detective Hughes started.

"Release her now!" The man snapped as Detective Hughes left a nod after.

"Release her," he ordered, as two officers loosened the handcuffs on Aria's hands, helping her up.

"If such is to repeat itself again, Detective Hughes, I won't be taking it easy on you!" the man spurred, shifting his attention back to Aria.

"Take her home," he said, as the officers helped Aria through, as they left the police station, returning her back to the van, which drove her back to her house. Stepping out of the van, Aria managed her way through, her legs almost stumbled as she leaned against the wall for support, drawing herself. Arriving at her doorstep, her hands lingered before she finally grasped the handle, making her way in. Aria's eyes met her mom's, who was seated on the couch beside a man.

"Oh, Aria, you are here," Sandra uttered with a smile painted on her lips as Aria stood there confused. Who was that man, and what was he doing here? Could it be...?

"Who is he, Mom?" Aria questioned as Sandra's eyes darted back at the old man, who stood up after.

"Good day, Aria. It's so nice to finally meet you. I am sure your mother must have introduced me to you before, but nevertheless, I am your soon-to-be stepfather, Aria," the man said. Aria's face paled at the mere utterance.

"What?"