The sound of his own footsteps echoed unnervingly loud as Leon ran through the empty streets, his heart pounding in his chest, the cold night air burning his lungs. Every muscle in his body screamed for him to stop, to catch his breath, but he couldn't. He had to keep moving, had to get as far away from the park as possible. His mind was a storm of thoughts—frantic, desperate thoughts, none of which made any sense.
Sarah wasn't moving. The image of her lying there, motionless, her body twisted on the cold gravel, was seared into his brain. He had only pushed her—he hadn't meant for her to fall, hadn't meant for her to hit her head. But now... now she wasn't moving.
Is she dead?
Leon's breath came in sharp, ragged gasps as he rounded the corner, the slick pavement glistening under the dim glow of the streetlights. The city felt strangely quiet, the usual buzz of traffic and distant chatter replaced by a suffocating silence that only intensified the panic clawing at his insides. Every passing shadow seemed to loom over him, each figure in the distance making his heart jump with the fear of being caught.
He couldn't go back to his apartment. Not yet. He needed time to think, time to figure out what the hell he was going to do. Sarah's body was still lying there, in the dark, empty park, and someone would find her sooner or later. And when they did, it would all lead back to him. It had to be him—there was no one else. Alina knew he hated Sarah. The police would know he had been near her.
Leon's hand gripped his phone tightly, his knuckles white. The weight of it felt like a lead brick in his pocket. He could call Alina, tell her it had been an accident. He could tell her how everything had spiraled out of control, how he hadn't meant for this to happen. She might believe him, but would she forgive him?
No. Not after this.
As he reached the edge of a narrow alleyway, Leon stopped, leaning heavily against the cold, damp brick wall. His breath came in sharp bursts, the panic rising like bile in his throat. The darkened alley stretched out in front of him, the shadows thick and unmoving. His mind was racing, trying to piece together what he should do next.
And then it hit him.
Sam.
Leon's mind latched onto the name like a lifeline. Sam was one of the few people who had stuck by him, even when things had started going wrong. He didn't know the full story about what had happened between Leon and Alina, but he knew enough. More importantly, he had always been loyal—loyal enough to help Leon out of this mess.
His fingers trembled as he fumbled for his phone, scrolling through the contacts until Sam's name appeared on the screen. His thumb hovered over the call button for a moment, hesitation creeping in. What would he say? How would he explain this? Would Sam even believe him?
But he didn't have a choice.
With a shaky breath, Leon pressed the call button.
The phone rang once, twice, before Sam's groggy voice came through the speaker. "Leon? It's late, man. What's up?"
Leon swallowed hard, his throat dry. "I... I need your help, Sam," he said, his voice tight with fear. "Something... something happened."
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and Leon could hear Sam shifting, his voice suddenly more alert. "What do you mean something happened? You sound freaked out."
"I am," Leon admitted, his breath shaky. He glanced around, his eyes scanning the dark, empty street as if someone might be watching him. "I'm in trouble, Sam. Serious trouble."
Another pause. "What kind of trouble?"
Leon's stomach twisted into knots. "I need you to come to the park. The one near 5th Street. Now."
"Leon—"
"Please, Sam." Leon's voice cracked, the desperation creeping into his tone. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't serious."
Sam let out a long, heavy sigh. "Fine. I'm on my way. But you better explain what the hell is going on when I get there."
Leon hung up without another word, his hands shaking as he slid the phone back into his pocket. His heart raced, the weight of what he had done pressing down on him like a heavy stone. Sam would help him, but what then? What would they do with Sarah's body? Would they leave her there, or would Sam suggest something else—something darker?
Leon shuddered at the thought, the gravity of the situation settling in. He had to believe that Sam would understand, that he would help him clean up the mess. He had to, because there was no other option.
The minutes dragged by as Leon made his way back toward the park, sticking to the shadows, his mind spinning with a thousand different scenarios. Each one ended the same—disaster. He needed to be smart about this, needed to stay calm, but his mind refused to slow down, each step filling him with more dread. The thought of seeing Sarah's body again made his stomach turn, but he had no choice.
When he reached the park, the silence was deafening. The soft rustle of the wind in the trees, the distant hum of the city, all felt muted, overshadowed by the weight of what lay ahead. Leon's pulse raced as he approached the spot where it had happened, his breath catching in his throat.
There she was. Sarah's body lay where he had left it, crumpled on the cold gravel, the dim glow of the streetlamp casting a pale, ghostly light over her. Her phone, still cracked, lay a few feet away, the screen dark now. The sight made Leon's stomach lurch.
He moved closer, his eyes fixed on her still form. His heart pounded louder with each step, the fear clawing at him, urging him to run, to disappear. But he couldn't. He had to see.
Kneeling down beside her, Leon's hands shook as he reached out, touching her shoulder lightly. "Sarah?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
No response.
Leon's throat tightened, and for a moment, he thought he might be sick. The reality of what he had done—of what had happened—suffocated him, pressing down on him like a physical weight. He didn't want to touch her, didn't want to move her, but he had to be sure.
His fingers brushed against her neck, searching for a pulse.
Nothing.
Leon recoiled, his breath coming in shallow gasps as he backed away, his mind reeling. She was dead. He had killed her.
The sound of footsteps broke through his panic, and Leon looked up, his heart skipping a beat as he saw Sam approaching, his face shadowed under the streetlamp.
"What the hell, Leon?" Sam called out, his voice tense. "What's going on?"
Leon stood up, his legs shaking beneath him. "I... I didn't mean for this to happen," he stammered, his voice thick with fear. "It was an accident. I just pushed her, and she... she hit her head."
Sam's eyes widened as he stepped closer, his gaze shifting from Leon to Sarah's still form on the ground. For a long moment, he didn't say anything, his face unreadable in the dim light. Then he let out a long, low whistle. "Jesus Christ, Leon..."
"I didn't mean to kill her!" Leon's voice cracked, panic creeping in again. "I just wanted to talk. I wanted to make her understand. She was the one keeping Alina from me. She... she wouldn't stop."
Sam ran a hand through his hair, his expression tense. "And now she's dead," he muttered, his voice low. "Do you have any idea what kind of mess you've just made?"
Leon swallowed hard, his throat dry. "That's why I called you. I need your help. We need to... we need to get rid of her. No one can find her like this."
Sam shook his head, stepping back as he looked down at Sarah's body. "Leon, this is insane. You don't just get rid of a body. Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?"
"What else can I do?" Leon snapped, his voice rising in desperation. "If they find her, they'll know it was me. I'll go to prison. I can't... I can't let that happen."
Sam was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on Sarah, his brow furrowed. Then he let out a slow breath, his expression hardening. "Okay. Fine. But you owe me for this, Leon. Big time."
Leon nodded quickly, relief flooding through him. "Anything. I'll do anything. Just help me fix this."
Sam glanced around, his eyes scanning the park before he crouched down beside Sarah's body, his fingers brushing lightly over her arm. "We need to move fast," he said quietly. "We'll take her somewhere... somewhere no one will find her."
Leon's heart raced as he watched Sam work, his mind spinning with the weight of what was happening. He hadn't wanted this—hadn't wanted any of this. But now there was no turning back.
As Sam moved to lift Sarah's body, something strange happened.
A soft, barely audible sound escaped her lips. A faint groan.
Leon froze, his blood turning to ice in his veins.
"Wait," he whispered, his voice trembling. "Did you hear that?"
Sam stopped, his eyes narrowing as he stared down at Sarah. For a long, tense moment, they both held their breath, waiting. And then, slowly, Sarah's chest rose and fell, her breathing shallow but unmistakably there.
"She's... alive," Leon muttered, his mind reeling. "Oh God, she's alive."
Sam cursed under his breath, standing up abruptly. "Shit, Leon. What the hell do we do now?"
Leon's heart pounded in his chest, his mind spinning as he stared down at Sarah. She was alive. She wasn't dead. But that only made everything worse. If she woke up, if she remembered what had happened...
"We can't let her wake up," Leon said, his voice barely a whisper. "She'll go to the police. She'll ruin everything."
Sam shot him a sharp look, his eyes dark with suspicion. "What the hell are you saying, Leon? You want to... finish the job?"
Leon's stomach churned, the weight of the situation pressing down on him like a vice. He hadn't meant for any of this to happen. He didn't want to hurt anyone. But now... now he didn't know what choice he had.
His hands trembled as he looked down at Sarah's fragile form, her breathing still shallow, her face pale and bruised. She was vulnerable, helpless.
And she was the one thing standing between him and Alina.
"I don't know," Leon whispered, his voice thick with fear and desperation. "I don't know what to do."
Sam was silent, his expression unreadable as he looked between Leon and Sarah. The night around them felt heavy, the shadows closing in, suffocating. And in that moment, Leon realized the full weight of what he had done.
There was no going back now.