"You're coming with me," Murat said, his voice icy and his hand gripped my arm tightly. As he dragged me through the corridor amidst Ayşe's bewildered glances, my heart pounded in my chest like crazy. *What is he going to do? Could he have figured everything out?*
"Let go of my arm, you're hurting me!" I hissed, desperately trying to break free.
"You're coming to my office, Aylin. We have very important things to talk about." His voice was threatening, and the darkness in his eyes fueled the fear within me even more. *What could we possibly have to talk about? Or does he know something about my mother?*
As soon as we entered his office, he locked the door behind him. This action increased my sense of panic tenfold. The room was as neat and sterile as ever. Books stood neatly on the shelves, and there were a few files and an antique-looking lamp on his desk. But the tension in the room had turned it into an interrogation room.
"Sit," he said, pointing to the leather chair. Although I wanted to resist the authority in his voice, my legs didn't listen, and I slumped onto the chair obediently.
"What's going on, Murat? Why are you acting so tense?" I asked, my voice trembling. *You're not the only one tense, Aylin. My heart feels like it's about to jump out of my chest.*
"Am I the one who's tense?" he laughed sarcastically. "You're the one who's tense, Aylin. It's written all over your face. Or do you have something to hide from me?"
My breath caught in my throat. *I have so much to hide. But I'm not going to tell you any of it.* "What could I possibly hide from you? It's just... what you said about my mother surprised me."
"Your mother..." he said, his voice softening suddenly. The darkness in his eyes seemed to disappear for a moment. "Your mother was a very special woman. I feel lucky to have known her."
"Then why... why didn't you help her?" I asked, struggling to suppress the anger in my voice. "If you knew her, why didn't you prevent her death?"
Murat paused for a moment. His eyes filled with sadness. "Aylin, some things are out of our control. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, the result doesn't change."
"Don't be ridiculous!" I shouted. "If the right intervention had been made in time, my mother could still be alive! You... You're a doctor! How can you talk like that?"
"You're right," he said, bowing his head. "But back then... back then I was very young. I was inexperienced. I did my best, but..."
"Enough!" I interrupted him. "You're lying! You're lying to my face!"
At that moment, what Ayşe said began to echo in my mind: *There's supposed to be illegal organ trafficking going on at the faculty. Some students disappear, and then their bodies are found...*
I stared into Murat's eyes. "You... you caused my mother's death, didn't you? Maybe... maybe you used her for an experiment! Or..."
"Aylin, what nonsense are you talking about?" he said, his voice hardening. "How dare you think such things about your mother?"
"I dare, because I expect anything from you!" I shouted. "I know what's going on at this faculty. Illegal affairs, missing students... And you're the man behind it all!"
Murat was silent for a moment. I had a hard time deciphering the expression on his face. It was as if his mask had fallen off. The darkness in his eyes had intensified even more.
"So you know everything," he finally said, his voice like a whisper. "Then you must know the rules of the game, too."
"What game?" I asked, my heart pounding like crazy.
"The game of survival," he said, a bitter smile on his lips. "And in this game, you're either the hunter, or the prey."
The air in the room had become heavy. The tension was so intense that I was having trouble breathing. The darkness in Murat's eyes was drawing me in. *This man is a monster. And I came to his lair willingly.*
"I'm not afraid of you," I said, trying to hide the trembling in my voice. "No matter what you do, I will reveal the truth."
Murat laughed. This laugh was icy and filled the entire room. "The truth? You don't even know what the truth is, Aylin. But don't worry, I'll show you everything."
He slowly stood up and approached me. With each step, the fear within me grew even more. My back was against the wall, and there was nowhere to run.
"Are you sure you want to learn, Aylin?" he asked, his voice like a whisper and his breath on my face. "Because after you learn, you will never be the same again."
I closed my eyes. *Am I ready? Am I really ready to learn the truth?*
"Yes," I whispered. "I'm ready."
Murat ran his fingers along my chin and lifted my head. Our eyes met. At that moment, I felt something break inside me.
"Then, let me give you the first secret," he said, his voice icy. "Your mother... Your mother was never actually sick."