The insistent rapping on the door tore through the silence of the night. It was late, the rain had been drumming against the windowpanes for hours, and the only sound had been the rhythmic thrum of the storm. Then, the sharp, demanding knocks.

When the door swung open, there she was. Alina.

Her face was a canvas of raw emotion. Tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving glistening trails in their wake. She was soaked, her dark hair plastered to her face and shoulders, giving her a vulnerable, almost feral look. Her eyes, usually so bright, were wide with a fear that seemed to consume her. The faint glow from the hallway light caught a dark smudge on her cheekbone. She instinctively raised a hand, as if to shield it, to hide it from view.

Her voice was a shaky whisper, barely audible over the wind. "C-can I... can I come in? Just for a minute? Please?" She paused, her lower lip trembling. "I... I need..." She swallowed hard, the words catching in her throat. "It's... it's raining really hard. And... and I..." She fumbled with the words, the truth of the situation hanging heavy in the air, unspoken. Her gaze flickered away, and she made a small, desperate gesture towards her face, the unspoken question – does it show? – a silent plea.