---
(Present Day)
A heavy silence filled the room as Talmia finished her story. The air felt thick, almost suffocating, weighed down by the truth she had just revealed. It was difficult to say whether it was the sheer absurdity of her words or the nauseating anxiety of waiting for Qaya's reaction that left everyone frozen.
No one knew how she would respond but they knew no one would take kindly to the truth that they were mistreated and basically ensnared by the father of their fiance.
Qaya sighed, her gaze fixed downward. Her fingers twitched, her breathing unsteady. When she finally spoke, her voice came out quieter than she intended, barely more than a whisper.
"What does this all mean?"
Even to her own ears, she sounded strange. Detached. Unlike herself.
Talmia exhaled deeply. "I don't know everything," she admitted. "I was mostly an onlooker, but the Alchemies had three stages: the Geminate stage, the Geminize stage, and the Synchronization stage. From what your mother told me, the Geminize process happened when you and Mahalia were experimented on. Tyvard chose Mahalia because the two of you were so similar—same blood class, same genetic markers—everything necessary for the experiment to succeed. But even he admitted it was a miracle Mahalia survived it."
"I see," Qaya muttered coldly. "So the Synchronization was what happened when Qaya Wright was killed, and my soul was transferred into Mahalia."
Talmia hesitated. "I think that's only half of it."
Qaya's head snapped up. "What?"
"As I said, I don't know everything—not even your parents did. But from what we could gather, the Alchemies served a much broader, much more sinister purpose. The only person who truly knows the full extent of it is Tyvard. Maybe even the royal family of Easteford."
Qaya's hands clenched into fists. "And this… Tyvard? Where is he? My parents—what happened to them?"
Talmia's expression darkened. "Tyvard left this place about six years ago, just before Awin wiped out the Alchemies and the stocks. As for your parents…" Her voice wavered. "I wasn't there that day. Your father was voluntarily working in the stocks, so he was present when Awin arrived. Awin came with news—he was abolishing the stocks, dismantling the Alchemies, and emancipating all the people who worked there. He told them to follow him.
But your father refused."
Qaya's breath hitched.
"He didn't want to leave without you and your mother," Talmia continued, voice thick with emotion. "You were already grown, Qaya. You knew what was happening in that place. Dare I say, … you even knew exactly what the entire Synchronization process entailed.
"But Awin—" She choked back a sob and sank into her chair, wracked with guilt. "He followed Decker to your house and demanded to take you. Your parents refused. They held onto you, desperate. That was when…"
Talmia broke completely, tears streaming down her face.
"Awin killed them."
Qaya's entire body went rigid.
"He burned down your house."
Talmia's voice cracked, and she shook her head, as if trying to rid herself of the memory. "I was told he rendered you unconscious and took you away. I failed you, Qaya. I could have—"
"Don't say that."
Talmia's breath hitched as Qaya suddenly stood and wrapped her arms around her. Tears welled in her own eyes as she held the older woman.
"That would have been stupid," Qaya whispered. "There was no way you could have won against Awin."
Talmia trembled against her.
"Thank you," Qaya murmured. "I came here for the truth, and you gave it to me. Best be assured, I will repay your kindness. I will regain my memory, and I will defeat that monster."
"Oh, Qaya…" Talmia breathed, hugging her tighter.
She pulled away after a moment, wiping her eyes. "There's something I must give you."
Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out a delicate silver chain necklace and placed it in Qaya's hands.
"Take it. Your mother wanted you to have it. It was the only thing I could recover from the rubble."
Qaya took it with trembling fingers, her vision blurring with tears. The oval pendant was adorned with intricate filigree, the metal catching the dim light in soft glimmers. On the back, delicate script spelled out two words:
My Sweet.
"My Sweet?" Qaya whispered.
"That was what your mother called you."
She gently pushed the locket open. Inside, resting in a perfect embrace, was a simple little finger ring—a slender band, unadorned yet crafted with quiet precision.
Qaya slid the ring onto her smallest finger. A perfect fit.
Then, she fastened the necklace around her neck.
"Thank you, Talmia."
Talmia smiled. "You're welcome. I hope this helps you recover your memory."
Qaya nodded. "I hope so too."
---
Later that night…
The moon cast a solemn glow over the streets, bathing everything in a ghostly light.
"Drat!"
Qaya stumbled over a discarded bottle, nearly twisting her ankle.
Zachary, Rivan, and Jaslin turned, concern flickering in their eyes.
"Sorry," Qaya whispered. "I tripped on something."
They nodded and continued forward. They had managed to slip away from the Jamon estate unnoticed and were now executing Zachary's plan.
Eventually, they reached a towering stone wall—a dead end.
"Are you sure this is the place?" Jaslin asked skeptically.
Zachary nodded. "Keep watch for us. If anyone approaches, throw this over the wall." He handed her a small baton.
Jaslin eyed the massive wall. "Over the wall? This thing is huge, how—"
Before she could finish, Zachary scaled the wall with practiced ease, using a perpendicular roof to push himself over. Rivan followed suit.
Qaya hesitated for only a moment before Zachary extended his hand, pulling her up.
"Oh, I see why I'm keeping watch," Jaslin muttered. "Apparently, I'm the only one who sees this wall as impossible."
"Please, Jaslin. Do your best."
"Fine," she sighed. "I promise."
Behind the wall, an old building loomed. At first glance, it looked abandoned, but upon closer inspection, signs of recent use became apparent.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Qaya muttered.
"Of course you do," Rivan replied. "We're in the executive branch of De Gei Jaune."
Zachary smirked. "It's not a problem. With their lieutenant's den destroyed, the whole gang is scrambling to rebuild. They'll all be there—no one should be here."
The group advanced cautiously. The air was thick with the scent of dust and old alcohol. Bottles littered the ground, but they were oddly arranged, almost neatly placed. Dust had settled over them.
"Let's split up," Rivan suggested. "This place is big. We need to cover more ground."
"Alright."
Qaya turned to leave, but Zachary stopped her.
"Stay."
"What? I thought we were splitting up."
"We have. I don't want to leave you alone with your thoughts."
Qaya scoffed but followed him into an office. She kept quiet, watching as Zachary stepped began ransacking the shelves. She scoffed before following him inside.
"Thanks, I guess," she muttered, now checking a desk.
Zachary said nothing.
"You don't know what to do with me, do you?" Qaya spoke up, her voice casual, but there was an underlying bitterness in her tone. "I must be so confusing."
Zachary paused, turning to her. The room was dim, illuminated only by flickering torches and slivers of moonlight seeping through the cracked windows. His gaze was intense, so piercing that Qaya had no choice but to look up.
"Well," he said solemnly, "it is a bit bizarre."
She scoffed, shifting to a rusted drawer to check its contents. "You must think I'm a freak. That I stole Mahalia's life."
Zachary let out a quiet, bitter chuckle. "Hearing everything Talmia said... it sounded like something out of a dream. Or one of those tall tales parents tell their children to keep them from misbehaving. Even now, I don't fully believe it. I guess I'm not as open-minded as I thought."
Qaya stiffened as Zachary approached her. He studied her face as if searching for an answer, something hidden between the lines of her expression.
"But if all of this—absurd as it sounds—is true," he continued, "why should you feel like a freak?"
Her hands stilled over the drawer.
"Tell me," he pressed, his voice quieter but firm. "Why would you think yourself a freak?"
Qaya took a step back and forced herself to focus on the files in the drawer. They were sparse and severely outdated. De Gei Jaune hasn't had much business—at least not recently.
"You never wished for this to happen. Your parents didn't either. You didn't ask to be in Mahalia's body. It happened. And you were used as a pawn by the man who murdered your family and stole your memories. So why on earth would you see yourself as the villain?"
Qaya stayed silent, but the weight of his words sank into her like stones in deep water. Her vision blurred, and before she knew it, warm tears were slipping down her face. Zachary's words were like cold water after standing at the edge of an inferno—sharp, painful, but bringing relief.
Zachary reached out and wiped away a tear. "Don't cry."
"I did a lot of bad things," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "I ruined so many lives."
Zachary let out a dry chuckle, amusement laced in his voice. "Me too. Maybe that's why I can't see you as a monster—because then I'd have to be a much bigger one."
She looked up at him, startled.
"Qaya," he continued, his voice quieter but filled with something raw, "I've killed people. I've watched, completely indifferent, as Awin destroyed lives. I carried out orders at his behest. If you're a freak because of what you've done, then I must be far worse—I'm devastation itself."
His eyes darkened. "So tell me, why would I be wary of you?"
Qaya's lips trembled before she broke into a small, sad smile. Before she knew it, she had stepped forward, pulling him into a hug.
Zachary didn't hesitate. He reciprocated, arms wrapping around her in quiet reassurance as he patted her back.
"You've done well, Qaya Wright," he murmured. "You're stronger than you think."
She swallowed hard. "Thank you."
Before the moment could linger, Rivan's voice rang out from the adjacent room.
"Guys! Come see this!"
They pulled apart, exchanging a glance before hurrying toward him.
"What is it?" Zachary asked as they entered.
Rivan handed him a document. "Look at this."
Zachary unfolded the paper, his eyes scanning the contents.
"A banknote from the Royal Bank of Easteford," he read aloud. "Promising ten gold bars to Gaston—De Gei Jaune."
"That's a lot of money to be handing over to a bunch of thugs," Qaya noted, her brows furrowing. "And it was issued only four days ago."
Zachary smirked. "This is good. Very few people have the power to issue something like this from the Royal bank. If we trace it back, we can prove Easteford's involvement. This could be enough to push for an official investigation into the Royal Bank."
He glanced up at Qaya, his smirk turning sharper. "And if we're lucky, we might just uncover more of the king's dirty secrets along the way."
Before they could celebrate,
A scream tore through the night.
"AHHHH!"
A baton flew over the wall.
"Jaslin!" Qaya gasped.
"Let's go. Now!" Zachary ordered. He carefully folded the note and tucked it securely into his coat.
As they bolted for the exit, he grabbed a few bottles of liquor scattered around the room, smashing them against the walls. The sharp scent of alcohol filled the air. Without hesitation, he dropped his torch.
Flames erupted, hungrily consuming the wooden floors and shelves.Flames erupted behind them, consuming the building.
They scrambled over the wall—
And froze.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here." Gaston said a evil smile etched on his face.
Before they could react, a heavy force struck their heads.
Thud.
---
To Be Continued