Lena stood in front of her mother's house, her pulse hammering in her ears.
The house she had once called home loomed before her, its windows dark, its walls whispering with secrets she had been forced to forget.
She clenched her fists.
Not anymore.
Riven stood beside her, his golden eyes scanning the surroundings. "You sure about this?"
"No," Lena admitted. "But I'm going in anyway."
A ghost of a smirk tugged at Riven's lips. "That's what I like about you, Aarya."
Lena's chest tightened at the name. She wasn't sure if she was Lena Carter or Aarya, but one thing was certain—she needed to find out.
She took a deep breath and stepped forward.
---
The front door was unlocked.
Lena pushed it open, the hinges creaking softly. The familiar scent of jasmine and old books filled her nose.
It was eerily quiet.
Her mother was expecting her.
Lena's eyes swept over the living room, her gaze landing on the bookshelf against the far wall.
A memory tugged at the edges of her mind.
This house wasn't what it seemed.
Neither was her mother.
Riven nudged her. "We don't have much time."
Lena nodded and moved toward the bookshelf.
Something about it felt wrong.
Out of place.
She ran her fingers along the wooden frame.
Then—
A small click.
Lena's breath caught.
She pushed.
The bookshelf shifted, revealing a hidden door.
Riven let out a low whistle. "Well, that's not suspicious at all."
Lena swallowed and stepped inside.
---
The hidden room was cold.
Shelves lined the walls, filled with files, papers, and strange metallic devices.
At the center of the room, a single chair sat beneath a dim light. Restraints dangled from its arms.
Lena's stomach twisted.
This wasn't just a room.
It was an interrogation chamber.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she stepped forward, her fingers brushing against the files.
One of them had her name on it.
No—
Aarya's name.
She picked it up with shaking hands and flipped it open.
Inside was a picture of a girl who looked just like her.
But she wasn't smiling.
Her face was bruised.
Her eyes hollow.
Lena's hands trembled.
"What the hell is this?" Riven's voice was tight.
Lena turned the page.
The words blurred together, but one phrase stood out.
"Subject: Aarya Sen. Status: Erased. Reason: Unstable anomaly."
A lump formed in Lena's throat.
Unstable anomaly.
That was what they had called her.
What had she done?
Why had they erased her?
Lena clenched her jaw.
She was done with half-truths.
She needed answers.
And there was only one person who could give them to her.
Her mother.
She turned toward the door—
And froze.
Her mother stood in the doorway.
Calm. Poised.
Like she had been waiting for this moment.
"Hello, Aarya."
Lena's breath hitched.
Her mother stepped forward.
"You weren't supposed to remember."
Lena's fingers curled around the file. "Why?"
Her mother sighed. "Because you were dangerous."
Lena's heart pounded. "What did I do?"
Her mother's gaze was unreadable.
Then—
"You existed."
The words sent a chill down Lena's spine.
She had been erased just for being who she was.
A surge of anger burned in her chest.
"I won't let you do this to me again."
Her mother tilted her head.
"Who said you have a choice?"
Lena felt it before she saw it—
The shadows moving.
The Watchers stepped out of the darkness.
Surrounding them.
Riven's hand shot to his pocket, ready to fight.
Lena's pulse thundered.
She would not be erased again.
She would not disappear.
She would fight.
Lena took a slow breath.
Then—
She closed her eyes.
And vanished.
---