Lena's breath came fast and shallow.
Riven will die.
The words echoed in her head, a slow, numbing terror crawling up her spine.
"No," she whispered. "He won't. He can't."
Rehan's jaw tightened. "He's strong, but even he has limits. The Watchers aren't just trying to capture him, Lena. They want him gone."
Lena swallowed hard.
She thought of Riven's dark eyes—always filled with silent warnings, always watching her as if she were the last thing in the world that mattered.
She thought of the way he had protected her.
He had fought for her, bled for her—and she had left him behind.
Lena clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms.
She had to go back.
Rehan seemed to sense her resolve because his gaze darkened. "You're not ready."
Lena shot him a glare. "I don't care."
Rehan exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Damn it, Aarya—"
She flinched at the name.
It wasn't hers.
Was it?
Lena forced herself to focus. "You said my memories were locked away. How do I get them back?"
Rehan hesitated.
"Rehan," she pressed, stepping forward. "Tell me."
His expression was unreadable, but then—something changed.
He took a step closer, his voice dropping.
"There's a way," he said. "But it's dangerous."
Lena held her ground. "I don't care."
Rehan's smirk was humorless. "You should."
Then, before she could react—
He lifted his hand—
And pressed his palm against her forehead.
Lena's body locked up.
The world blurred.
And then—
She wasn't in the present anymore.
---
A Memory.
A time that had been erased.
She saw herself—not as Lena, but as Aarya.
Standing in the rain.
Her fingers intertwined with Riven's.
His grip was tight—desperate.
She could see the raw emotion in his eyes. The way his hands trembled as he held onto her, as if letting go would break something inside him.
She wanted to say something—wanted to reassure him.
But then—
A shadow moved.
A figure stepped out from the darkness.
Rehan.
Dressed in black, his face unreadable.
But his eyes—
They were filled with something close to pain.
"I told you not to do this," Rehan said, his voice low.
Riven tensed.
Aarya took a step forward, her heart pounding. "Rehan—"
"You don't understand," Rehan cut in. "The Watchers will never stop hunting you. If you stay with him, they'll come for you. And if they do—"
His voice broke.
Aarya shivered.
Rehan was afraid.
Not for himself.
For her.
For Riven.
Aarya turned to Riven, but he was already stepping in front of her—shielding her.
"I don't care," Riven growled. "They can come. I'll kill every last one of them."
Aarya's heart ached.
He meant it.
He would fight the entire world if it meant keeping her safe.
And Rehan—
Rehan would burn it all down if it meant keeping her from making the wrong choice.
Aarya clenched her fists.
This wasn't supposed to be a war.
But she was the reason it had started.
And then—
The memory fractured.
A sudden wave of pain crashed into her, tearing her mind apart.
Lena gasped.
She was falling—
Drowning—
And then—
She was back.
The memory shattered.
The night air rushed in, and Lena stumbled back, gasping for breath.
Her heart was pounding, her vision swaying.
Rehan caught her before she collapsed.
"Breathe," he murmured. "It's too much at once."
Lena shook.
The memory—
It had felt too real.
She had felt Riven's grip.
She had felt Rehan's desperation.
She had felt herself breaking.
Lena lifted her eyes to Rehan, her body trembling.
"It was real," she whispered.
Rehan's grip tightened. "Yes."
Lena swallowed hard.
She had loved them both.
And she had lost everything.
She looked up at Rehan, her breath uneven. "What happened after that?"
Rehan hesitated.
Then, softly—
"You died."
Lena's blood turned ice-cold.
She wanted to deny it.
But something deep inside her already knew the truth.
And the worst part?
She had a feeling Riven blamed himself.
Her chest ached, a sharp, suffocating pain that refused to fade.
She had to find him.
She had to tell him that she was here.
That this time—she wouldn't leave him behind.
Lena straightened, her resolve like steel.
"Take me to him," she said.
Rehan studied her, his expression unreadable.
Then—
A slow, knowing smile curled on his lips.
"As you wish."
And the night swallowed them whole.
---