We fell.
For what felt like forever.
I couldn’t see anything.
I couldn’t tell which way was up.
I could only feel Adrian’s hand around mine.
—Sophia!
—I’m here!
Then we hit something soft.
I landed hard against a pile of old fabric.
Adrian landed beside me.
For several seconds, neither of us moved.
Then he groaned.
—Are you okay?
—I think so.
He sat up.
—Good.
I looked around.
We were in a narrow underground tunnel.
There were old pipes along the ceiling and water running between the stones.
A weak blue light came from somewhere ahead.
I stood.
—Where are we?
Adrian looked around.
—Under the university, I think.
I frowned.
—How do you know?
He pointed toward the wall.
A faded Westbridge University emblem was carved into the stone.
—This building is older than the university itself.
I walked closer.
There were names carved beneath the emblem.
Hundreds of them.
Some were crossed out.
Some had dates.
And one name made me stop.
CLARA BENNETT.
I touched it.
—My grandmother.
Adrian came closer.
—She was here.
I nodded.
—She built something here.
—The archive?
—Maybe.
A sound echoed behind us.
Footsteps.
Adrian immediately pulled me away from the wall.
—Someone’s coming.
We moved deeper into the tunnel.
The footsteps grew louder.
Then stopped.
Silence.
Adrian whispered: —We need to keep moving.
We walked until the tunnel opened into a large underground room.
Unlike the memory chamber, this place looked abandoned.
There were old desks.
Broken chairs.
Stacks of papers.
And on the far wall, a giant university map.
I approached it.
Several buildings had been marked with small black circles.
The library.
The administration building.
The science center.
The old dormitories.
The theater.
Even the student center.
I stared.
—Why are all these places marked?
Adrian studied the map.
—Because they were part of the organization.
—The university?
He nodded.
—It was one of their main recruitment centers.
My stomach tightened.
—Students.
—Yes.
—They recruited students here?
—Not openly.
He pointed at the dormitories.
—Scholarships.
I turned toward him.
—Scholarships?
He nodded.
—Students from families that couldn’t afford university were offered financial help.
—And in return?
—Information.
I remembered the organization.
Children from struggling families.
Young people used as observers.
The Blackwoods funding the system.
I felt sick.
—They used students.
Adrian looked at the map.
—My family helped pay for it.
I looked at him.
—Did you know?
He shook his head.
—Not when I was younger.
—But you know now.
—Yes.
—How?
He hesitated.
—Because my brother showed me.
I frowned.
—Julian?
—Daniel Carter.
He corrected himself.
—He found documents in my father’s office.
I remembered what Daniel Carter had said.
The person you knew as Julian died eleven years ago.
—Where is he now?
Adrian looked away.
—I don’t know.
—You were together.
—We were.
—Then how did you get separated?
His expression changed.
—I don’t remember.
I stared at him.
The girl’s final words came back to me.
You should be more worried about what happens when Adrian remembers his.
I looked at Adrian.
—What if you aren’t supposed to remember?
He frowned.
—What do you mean?
I told him what the girl had said.
His face became serious.
—Then maybe there’s a reason my memories were removed.
—My father erased them.
—Yes.
—But you asked him to.
He nodded.
I looked at him.
—Why would you ask someone to erase your memories?
He didn’t answer.
I stepped closer.
—Adrian.
He looked at me.
—Because I was afraid of what I’d become.
The words surprised me.
—What did you do?
He looked down.
—I don’t know.
A long silence followed.
Then something fell from one of the desks.
We both turned.
A small metal box had fallen to the floor.
Adrian walked over.
He picked it up.
There was a name engraved on it.
A.
BLACKWOOD.
He froze.
I looked at him.
—It’s yours.
He nodded.
—I’ve never seen it before.
He opened the box.
Inside was a small recording device.
And a photograph.
Adrian picked up the photograph.
His hands began shaking.
I moved closer.
It showed him.
Six years ago.
But he wasn’t alone.
He was standing beside Daniel Bennett.
And Daniel Carter.
All three were looking at the camera.
Behind them was the entrance to Westbridge University.
On the back was a date.
October 14.
The same date.
Again.
Adrian turned pale.
—This was the night your father disappeared.
I nodded.
He looked at the photograph.
—I was here.
—Apparently.
—But I don’t remember coming here.
I looked at the recording device.
—Maybe that explains why.
Adrian pressed the button.
Static filled the room.
Then a younger version of his voice spoke.
If you’re listening to this, I forgot.
Adrian stared at the device.
His younger voice continued: I don’t know why they made me forget.
A second voice appeared.
My father’s.
Because you asked me to.
Adrian closed his eyes.
The recording continued.
You saw what happened to Clara.
My heart stopped.
Adrian opened his eyes.
And you saw who ordered it.
The recording ended.
Silence.
I looked at Adrian.
—Who?
He didn’t answer.
His breathing had changed.
He looked frightened.
Then he whispered: —I remember something.
I stepped closer.
—What?
He pressed a hand against his forehead.
—A room.
—What room?
—My grandfather’s office.
I waited.
—There was a man there.
—Who?
Adrian shook his head.
—I can’t see his face.
The lights flickered.
He grabbed the desk.
—I was younger.
—How young?
—Maybe thirteen.
—What happened?
He closed his eyes.
—I heard my grandfather talking.
—About Clara?
He nodded.
—He said she had found something.
—The archive?
—Yes.
I held my breath.
—Then what?
Adrian’s voice became quieter.
—He said they had to find her before she told anyone.
—Who was “they”?
He opened his eyes.
—The Blackwoods.
I felt a chill.
—Your family?
He nodded.
—My grandfather ordered someone to find Clara.
—Did they hurt her?
Adrian looked away.
—I don’t know.
—Then what do you remember?
He stared at the floor.
—My father came in.
—What did he say?
Adrian swallowed.
—He asked if Clara had told anyone about the girl.
My heart stopped.
—What girl?
He looked at me.
—You.
The room seemed to disappear around me.
—Me?
He nodded.
—They knew about you before I met you.
I took a step backward.
—Why?
Adrian shook his head.
—I don’t know.
Then another memory hit him.
He doubled over.
I grabbed his arm.
—Adrian?
He gasped.
—I remember the door.
My blood ran cold.
—What door?
—The one beneath the university.
He looked at me.
—You were standing beside it.
—When?
—The night your father disappeared.
I stared at him.
—What was I doing?
He looked terrified.
—You were holding the silver key.
—Yes.
—And someone was behind you.
I whispered: —Who?
Adrian’s eyes widened.
—I was.
I stared at him.
—You were behind me?
He nodded.
—But I wasn’t alone.
My heart raced.
—Who was with you?
He closed his eyes.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then: —My father.
The same answer.
Again.
But this time, there was something else.
Adrian suddenly looked at me.
—Sophia.
—What?
—Your father wasn’t trying to stop us from entering the chamber.
I frowned.
—Then what was he doing?
Adrian looked at the recording device.
—He was trying to stop my father.
I felt a strange sense of relief.
Maybe Daniel hadn’t been lying.
Maybe the warning wasn’t about him.
Then Adrian’s expression changed.
—But that’s not the worst part.
—What?
He stared at me.
—Your father gave me the key.
I froze.
—What?
—He gave it to me.
—Why?
—I don’t know.
—Then how did I get it?
Adrian shook his head.
—You took it from me.
I stared at him.
—Why?
His voice became barely audible.
—Because you knew what was behind the door.
A noise came from the tunnel.
Footsteps.
This time, they were getting closer.
Adrian grabbed my hand.
—We have to go.
We ran.
The tunnel seemed endless.
Behind us, voices echoed.
—Search every room!
—They can’t have gone far!
Adrian pulled me around a corner.
We hid behind a stone wall.
The voices grew louder.
Then someone spoke.
A voice I recognized.
Victor.
—Don’t hurt them.
Another voice answered: —What if they resist?
Victor replied: —Then separate the boy from the girl.
Adrian looked at me.
His eyes were serious.
—They know we’re here.
I nodded.
The footsteps stopped.
A shadow passed across the tunnel entrance.
Then disappeared.
Adrian whispered: —There’s another way.
He pointed toward a narrow staircase.
We climbed.
At the top was a wooden door.
Adrian pushed it open.
Bright sunlight flooded my eyes.
We stepped outside.
I recognized the place immediately.
The university courtyard.
Students were walking between buildings.
Cars passed beyond the gates.
People laughed.
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
Adrian and I stood there covered in dust, breathing heavily.
For a few seconds, we simply stared at each other.
Then he laughed.
I blinked.
—What?
—I can’t believe we’re standing in the middle of campus after everything that just happened.
I smiled despite myself.
—We look completely normal.
He looked at me.
—You don’t.
I frowned.
—What does that mean?
He smiled.
—You have dust all over your face.
I wiped my cheek.
—Better?
He shook his head.
—Worse.
I laughed.
It was the first real laugh I’d had in days.
Adrian smiled too.
Then his expression softened.
—Sophia.
—Yeah?
—Whatever happens next…
He hesitated.
—I won’t let them erase you again.
I looked at him.
For the first time, I believed him.
Then my phone vibrated.
One message.
Unknown number.
YOU FOUND THE DOOR.
Another message appeared.
NOW FIND THE GIRL WHO WALKED OUT OF IT.
I looked around the crowded courtyard.
Students.
Teachers.
Strangers.
Then I saw her.
Across the courtyard.
The girl who looked exactly like me.
She was standing beneath the old clock tower.
Watching us.
And when our eyes met…
she smiled.