The girl was standing beneath the clock tower.
She looked exactly like me.
Same dark hair.
Same eyes.
Same small scar above her eyebrow.
Even the way she stood was familiar.
As if I were looking at myself from another life.
Adrian noticed her.
His expression changed immediately.
—That’s her.
I nodded.
—The girl from the chamber.
She smiled at us.
Then she turned and walked away.
—Wait!
I ran after her.
Adrian followed.
We crossed the courtyard while students moved around us, completely unaware of what was happening.
The girl disappeared through the doors of the old library.
I pushed them open.
—Where did she go?
Adrian looked around.
—She couldn’t have gone far.
We hurried between the shelves.
Nothing.
No footsteps.
No movement.
Then I saw a book lying open on a table.
I walked toward it.
My name was written on the first page.
SOPHIA BENNETT.
I touched it.
The pages turned by themselves.
A photograph fell out.
It showed Clara.
My grandmother.
She was standing in the same library.
Beside her was a young version of my mother.
And another woman.
I recognized her.
Evelyn Carter.
I turned the photograph over.
Three women.
One memory.
Adrian looked over my shoulder.
—Your mother, Clara, and Evelyn.
I nodded.
—They were working together.
—At the beginning.
I looked at him.
—Until something happened.
He pointed at the photograph.
There was a fourth person reflected in a window behind them.
A man.
His face was hidden.
I stared at the reflection.
—Who is that?
Adrian shook his head.
—I don’t know.
A voice came from behind us.
—You do.
We turned.
Evelyn stood between the shelves.
I froze.
—How did you get here?
She smiled faintly.
—I’ve spent half my life finding places like this.
Adrian stepped forward.
—You knew about the chamber.
—Yes.
—And the girl?
Evelyn’s expression changed.
—You saw her?
I nodded.
She closed her eyes.
—Then she’s awake.
My stomach tightened.
—What does that mean?
Evelyn looked at me.
—It means the memory separation worked.
I stared at her.
—You knew she existed?
—Yes.
—Why didn’t you tell me?
Evelyn looked at Adrian.
—Because Daniel asked me not to.
I felt anger rise again.
—Everyone always blames Daniel.
Evelyn shook her head.
—Not this time.
She looked directly at me.
—This was my decision.
I stepped closer.
—Then tell me the truth.
She sighed.
—Your grandmother discovered that memories could be copied.
Adrian frowned.
—Copied?
—Not perfectly.
Evelyn pointed toward the photograph.
—A memory can contain images, sounds, emotions, even pieces of personality.
I thought about the girl.
—So she isn’t really me.
Evelyn hesitated.
—She is a part of you.
—But not all of me.
—No.
—Then what is she?
Evelyn’s voice became quieter.
—The memory you couldn’t survive carrying.
I swallowed.
—What memory?
Evelyn looked toward the library entrance.
—The memory of who betrayed Clara.
The room became silent.
Adrian asked: —Who?
Evelyn looked at him.
—That’s what the girl remembers.
I stared at her.
—Then why is she here?
—Because the separation was never meant to last forever.
—What happens now?
Evelyn looked at me.
—She wants to return to you.
A chill ran through me.
—And if she does?
Evelyn hesitated.
—You’ll remember everything.
I didn’t know whether that frightened me or relieved me.
Then Adrian spoke.
—Maybe that’s what Sophia needs.
Evelyn looked at him.
—You don’t understand the consequences.
—Then explain them.
She looked between us.
—If Sophia restores all her memories at once, she won’t just remember what happened.
She paused.
—She’ll remember what hasn’t happened yet.
I stared at her.
—What?
Evelyn nodded.
—That’s why the organization was afraid of her.
Adrian’s expression hardened.
—She can see the future?
—Not exactly.
—Then what?
—She remembers possibilities.
I thought about the images I’d seen.
The second Aurora.
The third.
Paths that never happened.
I whispered: —Different versions of reality.
Evelyn nodded.
—Your mind can remember events that belong to different possible outcomes.
Adrian stared at me.
—That’s why you knew things before they happened.
I nodded slowly.
Evelyn looked at him.
—And that’s why you were placed beside her.
Adrian froze.
—What?
—Your family wanted to control what she remembered.
He shook his head.
—I didn’t know.
—I know.
She looked at me.
—But they chose you because Sophia trusted you.
My heart tightened.
I looked at Adrian.
—So everything started because of them.
—Yes.
—They made you become my friend?
Adrian looked at me.
—I don’t remember that.
Evelyn sighed.
—Because you weren’t supposed to remember.
A loud bell rang across campus.
Students began leaving classrooms.
The normal sound of university life filled the library.
For a moment, everything felt ordinary again.
Then someone slipped a note beneath the library door.
Adrian picked it up.
He opened it.
His face changed.
—What?
He handed it to me.
There were only six words.
THE GIRL IS AT BLACKWOOD MANOR.
I looked at Evelyn.
—How?
She shook her head.
—I don’t know.
Adrian folded the note.
—We’re going.
Evelyn grabbed his arm.
—No.
—Why?
—Because that’s exactly where they want you.
Adrian looked at her.
—Then what do we do?
Evelyn looked at me.
—We go somewhere they aren’t expecting.
I frowned.
—Where?
She smiled.
—Your old house.
My stomach dropped.
—The house where my father disappeared?
—Yes.
I shook my head.
—It’s been abandoned for years.
—Not anymore.
She handed me a small key.
—Someone has been living there.
I stared at it.
—Who?
Evelyn didn’t answer.
She simply walked toward the exit.
Adrian followed.
I stayed behind for a moment.
Something on the table caught my eye.
The photograph.
The one of Clara, my mother, and Evelyn.
The mysterious man was still reflected in the window.
But now I noticed something.
His hand.
He was wearing a ring.
A black ring with a silver line through it.
I had seen that ring before.
On Adrian’s father.
I ran after them.
Outside, Adrian was waiting.
—What took you so long?
I held up the photograph.
—Your father was there.
Adrian stared at the image.
His face became pale.
—That’s impossible.
—Why?
He pointed at the man’s hand.
—Because my father didn’t have that ring six years ago.
I frowned.
—Then when did he get it?
Adrian looked toward Blackwood Manor in the distance.
—I don’t know.
Evelyn answered quietly: —Before Adrian was born.
Adrian looked at her.
—What?
She didn’t explain.
Instead, she started walking.
We followed.
As we crossed the campus, my phone vibrated.
One message.
Unknown number.
DON’T GO HOME.
Another appeared.
THE GIRL IS NOT YOUR ENEMY.
Then a third.
YOUR FATHER IS.
I stopped walking.
Adrian turned.
—What’s wrong?
I showed him the messages.
He read them.
His expression became serious.
—They want us to doubt Daniel.
—Maybe they’re telling the truth.
—Maybe.
He looked at me.
—But we don’t know yet.
I nodded.
For once, we agreed without arguing.
We reached the parking lot.
Adrian unlocked his car.
Before I got in, I heard a voice behind me.
—Sophia.
I turned.
The girl was standing across the street.
She wasn’t smiling anymore.
She looked scared.
I took a step toward her.
—Wait!
She raised one hand.
—Don’t go home.
I stopped.
—Why?
She looked at Adrian.
Then back at me.
—Because your father isn’t there.
I frowned.
—Then who is?
Her eyes filled with tears.
—The man pretending to be him.
A car passed between us.
When it was gone, the girl had disappeared.
Adrian looked around.
—Where did she go?
I shook my head.
Then my phone vibrated again.
This time, it wasn’t a message.
It was a photograph.
I opened it.
My old house.
The front door.
And someone standing inside.
The image was blurry.
But I recognized the coat.
Daniel’s coat.
The caption underneath said: HE’S WAITING FOR YOU.
Adrian looked at the screen.
—That’s not your father.
I looked at him.
—How do you know?
He pointed at the photograph.
—Because Daniel’s coat has a silver button.
I zoomed in.
The man inside the house had black buttons.
Adrian’s face went pale.
—Someone is pretending to be your father.
I looked toward the road.
—Then we have to find out who.
Adrian opened the passenger door.
—Together.
I hesitated.
Then I got in.
As the car pulled away from the university, I looked back at the clock tower.
For one second, I saw the girl standing there.
She raised her hand.
And mouthed four words.
Remember who you were.
Then she disappeared into the crowd.