Rachel couldn't breathe.
Not properly.
Not steadily.
Because the room had shifted from unfamiliar
To dangerous.
Not physically.
But mentally.
The kind of danger that doesn't touch your body first
It goes straight for your identity.
"…I didn't take anything," she said.
But her voice?
It didn't sound like before.
There was a crack in it now.
Small.
But there.
The woman didn't respond immediately.
She just watched her.
Like she was waiting
For Rachel to catch up to something her own mind hadn't fully processed yet.
"…you did," she said finally.
Soft.
Certain.
Rachel shook her head slightly.
"…no."
Another pause.
Then
"…you just don't remember how."
That line didn't just land
It stayed.
Heavy.
Persistent.
Rachel stepped back again.
Her thoughts moving too fast now.
Trying to find something
Anything
That felt real.
"…you're saying I lived here?" she asked.
The man beside her answered this time.
"…you were kept here."
That word.
Kept.
Rachel's chest tightened.
"…like what?" she asked.
Silence.
Then
"…like someone we couldn't afford to lose."
That didn't make sense.
None of it did.
Rachel's eyes moved around the room again.
Now more carefully.
More intentionally.
The walls.
The structure.
The stillness.
It didn't feel like a place people visited.
It felt like a place people were contained.
Her stomach twisted.
"…and I just left?" she asked.
The woman stepped closer again.
"…no," she said.
"…you were taken."
Rachel froze.
"…by who?"
Silence.
Then
"…him."
Everything stopped.
Rachel's heart slammed.
"…Raziel?"
The woman didn't blink.
"…yes."
The word echoed.
Louder than it should've.
Rachel's breathing turned uneven.
"…no," she whispered.
"…you think he found you," the woman continued quietly.
"…but he didn't."
A pause.
Then
"He removed you."
Rachel's fingers curled tightly.
"…why?"
The woman tilted her head slightly.
"…that's the part he never wanted you to remember."
The room felt colder.
Sharper.
Rachel's thoughts spiraled.
Because now
Nothing about the beginning made sense anymore.
Not how they met.
Not how everything unfolded so easily.
Not even how he looked at her
Like he already knew her.
Her breath hitched.
"…he knew me before," she said.
Not a question.
The woman nodded slowly.
"…better than anyone."
Rachel's heart pounded.
"…then why didn't he say anything?"
Silence.
Then
The answer came.
"…because if you remembered," the woman said quietly,
"…you wouldn't have chosen him again."
That line shattered something.
Deep.
Rachel stepped back again.
Her body reacting before her mind could catch up.
"…you're lying," she said.
But it didn't hold weight anymore.
The woman didn't argue.
Didn't push.
She simply reached for something else.
A screen.
Mounted on the wall.
She tapped it once.
It flickered.
Then
Came to life.
Rachel's breath stilled.
Because what appeared
Wasn't random.
It was footage.
Grainy.
Old.
But clear enough.
A room.
White.
Cold.
And inside it
Her.
Rachel's heart stopped.
She stepped closer.
Unconsciously.
The girl in the footage
Was her.
No doubt.
No confusion.
But she looked different.
Not physically.
But in her eyes.
There was something missing.
Or maybe
Something too controlled.
"…this is you," the man said quietly.
Rachel didn't respond.
Because she could see it.
She didn't need confirmation.
Then
The footage shifted.
A door opened.
Someone walked in.
Rachel's breath caught.
Because she knew exactly who it was
Before she even saw his face clearly.
Raziel.
Younger.
But unmistakable.
The room went silent.
The version of Rachel in the footage looked up at him.
And the look in her eyes
It wasn't love.
It wasn't comfort.
It wasn't even recognition.
It was
Fear.
Rachel's chest tightened painfully.
"…no," she whispered.
In the footage
Raziel stepped closer to her.
Slow.
Controlled.
Like he was approaching something fragile.
Or dangerous.
"…you're not safe here," his voice echoed faintly from the recording.
Rachel's heart pounded harder.
The girl on the screen didn't respond.
She just stared at him.
Untrusting.
Broken.
Then
She spoke.
And what she said
Didn't sound like anything Rachel had ever said in her life.
"…you shouldn't have come back."
Rachel's entire body went still.
"…what"
The footage continued.
Raziel's expression didn't change much.
But his voice dropped.
"…I told you I would."
A pause.
Then
The girl shook her head slightly.
"…if they find you here," she said quietly,
"…they won't let either of us leave again."
Silence.
Rachel's breath turned shallow.
Because now
This wasn't just unfamiliar.
It was undeniable.
The
The footage glitched.
Static.
Distortion.
And suddenly
It jumped forward.
The room was different.
Alarms.
Flashing lights.
Chaos.
People moving fast.
Shouting.
The girl
Rachel
Was being pulled.
Fighting.
"…stop!"
Her voice.
Clear now.
Desperate.
Then
Another figure appeared.
Raziel again.
Grabbing her.
Hard.
"…we don't have time," he said.
She struggled.
"…you don't understand!"
And then
The footage froze.
Right there.
Mid-movement.
Rachel stared at it.
Unmoving.
Because something inside her
Was waking up.
Something she didn't ask for.
Something she couldn't control.
"…play it," she said.
Her voice
Different now.
The woman didn't move.
"…that's enough for now."
Rachel snapped her head toward her.
"…no," she said.
"…play it."
Silence.
Tension filled the room again.
Then
The woman stepped closer.
"…you're not ready for the rest."
Rachel's eyes sharpened.
"…you don't get to decide that."
A pause.
Then
The woman leaned in slightly.
"…just like he didn't?"
That hit.
Hard.
Rachel's chest tightened.
Because suddenly
It didn't feel like coincidence anymore.
It felt like a pattern.
"…what happens next?" Rachel asked.
The woman straightened.
"…now?"
A pause.
"…you remember."
Rachel's breath stilled.
"…and if I don't?"
Silence.
Then
The woman's expression changed.
Just slightly.
Darker.
"…then we help you."
That didn't sound safe.
At all.
Rachel took a step back.
"…how?"
The man beside her answered.
"…forcefully."
Everything went cold.
Rachel's pulse spiked.
Because now
This wasn't just about truth.
It was about control.
Again.
"…I'm not staying here," she said.
The woman didn't react.
"…you already are."
Rachel turned toward the door instinctively
But it didn't open.
Locked.
Sealed.
Her breath hitched.
"…no," she whispered.
Then
A sharp sound.
Behind her.
Rachel turned.
And froze.
Because the screen
Wasn't blank anymore.
It had changed.
Automatically.
Without anyone touching it.
New footage.
Different.
Clearer.
And this time
It wasn't just her.
It was her…
And Raziel.
Standing together.
But not like before.
Closer.
Too close.
And then
The version of Rachel on the screen said something that made her blood run cold.
"…if you don't let me go," she whispered,
"…I'll destroy everything you built."
Silence.
Rachel's heart slammed violently.
Because that voice
That tone
It wasn't fear.
It was power.
Something dangerous.
Something she had never felt before.
And then
Raziel responded.
Low.
Controlled.
Unshaken.
"…then I'll make sure you never remember how."
Everything stopped.
Rachel's breath caught.
Because suddenly
This wasn't just something he hid.
It was something he did.
The words didn't fade.
They stayed.
Echoing.
Louder the more Rachel tried to push them away.
"…then I'll make sure you never remember how."
Her chest tightened.
Not slowly.
All at once.
"…no," she whispered.
But this time
It didn't sound like denial.
It sounded like something breaking.
The screen remained frozen.
That moment
Captured.
Permanent.
Rachel stared at it like if she looked long enough
It would change.
It didn't.
"…he wouldn't do that," she said.
But her voice
Didn't hold.
The woman watched her closely.
Not with sympathy.
Not with cruelty.
Just… certainty.
"…you saw it," she said quietly.
Rachel shook her head.
"…that's not enough."
A pause.
Then
"It's edited."
The man beside her exhaled lightly.
"…you're still trying to protect him."
Rachel's eyes snapped to him.
"…I'm trying to understand."
Silence.
Because that
Was the truth.
She didn't want to believe it.
But she couldn't ignore it either.
Her gaze drifted back to the screen.
The girl there
Her
Didn't look confused.
Didn't look unsure.
She looked like she knew.
And that
That scared Rachel more than anything else.
"…play the rest," she said again.
Her voice steadier now.
But lower.
The woman didn't move.
"…you don't ask for things like that unless you're ready to live with them," she replied.
Rachel's fingers curled slightly.
"…then let me decide that."
Silence.
Longer this time.
Then
The woman nodded once.
"…fine."
She turned.
Tapped the screen.
And everything shifted.
The footage resumed.
The same room.
Same chaos.
Same urgency.
But now
It moved forward.
Raziel was still holding her.
But tighter.
More desperate.
"…you don't understand what they'll do if you stay," he said.
The girl
Rachel
Struggled again.
"…and you don't understand what happens if I leave!" she snapped.
That tone
Sharp.
Controlled.
Fearless.
Rachel's breath caught.
Because that didn't sound like her.
Not the version she knew.
This version
Was stronger.
Darker.
"…you're not stable yet," Raziel said.
She laughed.
But it wasn't soft.
It wasn't warm.
It was cold.
"…you keep saying that like it's a weakness."
Silence.
Even the people in the room
Seemed to pause.
Because whatever that meant
It wasn't normal.
Rachel's heart pounded harder.
"…what does that mean?" she whispered.
No one answered.
Because the footage kept going.
Alarms blaring now.
Louder.
Closer.
People shouting in the background.
"…we're out of time," Raziel said.
The girl stilled suddenly.
Not calm
Controlled.
Then she looked at him.
And her eyes
They changed.
Not just emotion.
Something deeper.
Something that didn't feel human.
Rachel stepped back unconsciously.
"…what is that?" she asked.
The woman's voice came softly.
"…that's you."
Rachel shook her head instantly.
"…no."
But the footage didn't stop.
The girl stepped closer to Raziel now.
Too close.
"…if I go with you," she said quietly,
"…you don't get to decide what I become."
Silence.
Raziel didn't respond immediately.
Because this time
He looked uncertain.
"…I'm not trying to control you," he said.
The girl tilted her head slightly.
"…you already are."
That line
Hit harder now.
Because Rachel had heard something like that before.
Tonight.
From herself.
Her chest tightened.
Because suddenly
This wasn't random.
This was a pattern.
A loop.
"…why does it feel familiar?" she whispered.
The woman didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
Rachel already knew.
The footage flickered again.
Then
Jumped.
A different angle.
Raziel pulling her toward the door.
Urgent.
Rushed.
"…trust me," he said.
The girl didn't move.
"…I did that once," she replied.
Silence.
Then
"…and look where it got me."
Rachel's breath hitched.
Because that
That felt personal.
Too personal.
The footage froze again.
Mid-motion.
Rachel stared at it.
Her thoughts spiraling.
Faster.
Louder.
Because now
This wasn't just something he hid.
This was something they shared.
A past.
A history.
A version of her
That she didn't recognize.
But couldn't deny anymore.
"…what happens if I remember everything?" she asked.
The woman looked at her.
"…then you become who you were."
Rachel's chest tightened.
"…and if I don't want that?"
Silence.
Then
The answer came.
"…you don't get to choose that anymore."
Everything went still.
Rachel's fingers trembled slightly.
Just slightly.
Because suddenly
This wasn't just about truth.
It was about identity.
Control.
Power.
And something she had once been
That everyone else seemed to know.
Except her.
Then
The screen flickered again.
Without anyone touching it.
Rachel's eyes snapped toward it.
Because this time
It wasn't old footage.
It was live.
Clear.
Sharp.
And what she saw
Made her heart stop.
Raziel.
Standing in the penthouse.
Alone.
His expression
Nothing like she had ever seen before.
Cold.
Focused.
Dangerous.
And then
He spoke.
Low.
Controlled.
"…lock it down."
Rachel's breath caught.
Because behind him
More people stepped into the penthouse.
Not the same ones.
Different.
And they weren't there to talk.
They were there to take control.
Then
Raziel looked straight at the camera.
Like he knew she was watching.
And said something that shattered everything left.
"…if she doesn't come back on her own…"
A pause.
"…bring her to me."
Rachel froze.
Completely.
Because suddenly
She didn't know which side she was supposed to be afraid of.
And it was confusing for her.