Velena sat frozen, her pulse hammering. The room felt smaller, suffocating. The words on the screen stared back at her like ghosts refusing to stay buried.
Project Revenant.
Vladivostok.
Ceil's father—murdered.
And somehow, she was connected to it all.
But she couldn't remember.
Didn't want to remember.
Ceil's voice was steady, too steady. "Tell me the truth, Velena."
Her breath caught. "I already told you. I don't remember."
He didn't move, didn't blink. "Then we need to fix that."
UNLOCKING THE TRUTH...
Ceil's private estate was unlike any place Velena had ever been. It wasn't just a home—it was a fortress of secrets.
She had no idea why he had brought her instead of staying at their safe house, but the moment the car pulled up, she knew.
This was personal.
Velena barely had time to take in the towering glass windows, the sleek black walls, the endless security cameras tracking their every move before Ceil led her inside.
Straight to a locked door at the end of a long hallway.
A door he had never let her near before.
Ceil typed in a code, scanned his fingerprint, then finally stepped aside. The door clicked open, revealing a room filled with neatly organized files, stacks of papers, and one single chair in the center hooked to a machine.
Velena's stomach twisted. "What the hell is that?"
Ceil's voice was calm. "You need to remember."
She took a step back. "You think I'm just gonna sit in that thing and let you play with my head?"
Ceil exhaled. "It's not a game, Velena."
She shook her head. "You don't even know what you're looking for."
His gaze sharpened. "I know exactly what I'm looking for."
Her pulse pounded. "And what if I don't like what we find?"
For the first time since the Gala, something flickered in Ceil's eyes. A hesitation.
Then it was gone.
"You don't have a choice."
MEMORIES THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST...
Velena sat in the chair, tense, every muscle in her body coiled like a spring. The machine hummed softly, a faint glow lighting up as Ceil adjusted the settings.
"Relax," he said.
She glared at him. "Says the man who's about to mess with my head."
He didn't smile. Didn't say anything. Just pressed a button.
The room blurred.
Velena's breath caught.
And suddenly—
She was there.
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO—VLADIVOSTOK...
The air was cold. Too cold. It burned her lungs as she ran through the alley, small feet slipping on the ice.
A hand gripped hers, pulling her forward. A voice whispering— "Don't stop. No matter what happens, don't stop."
Gunfire.
A scream.
Velena turned—
And saw a man fall.
A fading trace of red against the cold ground.
A familiar face—but she didn't know why.
She looked up at the person holding her hand.
A man with dark eyes. The same man from the photo Ceil had shown her. He was saying something. Something important.
But the memory faded—
And Velena was yanked back into the present
REALITY COLLAPSING...
She gasped, jerking upright in the chair, her entire body trembling. The machine beeped wildly, warning signs flashing on the screen.
Ceil was already in front of her, gripping her shoulders. "What did you see?"
Velena's breath was shaky. "I was there."
Ceil's grip tightened. "Where?"
She swallowed. "Vladivostok. The night your father was murdered."
His jaw clenched. "Who was with you?"
Velena's mind swam. "I...I don't know his name. But it's the same man from the photo."
Ceil's expression darkened. "Describe him."
Velena forced herself to focus. "Dark hair. Sharp features. He was tall—"
Ceil's entire body went still. "Did he have a scar?"
Velena's breath hitched. "Yes."
Silence.
Then Ceil exhaled, stepping back, running a hand over his face. For the first time since she had met him, he looked shaken.
Velena gripped the chair's arms. "Who is he?"
Ceil didn't answer.
He turned away, muttering something under his breath.
Velena stood. "Ceil. Who is he?"
His voice was quiet.
Cold.
"He's supposed to be dead."
Velena's stomach dropped.
Her entire world had just changed.
And Ceil Blackthorn?
He wasn't calm anymore.
He was furious.
Because the man Velena had seen in her memory—
Was the same man who had tried to kill Ceil five years ago.