onReinhardt sat alone in his office, the evening sun casting golden lines through the glass window behind him. The screen in front of him showed a report, but his eyes were lost in thought.
His mind wasn't on the company or the meeting that had just ended. It was on the girl with the jade pendant. For weeks, he had been trying to find the truth.
Who was the real girl who saved him all those years ago during that deadly storm? Was it Aeliana? Or was it Carmela?
But now, everything had vanished.
How could this be?
His men could find no answers, no school records, no old documents, and no photographs, nothing at all.
Carmela's name had disappeared from the school archives. Even the orphanage near the old road had been burned down years ago. Not a single paper or witness could tell him the truth. It was like someone had wiped the past clean.
Reinhardt clenched his jaw. He had always trusted what he saw and remembered. But now, he couldn't even trust his own memories. He had kept the picture of the jade pendant Carmela once showed him, but something in his heart told him it wasn't enough.
He remembered the girl's voice from back then. She was brave, kind, and full of light. Yet when he tried to connect it with Carmela's voice, something didn't feel right. And now, it didn't matter. The trail had gone cold. Even Carmela was gone, without a trace.
He leaned back in his chair, lost in frustration. At the same time, across the city, Aeliana was packing her bag again. Her body had healed, but her mind had been busy planning something more.
The program team had contacted her earlier that week. They were restarting the survival show on a new island, far away from the one filled with painful memories. This time, everything would be under stricter control, with better security and no room for danger.
Aeliana accepted the offer without hesitation. She didn't tell Reinhardt. She didn't see the need. He hadn't visited her in the hospital, and he hadn't spoken to her since she came home. To her, it was clear. They were still just strangers tied together by a contract.
She left early in the morning, taking only her essentials and her laptop.
The sun was just rising as the car drove toward the airport. Aeliana stared out the window, her eyes calm but full of thought. The jade pendant around her neck felt heavier than usual. Not because of its weight, but because of the questions that surrounded it.
Was she the girl from his past?
She had never believed in coincidences. She remembered the night, the storm, and the boy who gave her the pendant before he lost consciousness. She had carried that memory like a hidden flame, something small but strong, tucked deep in her heart.
But maybe Reinhardt didn't remember.
Maybe he never saw her face clearly.
It didn't matter. Aeliana had learned not to rely on anyone but herself. She had hesitations about the truth. She didn't know it was Reinhardt, but when she got a notification that someone wanted to check her past, she found out it was Reinhardt's men. She saw the clues and traced them back to the reason Reinhardt was opening an old-town case.
By the time Reinhardt found out she had left, Aeliana had already landed on the new island. His secretary had rushed in with the news, expecting a reaction. But Reinhardt simply turned his eyes back to his papers. Inside, though, his heart tightened.
Why didn't she tell him?
Had they grown that far apart?
He reached for his phone but stopped halfway.
What would he say?
That he miss her?
That he was still unsure about who she really was?
Aeliana stepped off the boat that brought her to the new island. It was greener than the last, with clearer skies and a calm beach. The crew greeted her warmly, and the other contestants smiled, welcoming her like an old friend. Cameras were already rolling.
The treatment has improved. It must have something to do with the family.
She looked around, taking in the peaceful view. This place was different, less threatening. But she knew the challenges ahead would still test her mind and body. She wasn't here just for the show. She had a goal.
Back home, she had been working on something during her hospital stay, an online identity and platform where she posted anonymously about survival skills, storytelling, and charity work. It was growing faster than she expected. People were drawn to her words, ideas, and strength in advocating change.
Now, she planned to use the survival show not just to prove herself again, but to push her secret project even further. To her, this was more than a challenge, it was the start of something bigger.
As the host of the show welcomed everyone and explained the rules, Aeliana's eyes stayed focused. Her heart was steady. She would not be a shadow in someone else's life anymore. Not a forgotten girl with a lost name. She would prove that she was better than Carmela.
That night, after the cameras stopped rolling, Aeliana sat by her small campsite under the stars. She had built a simple tent from large leaves and sturdy sticks, with a fire crackling beside her.
The warmth of the flames touched her face as she stirred a small pot of soup made from wild herbs and mushrooms. She didn't mind the quiet. In fact, she welcomed it.
The silence reminded her that she was still alive, still fighting. Pulling her coat tighter around her shoulders, she glanced at the fire, her eyes determined.
I can make my dreams come true.
I cannot tarnish the plans of my Master.
I cannot fail the name of my sect.
And somewhere, far away, Reinhardt stared at the pendant in his hand. For the first time in a long while, he wasn't sure what to do.
Hold on or give up?