The tunnel was silent, except for the faint dripping of water somewhere deep inside. Dust hung heavy in the air, making it hard to breathe. Aria froze in place, her pulse hammering in her ears. The figure ahead stepped closer, slow and deliberate, and the weak light revealed a face she never thought she'd see again.
"Elias…" Aria's voice broke.
Lena stiffened beside her, gun raised instantly. Marco and Clara gasped, their bodies trembling with fear.
Elias Beaumont. Aria's older brother. Dead. At least, that's what she had believed for years. His funeral had been closed-casket. His name etched in stone. She had cried, mourned, carried the grief in her bones. And now, here he was. Alive.
"You… you're supposed to be dead," she whispered, unable to move.
Elias smirked, a shadow of the boy she remembered, but sharper now, colder. "The world thought I was dead. That was the point. Death is the perfect disguise, little sister."
