The Name That Wasn't His
Every citizen of Ardent City was given five names in their lifetime.
The first at birth.
The second at adulthood.
The third when they chose a profession.
The fourth when they loved someone deeply.
The fifth at death.
Names defined who you were allowed to be.
Elias Crow had only four.
At twenty-seven, he worked as a registrar—his job was to assign names to others. He believed in the system. Names brought order. Meaning. Direction.
But every night, Elias dreamed of a voice whispering:
"You are missing one."
He always woke up before the voice finished the sentence.