Ethan didn't move for a long time after Luna left.
The street had gone quiet again, but the silence didn't feel the same. It wasn't calm—it was tense, stretched thin with everything that had just happened. His gaze stayed fixed in the direction she had disappeared, his thoughts moving faster than his expression showed.
He let her go.
That wasn't like him.
And he knew it.
But forcing her right now would only make things worse. Luna wasn't just confused anymore—she was unstable. Not weak, not fragile… but unpredictable. And that made the situation more dangerous than anything else.
Especially if what she said was true.
A voice.
One that sounded like her.
Ethan exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair before pulling out his phone. His movements were calm, controlled—but there was urgency underneath.
He dialed a number.
It connected on the second ring.
"I need everything," Ethan said without greeting.
A pause.
"Now?"
"Yes. No filters, no delays. I want the full report."
The voice on the other end hesitated. "…That file is restricted."
"I'm aware."
Silence.
Then—
"…If she finds out you've been hiding it—"
"She already knows enough to start asking the right questions," Ethan cut in. "Which means we're out of time."
Another pause.
Longer this time.
"…You think it's resurfacing?"
Ethan's gaze darkened slightly. "I don't think. I know."
The line went quiet.
"…Then you should've told her earlier."
Ethan didn't respond immediately.
Because that—
Was the problem.
"I needed confirmation," he said finally.
"And now?"
"…Now I don't have the luxury of waiting."
A faint sound of typing came from the other end. "You're opening something you won't be able to close again."
"I know."
"And her?"
Ethan's grip on the phone tightened slightly.
"…She's already inside it."
Silence followed.
Then the call ended.
Luna didn't realize how far she had walked until her legs started to ache.
But she didn't stop.
Stopping meant thinking.
And thinking meant hearing it again.
The voice.
Her voice.
But not hers.
She finally slowed down near an empty park, the faint sound of wind brushing through the trees the only thing breaking the silence. The streetlights here were dimmer, softer—almost like the world itself was fading out.
Luna stepped inside, her movements slower now, more cautious.
Her head still hurt.
But it wasn't the sharp pain from before.
This was different.
Heavier.
Like something was sitting inside her mind… waiting.
She sat down on a cold metal bench, staring ahead without really seeing anything.
"…Why now?" she whispered.
No response.
For a moment, she thought maybe it had stopped.
Maybe it was over.
But deep down—
She knew better.
Her fingers curled slightly as she lowered her gaze.
"I lived all these years without remembering anything," she continued quietly. "So why now?"
Silence stretched.
Then—
Because you're close.
Her breath caught instantly.
She didn't move.
Didn't react
.
But her heart—
It sped up.
"…Close to what?" she asked.
The answer came slower this time.
To the truth you tried to erase.
Luna's chest tightened.
"That doesn't make sense," she said, shaking her head slightly. "Why would I erase something important?"
No response.
But the absence of an answer—
Felt intentional.
Like it wanted her to figure it out herself.
Her mind drifted back to the memory.
"If he finds it… everything ends."
That line.
That fear.
That urgency.
"…What ends?" she whispered.
Her voice trembled slightly.
Not from weakness—
But from anticipation.
Then—
Everything you're standing on right now.
That answer sent a chill down her spine.
Luna's eyes widened slowly.
Because that meant—
This wasn't just about the past.
It was about the present.
Her life.
Her identity.
Even Ethan.
Her breathing became uneven again as she leaned forward slightly, gripping the edge of the bench.
"…What did I do?" she asked.
This time—
There was a pause.
Longer than before.
Then—
You chose.
Her fingers tightened.
"Chose what?"
No answer.
Frustration built inside her chest, mixing with fear and confusion. "Stop speaking in pieces," she said, her voice sharper now. "If you know something, then just say it!"
Silence.
Complete.
And that—
Made it worse.
Luna stood up abruptly, pacing a few steps as her thoughts spiraled again. "This isn't helping," she muttered under her breath. "You're just making it worse."
No response.
But she could feel it.
Still there.
Watching.
Waiting.
"…Fine," she said after a moment, her voice quieter now but steadier. "Then I'll figure it out myself."
That decision—
Changed something.
The air felt heavier.
Colder.
Then—
You already did once.
Luna froze.
Her breath hitched.
"…What?"
But the voice didn't continue.
It faded.
Like it had said enough.
Like it had planted something and was now waiting for it to grow.
Luna stood there in silence, her mind racing faster than ever.
Because now—
It wasn't just about remembering.
It was about understanding why she chose to forget in the first place.
And what she was trying to protect—
Or hide.
Across the city, Ethan stepped into his office, shutting the door behind him with more force than necessary.
The room was dark.
Quiet.
Controlled.
Just the way he liked it.
But tonight—
It didn't feel the same.
He walked toward the desk, opening a secured drawer and pulling out a file he hadn't touched in years.
The label was simple.
Subject: Luna Hayes
His gaze stayed on it for a long moment.
Unreadable.
Then slowly—
He opened it.
Inside were documents, reports, photographs…
And one page, marked differently from the rest.
Restricted.
Ethan stared at it, his jaw tightening slightly.
"…You should've never been involved," he muttered under his breath.
But that wasn't the truth.
Because she wasn't just involved.
She was at the center of it.
And if Luna remembered everything—
Then the one thing Ethan had been trying to
prevent all this time—
Would finally happen.