The name lingered in the cabin like a storm cloud.
The Dominion.
Ava had heard the name only once before—in the fragment of memory that had come crashing back inside the forest.
Now hearing Aurora say it aloud made the fear feel real.
Lucien stood near the fireplace, his expression darker than Ava had ever seen.
"You're certain?" he asked Aurora.
Aurora leaned against the table, scrolling through something on her tablet.
"I wouldn't joke about this," she said. "The bounty listing came from a Dominion channel. That's why it doubled so quickly."
Ava wrapped her arms around herself.
"Twenty million dollars…" she whispered.
The number sounded unreal.
Aurora looked up.
"Which means every professional hunter in the world will start looking for you."
Ava felt a knot tighten in her chest.
Lucien turned toward her immediately.
"Don't listen to that."
Aurora smirked slightly.
"I'm simply being realistic."
Lucien's voice turned cold.
"And I'm telling you she's safe here."
Aurora raised an eyebrow but said nothing more.
The fire crackled softly in the silence that followed.
Ava moved closer to the window, staring out into the dark forest.
Everything had changed so quickly.
Only days ago she had been a woman with no memories.
Now she was apparently the target of one of the most powerful secret organizations in the world.
Her mind raced.
"If the Dominion erased my life… then what exactly did I discover?" she asked quietly.
Lucien stepped beside her.
"That's what we need to find out."
Aurora crossed the room and sat on the table edge.
"I might already have a clue."
Both Ava and Lucien turned toward her.
"What do you mean?" Ava asked.
Aurora tapped her tablet screen.
"I managed to access some Dominion communication logs."
Lucien frowned.
"You hacked them?"
Aurora smiled proudly.
"Of course."
Lucien shook his head slightly.
"That's reckless."
"Maybe," Aurora replied, "but it also revealed something interesting."
She turned the screen toward them.
A series of encrypted messages appeared on the display.
Ava couldn't understand most of the symbols, but one phrase stood out clearly.
Asset Retrieval Protocol.
Lucien's expression hardened.
"That's not good."
Ava looked at him.
"What does that mean?"
Lucien answered quietly.
"It means they don't just want you dead."
Aurora nodded.
"They want you alive first."
A chill ran down Ava's spine.
"Why?"
Aurora leaned back.
"Probably because you still have something they want."
Ava shook her head slowly.
"But I don't remember anything important yet."
Lucien studied her carefully.
"Your memories are returning."
"And that makes you valuable," Aurora added.
The realization settled heavily over Ava.
"So they want to capture me… extract whatever information I have… and then erase me again."
Aurora gave a small shrug.
"Essentially."
Lucien's jaw tightened.
"That won't happen."
Ava turned to him.
"You can't fight an entire organization."
Lucien met her gaze steadily.
"Watch me."
The confidence in his voice sent a strange warmth through her chest despite the danger surrounding them.
Aurora sighed dramatically.
"As inspiring as this conversation is, we have a more immediate problem."
Lucien glanced at her.
"What?"
Aurora pointed toward the forest outside.
"Hunters don't give up easily."
Lucien's eyes narrowed.
"What are you seeing?"
Aurora zoomed in on a map displayed on her tablet.
"Several bounty trackers just activated within a thirty-mile radius."
Ava felt her stomach drop.
"They're already this close?"
Aurora nodded.
"Yes."
Lucien walked toward the door and looked outside into the darkness.
The forest was silent.
Too silent.
His instincts told him something wasn't right.
He turned back toward Ava.
"We need to move again soon."
Ava frowned.
"We just got here."
"And now people are already searching nearby."
Aurora folded her arms.
"I hate to admit it, but he's right."
Ava exhaled slowly.
Running again.
It felt like that was all her life had become.
Running from enemies she couldn't remember making.
Lucien stepped closer to her.
"We'll figure this out," he said quietly.
Ava looked up at him.
"Together?"
Lucien didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
Before she could respond, Aurora suddenly stiffened.
"Wait."
Both of them turned toward her.
Aurora slowly closed her tablet.
"We're not alone."
Lucien's hand immediately moved to the pistol at his side.
"What did you hear?"
Aurora tilted her head slightly.
"Movement."
Ava's heart began to race.
Lucien moved silently toward the door and opened it a fraction.
Cold night air drifted inside.
For a moment there was nothing.
Then—
A faint crunch of leaves.
Lucien's eyes hardened instantly.
He stepped back into the cabin.
"They found us."
Aurora groaned.
"That was fast."
Ava felt panic rising in her chest.
"How many?"
Lucien listened carefully.
"At least three."
Aurora grabbed her coat.
"Well," she said dryly, "looks like the bounty hunters are getting impatient."
Lucien turned to Ava.
His voice was calm but urgent.
"We're leaving. Now."
But just as he reached for the door again—
A loud gunshot exploded outside.
The cabin window shattered instantly.
Glass sprayed across the floor.
Ava screamed and ducked.
Lucien pulled her down beside him.
Aurora cursed under her breath.
"Well… they didn't even knock."
Outside, footsteps rushed toward the cabin.
Lucien's grip tightened on the pistol.
His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
"Stay behind me."
Ava's heart pounded wildly.
The hunters had arrived.
And this time…
They were ready for a fight