The streets outside the church were crowded with people lingering after the shocking scene, but Lena moved like a shadow, unnoticed.
She had to be careful—every glance, every step could reveal her secret.
The world thought she was dead.
She would not give them reason to suspect otherwise.
Her mind raced as she tried to piece together what little she understood: the coffin, the prayers, the chaos that followed.
Nothing added up.
How did she end up there?
Why did it feel like her life had been quietly taken from her without her knowing?
Lena ducked into a quiet alley and pressed herself against the brick wall.
She needed to think.
To breathe.
To understand.
People left the church in a swirl of confusion and whispered speculation. Faces, voices, movements—they all blurred together from where she stood.
Then a familiar thought pushed through the fear.
Victoria.
Her best friend's cries inside the church had been real. Painful. Honest. Lena could still hear it in her ears.
If there was one person in this world she believed would never harm her, it was Victoria.
For a moment, Lena almost stepped out of hiding.
Almost went back.
Almost called her name.
But she stopped herself.
Not because she didn't trust Victoria.
But because she didn't trust what was happening around her.
She didn't understand it yet.
And until she did, she had to stay hidden.
The city hummed around her, unaware of the secret that walked quietly among them.
Lena exhaled slowly and clenched her fists.
She had survived something she did not understand.
And now, she would move carefully.
One step at a time.