Chapter Five
The One Who Never Forgot
The girl was gone.
No one saw her leave the bathroom. Not a single student in the hall remembered seeing anyone like her—tall, pale, eyes like light reflecting on water. It was like she'd just... slipped away.
Vanished.
But her words echoed in Amelia's head all day.
"Look for the one who never forgot."
⸻
That night, Amelia sat cross-legged on her bedroom floor, Elvira's diary open in front of her, pages scattered around like puzzle pieces. The moonlight poured in through the window, casting pale shadows across her wall.
She flipped through the diary again, searching for clues. Maybe the girl's message wasn't a riddle. Maybe it was literal.
Someone remembered.
Someone who never forgot Elvira. The lake. The gift.
She needed names. Places. Something.
Then, tucked behind the final page, she found it.
A folded photograph.
Two women standing side by side. One was Elvira—Amelia knew that face, even if time had blurred it. The other woman was older, with dark skin, silver braids, and eyes that looked like they knew everything.
On the back of the photo, in Elvira's handwriting:
"Marah - Keeper of the Echoes. Trust her if anything happens to me."
Marah.
Amelia whispered the name like a spell.
⸻
The next morning, she asked Edward about her. Casually. Or at least she tried to sound casual.
"Did Mom ever talk about a friend named Marah?"
Edward paused mid-sip of his coffee. For a split second, the mug stayed frozen at his lips.
Then he smiled. Too quickly. "No. Doesn't ring a bell."
Liar.
But Amelia just nodded. "Okay."
She took the bus after school, but not home. She stopped three towns over, where her mom once volunteered at a small library when Amelia was little. She remembered the name now—Crescent Hollow Library.
It took over an hour to find her.
She was in the back, reshelving books with the ease of someone who'd been doing it for decades. Same silver braids. Same sharp eyes. Older now—but definitely Marah.
Amelia stepped closer.
"Marah?"
The woman turned. Her eyes landed on Amelia—and for the briefest moment, something shimmered there. Recognition. Pain. A storm of memories.
"You're Elvira's daughter," she said softly.
Amelia blinked. "You knew her?"
"I never forgot."
⸻
Chills raced down Amelia's spine.
She's the one.
The one who never forgot.
And maybe—just maybe—she had the answers Amelia had been looking for.
"You're Elvira's daughter," Marah said again, her voice quieter now. A mix of awe, grief, and something else—something ancient—rippled behind her words.
Amelia nodded, unsure what to say.
Marah didn't ask how she found her. She didn't seem surprised.
Instead, she motioned for Amelia to follow her into the back of the library, where the lights flickered low and dust swam in golden beams through the air. They passed tall shelves of forgotten books, old clocks, and strange glass jars with floating herbs Amelia couldn't name.
Marah led her to a door marked PRIVATE and unlocked it with a key that hung around her neck.
Inside, the room was warm. Lived-in. A small couch. Shelves of crystals, candles, and—a map. A large, hand-drawn map pinned to the wall with strange markings all over it. Rivers. Symbols. Circles drawn in red.
Amelia couldn't stop staring.
"Sit," Marah said gently.
Amelia obeyed.
For a while, Marah said nothing. She lit a lavender candle and set a steaming mug of something herbal in Amelia's hands. The silence stretched, but it wasn't uncomfortable.
It was... sacred.
Then, finally, Marah spoke.
"You've seen her. Haven't you?"
Amelia swallowed. "In the water. In the mirror. I thought I was going crazy."
"You're not." Marah turned to face her fully. "You're awakening."
Amelia's eyes widened. "Awakening into what? What am I?"
Marah sighed. "Not what. Who. You are a daughter of the Reflection Line."
"...That sounds made-up."
"It's as real as the blood in your veins." Marah knelt beside her, eyes glowing faintly now, like the girl in the bathroom. "Elvira was one of us. A Seer of Waters. She could bend reflections, walk through memory streams, and touch truths others couldn't see."
"And my dad?" Amelia whispered.
Marah's expression darkened. "Edward once protected your mother. But something changed in him. He feared her gift. And fear turns love into chains."
Amelia felt the sting behind her eyes but blinked it away.
"She didn't die, did she?" she asked. "The lake... took her?"
Marah looked away. "Not took. Called. And Elvira answered. She disappeared beneath the surface to protect something powerful. Something that's waking now—because you are."
Amelia clutched the diary tighter.
"Can I bring her back?"
Marah looked at her with something like sadness and hope mixed into one.
"Not yet. First, you need to survive the pull. If the lake accepts you, it will test you. Twist you. Tempt you. But if you pass..." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "You'll see the truth for yourself."
⸻
Amelia sat still, heart thudding.
A test. A reflection line. A truth hidden beneath the surface of everything she thought she knew.
This wasn't just about powers. It was about blood. About legacy.
And if she was going to survive what came next...
She needed to stop running.
She needed to remember.