Chapter 3: A Stranger in Her Skin
Elara's POV
The door clicked shut behind Kael, leaving Elara alone with the weight of his words:
"You're the only one who could save something I'm not ready to lose."
Her heart pounded as she tried to make sense of it.
Her eyes drifted to the small table beside her bed, where something felt different.
Her fingers brushed against a seam in the wood she hadn't noticed before.
Frowning, she pressed it.
Click.
A hidden compartment popped open.
Inside was a yellowed envelope. No name. No seal.
Hands trembling, she pulled it out and unfolded the single sheet of paper.
The handwriting was jagged, rushed.
"If you're reading this, then you've begun to question everything. Good. Don't trust him. Don't trust anyone. They lied about who you are. Start with the mirror."
Elara's breath hitched.
Her eyes darted to the tall antique mirror across the room.
Her own reflection stared back at her—flawless, elegant… and yet something was off.
Her feet moved before her mind caught up.
Standing in front of it, she looked deeper. Closer.
And there, just behind the left edge of the frame, almost invisible—was a narrow crease in the wall.
A hidden door.
Her fingers hovered near it. Every instinct screamed to back away.
But curiosity—the need to know—overpowered fear.
She pressed it.
Click.
The mirror shifted, swinging open a few inches to reveal a dark passage, cold air spilling from the void like a whisper from the past.
Somewhere deep in that darkness, something waited.
Something that might finally tell her who she really was.
She swallowed hard, heart hammering in her chest. Without another thought, Elara slipped through the narrow opening behind the mirror.
The air inside was cold and heavy, smelling faintly of dust and secrets long buried.
Her footsteps echoed softly on the stone floor as she moved deeper into the darkness.
The faint glow from the bedroom barely reached here—shadows clung to every corner, whispering warnings she couldn't ignore.
Her fingers trailed along the rough wall, searching for any hint of what lay ahead.
Every nerve screamed at her to turn back.
But the need to know—to remember—was stronger.
Just as she rounded a bend, the sound of heavy footsteps rang out behind her.
"Elara."
The voice was low, calm, but laced with something dangerous.
She froze.
Kael stepped into the dim light, eyes shadowed but fixed on her like a predator watching prey.
"You shouldn't be here."
Her breath caught, but she stood her ground.
"Why? What's this place?"
He took a slow step forward, closing the distance between them.
"This house holds things you're not ready for. Things that could break you."
Elara's gaze sharpened.
"I don't care anymore. I need answers."
Kael's jaw clenched. For a long moment, silence stretched between them.
Then, almost gently, he reached out and took her arm.
"Come back. Before this darkness swallows you whole."
Reluctantly, she let him guide her back through the hidden door, the passage swallowing the faint light behind her.
As the mirror swung closed, Elara's heart thundered.
They stepped out of the hidden passage and into the dimly lit bedroom. The mirror swung shut behind them with a soft but final thud.
Kael released her arm, but his eyes never left hers.
"Why did you go in there?" His voice was low, sharp—more hurt than angry.
Elara swallowed the lump in her throat. "Because I need to know who I am. What's real. What they've taken from me."
Kael's gaze darkened, shadows flickering across his face.
"There are things in this house—and in your past—that aren't meant to be uncovered. Not yet. Not like this."
Her fists clenched at her sides. "Not like this? What does that mean? What don't you want me to remember?"
He looked away, jaw tight.
"Some memories can destroy a person. You're fragile, Elara. I'm trying to protect you."
"Protect me or keep me a prisoner?"
The room fell silent, the tension thick and suffocating.
Kael stepped closer, voice dropping to a whisper.
"I'm not your enemy. But if you keep digging, you could awaken something worse than your own memories."
Elara's breath caught. "Worse than forgetting?"
He nodded slowly.
Outside the door, the mansion seemed to hum with secrets—dark and alive.
And Elara knew, deep down, this was only the beginning.
Kael pulled a small, black device from his pocket. It was shaped like a pendant, engraved with four softly glowing letters: K-A-B-L.
He held it out to her, voice low.
"This is a tracker. Not just any tracker. It's linked to something you don't understand yet—something from before your memory faded."
Elara's fingers trembled as she took the device.
Kael's voice dropped. "When it glows red, someone's coming. Blue means you're safe... for now."
Her eyes searched his.
"You're marked, Elara. By K-A-B-L. You're never truly alone."
Elara stared down at the device in her palm.
K-A-B-L.
A name? A warning? Or something far more dangerous?
The soft blue glow pulsed once… then flickered.
For a second—just a breath—it turned red.
And then it went dark.
Her blood ran cold.
Someone was coming.