Chapter 11: Echoes After the Truth
The city had quieted.
No sirens. No headlines. Just a stillness that made Mira uncomfortable. Like a storm had passed, but something was still watching.
Cyan was recovering slowly. His wounds weren't just physical—he barely spoke, barely looked her in the eyes. Mira didn't press. She just stayed.
She found herself sitting on her apartment floor again, this time without chaos. The USB drive lay in front of her, untouched. She hadn't opened it.
Not yet.
That night, she visited Cyan. The clinic was hidden—some underground safe zone guarded by people who never gave names. But she was allowed in.
He was awake, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at his hands.
"You came," he said softly.
"I always do."
He looked up. "Why?"
She shrugged. "Maybe I'm bad at letting go."
There was silence.
Then Cyan whispered, "Do you remember the night we met?"
Mira blinked. "Of course. You pretended not to care when I asked about the name 'Emberlight.' You acted like I was chasing shadows."
"I was trying to protect you," he said. "Even then."
She sighed, sitting beside him. "Maybe one day you'll learn I never needed protecting. Just the truth."
His eyes turned to hers.
"I don't know how to be honest when everything I am was built on lies."
> Her reply was soft, almost a breath: "Then let's start over. From truth."
Cyan reached into his coat pocket, pulling out something wrapped in paper. She slowly unfolded it—a photo. Black and white. A child. Him.
"Mira," he said, voice trembling, "I was born into Emberlight."
She froze.
And for the first time… she realized how deep this story truly went.
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