The morning sun spilled through the tall windows, scattering golden light across the floor, but Lianna felt none of its warmth. She sat at the edge of her bed, her knees drawn up, arms wrapped tightly around them. Sleep had abandoned her, leaving only the echo of last night's revelations—the mirror, the whispers, and the name that clung to her chest like a brand.
Amara.
The word burned every time she thought of it. It didn't matter how many times she repeated her own name—Lianna—it always felt weaker, smaller, as though she was trying to cover a wound too large to heal.
Her door creaked open. She looked up sharply, startled, only to find Liora stepping in with a tray of food. The maid's expression softened when she saw Lianna's pale face.
"You didn't sleep, did you?" Liora asked gently.
Lianna shook her head. "I couldn't."
The maid set the tray down on the table. "You should eat. Whatever weighs on you will weigh less on a full stomach."
Lianna forced a smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Liora… do you believe people can live more than one life?"
Liora blinked, then slowly sat beside her. "Strange question for so early in the morning."
"I just want to know." Lianna's voice cracked. "If someone said they remembered being someone else… would you believe them?"
Liora studied her carefully. Then she reached out, brushing a strand of hair from Lianna's face. "The soul is older than any of us can imagine. Some say it carries memories of before—echoes that shape who we are now. But why do you ask?"
Lianna hesitated, then shook her head. "It's nothing."
But Liora wasn't convinced. "It's not nothing. You're shaking."
Before Lianna could answer, a knock echoed at the door. The sound was sharp, controlled—Rayan.
Liora stood quickly. "I'll let him in."
"No—" Lianna started, but it was too late.
The door opened, and Rayan stepped inside, his presence filling the room like a storm cloud. His golden eyes immediately locked on Lianna. He didn't glance at the food, or at Liora, who hurriedly excused herself with a bow, leaving them alone.
The silence between them stretched, tense and suffocating.
Finally, Lianna broke it. "You knew."
His jaw clenched. "Yes."
Her fists tightened in her lap. "All this time, you've been watching me, guiding me, warning me—and never once did you tell me the truth. Why?"
"Because the truth is a blade," he said evenly. "And you weren't ready to hold it."
She shot to her feet, her voice trembling. "You don't get to decide what I'm ready for! That was my life you kept from me. My past, my memories. Who gave you the right to keep it locked away?"
His gaze softened, but only slightly. "I did what I had to. To protect you."
"Protect me from what?"
He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, but his voice was quiet, raw. "From yourself."
Her breath caught.
"Lianna, if you remember everything at once, if you let Amara take over too soon, you'll be consumed. You'll stop being you. And I—" His words faltered, his throat tightening. "I can't lose you again."
Again. That word twisted in her chest.
Her lips parted, but no words came out. The intensity in his eyes pinned her in place, making her heartbeat stumble wildly. She wanted to demand answers, to push him away, but another part of her—some foolish, reckless part—wanted to believe him.
But before she could speak, the sound of the great bells tolled through the castle. Deep, resonant, urgent.
Rayan stiffened. "The council has called an assembly."
Lianna frowned. "Why?"
His expression hardened. "Because they know."
---
The great hall was crowded when they arrived, voices echoing beneath the high, vaulted ceilings. Councilors in robes of crimson and silver stood at the dais, their faces grim.
At the center stood the cloaked man from the Archive. Lianna's blood froze at the sight of him. He had his hood lowered now, revealing sharp features, silver eyes that gleamed with cruel amusement.
"Who is he?" Lianna whispered.
"Kael," Rayan muttered, his tone laced with venom. "A warlock exiled centuries ago. I should have known he would return when…" He stopped himself.
"When Amara returned," Kael finished smoothly, his voice carrying across the chamber.
The council erupted in murmurs. Lianna's name was whispered, her face scrutinized. Her knees threatened to give way.
Kael's gaze found hers. "Do you not feel it, girl? The weight in your blood, the fire in your soul? You are not Lianna. You are Amara reborn, and no matter how you deny it, fate will claim you."
"Enough!" Rayan's voice thundered through the hall. He stepped forward, his hand on his sword. "She is Lianna. And if you so much as touch her, I will—"
"Will what?" Kael sneered. "Kill me, as you killed me once before?"
The words sliced through the air. The council gasped. Lianna's head whipped toward Rayan, her eyes wide.
Rayan's face was unreadable, but the silence was damning.
Lianna's heart raced. "Is it true?" she whispered.
Rayan didn't answer.
Kael's laugh echoed like shattered glass. "Ah, she doesn't know. How delicious. You keep her in the dark, Rayan, as you always have. But the truth cannot be buried forever."
He raised a hand, and silver flames erupted in his palm, casting light across the hall. "Soon she will remember, and when she does… she will remember who betrayed her, who broke her, who left her to die."
The flames burst into smoke, and Kael vanished, leaving only his laughter behind.
The council descended into chaos, but Lianna couldn't hear any of it. Her ears rang, her heart cracked. Slowly, she turned toward Rayan.
His golden eyes met hers, pained, desperate. "Lianna—"
"Don't." Her voice shook. "Not now."
She walked away, her vision blurred with tears, the echo of Kael's words gnawing at her. Betrayed. Broken. Left to die.
And Rayan—always at the center of it.
---
That night, Lianna stood by her window, staring at the stars. She pressed her palm against the glass, her reflection staring back at her with haunted eyes.
Amara. Lianna. Two names, one soul. Which am I really?
Behind her, the door creaked open. She didn't need to turn to know who it was.
"Go away, Rayan," she whispered.
He stepped closer anyway. "I can't."
She squeezed her eyes shut, tears spilling. "Then at least tell me… was Kael right? Did you betray me?"
The silence stretched, heavy and unbearable.
Finally, Rayan spoke, his voice breaking. "Yes."
Her breath shattered.
"But," he added quickly, stepping closer, "it's not what you think. I did what I had to. To save you."
She turned on him, anger and grief clashing in her chest. "Save me? Or save yourself?"
His face twisted, torn with pain. "Both."
---
❓️❓️❓️❓️❓️
If you were Lianna, would you believe Rayan's confession and give him the chance to explain, or would you turn away and trust no one after hearing Kael's words?