Chapter Nine — The Survivor
The next morning, I woke up with Kyle's words replaying in my head like a curse.
"She's not who you think she is."
It kept echoing, over and over, until I could barely tell if it was a warning or a confession.
---
At school, River was already waiting by my locker, backpack slung low, hoodie up.
"Didn't sleep?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Barely. I've been digging into Hannah Veer."
My heartbeat quickened. "And?"
He held out his phone — on the screen was a grainy article from last year.
"Art Building Fire Survivor Speaks: Hannah Veer Tells All."
Except the article had been taken down, replaced with a message that read 'Content unavailable due to privacy request.'
River scrolled further. "It's like she vanished after that. Dropped out, moved schools, no public records. But there's one thing — she was transferred to St. Vero's Psychiatric Wing six months ago."
I blinked. "A psych ward?"
He nodded. "She's still there. Under a fake name."
---
It didn't take much to find the address — River had friends who could dig through sealed files.
But getting in was the problem.
We waited until evening, when visiting hours ended and the guards changed shifts.
River picked the back lock — something I didn't want to ask where he'd learned — and we slipped into the quiet, sterile corridor.
The air smelled like bleach and sleep.
Every door looked the same: metal, numbered, locked.
Until we reached Room 204.
---
Inside, Hannah sat by the window.
Her hair was shorter than in the photos — uneven, like she'd cut it herself.
She didn't turn when the door creaked open.
"Miss Veer?" I said softly.
Her voice was faint. "They said you'd come."
I froze. "Who did?"
She finally turned, and her eyes — pale, almost silver — looked hollow, like she'd seen too much.
"Eli," she whispered.
My breath caught. "You saw him?"
She nodded slowly. "He came here once. Said he was being followed. Said if anything happened to him, the list would find its way to you."
---
River stepped closer. "Hannah, we found the notes. We're trying to finish what he started."
Her expression twisted, half fear, half pity.
"You think this is something you can finish?" she said. "This isn't a game. The fire wasn't an accident — it was a cover."
I frowned. "Cover for what?"
She looked at the ceiling like she was trying to find the words. "Something that was supposed to stay buried. Eli tried to expose it — and they made sure no one would listen."
"Who's they?" I asked.
She laughed quietly — a fragile, broken sound. "You really don't know yet, do you?"
"What do you mean?"
She leaned forward. "The list isn't just random names. They're all connected to Project Seraph."
River's head snapped up. "Project what?"
"Seraph," she repeated. "An experiment. Conducted under the school's science wing, years ago. Funded by the same people who own the district. They called it 'a program for gifted minds.' But it wasn't. It was manipulation — mind conditioning, memory trials, emotional control."
I felt my stomach twist. "That's insane."
"Is it?" she whispered. "Then why do you think you and River are both on the list?"
---
The room went silent.
My pulse thundered in my ears.
"What did you just say?"
Hannah looked directly at me. "Zara Myles — Number Eight. River Halen — Number Nine."
I stumbled back. "That's not possible. Eli would never—"
"He didn't choose the names," she interrupted. "He found them. Every one of us was part of something bigger. And you two… you're the last pieces."
---
Before we could ask more, the lights flickered.
A siren wailed somewhere down the hall.
River glanced at the door. "We have to go."
But Hannah grabbed my wrist with surprising strength.
"Listen to me," she said urgently. "They're coming. When you find Number Seven, don't trust them. They're not who you think."
"Who is Number Seven?" I asked, panicked.
Her eyes darkened. "Your brother trusted them. That's why he died."
And then — the door burst open.
Two orderlies stormed in, shouting for us to get back.
River pulled me toward the exit, heart pounding.
Behind us, Hannah screamed, "Finish it before they finish you!"
---
We didn't stop running until we were outside, gasping under the flickering streetlights.
River's face was pale, his hands shaking.
"She knew," I said. "She knew everything."
He looked at me, eyes full of questions and fear. "Zara… what if she's right? What if we're part of it?"
I didn't answer. I couldn't.
Because somewhere deep inside, a voice I didn't recognize whispered back —
You already are.