Julian didn't breathe.
Mara stood beneath the streetlight, her phone still pressed against her ear.
The road between them felt impossibly long.
Yet Julian could see every detail of her face.
The slight tension around her eyes.
The way her fingers trembled.
The fear she was trying to hide.
"You said I'm not supposed to be alive."
Mara's lips parted.
"Yes."
"Why?"
She looked past him.
At the stranger.
Then back at Julian.
"Because I watched you die."
The words struck harder than they should have.
Julian's hand tightened around the phone.
"When?"
"Three years ago."
The stranger suddenly opened his door.
"Mara, get in."
She didn't move.
"Not until I know who he's with."
Julian glanced at the stranger.
"She doesn't trust you."
"Nobody should."
Mara's eyes narrowed.
"At least you finally learned that."
The stranger stepped out of the car.
"Mara."
"Don't."
Her voice changed.
Sharper now.
"You disappeared after Locke disappeared. Then you show up tonight with him."
"He came to me."
"You brought him here."
"I didn't know they'd found us."
Mara laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
"They didn't find you."
She looked directly at Julian.
"They followed him."
Julian's eyes narrowed.
"Who?"
Mara lowered her phone.
"The people who have been waiting for Locke to come back."
"I told you," the stranger said. "He's not Locke."
Mara looked at Julian for a long moment.
"No."
She stepped closer.
"He's worse."
Julian felt something cold settle in his chest.
"Why?"
"Because Locke knew exactly who he was."
She stopped several feet away.
"Julian doesn't."
Silence.
The stranger looked toward the road.
"We need to move."
Mara ignored him.
"You don't remember me."
It wasn't a question.
Julian shook his head.
"No."
She nodded slowly.
"I thought so."
"How did you know?"
"Because the Julian I knew would have recognized me before I reached the streetlight."
Julian's stomach tightened.
"What was I to you?"
Mara looked away.
For the first time, her confidence broke.
"Someone who saved my life."
Julian stared at her.
"You worked with Locke."
"I worked with you."
"That's not what everyone says."
"Everyone likes pretending Locke was someone separate."
She looked directly into his eyes.
"He wasn't."
Julian said nothing.
He had already learned that.
Locke was him.
A role.
A version of himself.
But Mara's expression suggested there was more.
"You knew Julian."
"I knew the man underneath."
"What's the difference?"
Mara hesitated.
"Julian cared."
The stranger looked at her.
"Mara."
She continued.
"Locke survived."
Julian felt something twist inside him.
"Then what happened to Julian?"
Mara's eyes softened.
"You happened."
He frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"You decided Julian couldn't survive anymore."
The street seemed to become quieter.
"You erased yourself," she said.
"I know."
"No."
Mara shook her head.
"You don't."
She took another step.
"You think you erased Locke because he was dangerous."
Julian stared at her.
"You think you erased him because you were afraid of what he'd done."
She swallowed.
"But that's not why."
The stranger's expression changed.
"Mara, stop."
Julian turned toward him.
"Why are you stopping her?"
"Because you don't know what you're asking for."
"I've been asking for the truth since I woke up."
"And every answer has nearly gotten you killed."
Julian looked back at Mara.
"Tell me."
She was silent.
Then she said,
"You erased yourself because you knew what was coming."
Julian's heart stumbled.
"What was coming?"
Mara looked at the key in his hand.
Her face went pale.
"You still have it."
Julian looked down.
The small metal key.
"Do you know what it opens?"
Mara nodded.
"Yes."
The stranger stepped forward.
"No."
Mara looked at him.
"You knew he'd find it eventually."
"I knew he shouldn't have it."
"That's not the same thing."
Julian's gaze moved between them.
"You both know what this key opens."
Neither answered.
Julian's patience snapped.
"What does it open?"
Mara's eyes settled on him.
"The place where you died."
The words made his blood run cold.
"What?"
"Three years ago, you didn't disappear."
She took a slow breath.
"You were found."
Julian couldn't speak.
Mara continued.
"They found your body."
The world seemed to tilt.
"Where?"
"At the river."
The stranger closed his eyes.
Julian noticed.
"You knew."
"I knew they found someone."
"You knew it was me."
"I knew what they wanted people to believe."
Julian stepped toward him.
"Answer me."
The stranger didn't move.
"They found a body," he said quietly.
"Was it mine?"
Silence.
Mara answered.
"No."
Julian froze.
"What?"
"It looked like you."
His breathing stopped.
"But it wasn't."
The memory came without warning.
Water.
Cold.
A light above him.
Someone shouting.
Hands dragging him across wet concrete.
Then Silas.
Standing several feet away.
Blood on his shirt.
Julian gasped.
His hand went to his chest.
The stranger caught his shoulder.
"Julian."
He shoved him away.
"Don't touch me."
The memory disappeared.
Julian stared at the ground.
His heart was racing.
"Silas was there."
Mara went completely still.
"What did you say?"
"Silas was there."
The stranger looked at her.
Mara's face had lost all color.
"That's impossible."
Julian looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because Silas wasn't supposed to know."
"Know what?"
Mara stepped backward.
"The body wasn't yours."
Julian's eyes hardened.
"Then whose was it?"
Mara didn't answer.
Her phone vibrated.
She looked down.
One message.
Her expression changed instantly.
"What?"
Julian watched her.
"What did you get?"
She turned the screen toward him.
A photograph.
Fresh.
Taken from a distance.
It showed the three of them standing beneath the streetlight.
But there was something else.
In the background.
A fourth figure.
Standing across the road.
Watching them.
Mara looked up.
"They're here."
The stranger reached for his weapon.
Julian didn't move.
He was staring at the photograph.
At the figure in the distance.
Because something about the silhouette felt familiar.
Not threatening.
Not unknown.
Familiar.
His phone vibrated.
A message from A.
Now you understand why I told you not to trust anyone.
Another message appeared.
Especially the people who say they watched you die.
Julian stared at the screen.
Then Mara whispered,
"Don't listen to A."
Julian slowly looked at her.
Mara's face had changed.
The fear was gone.
Something colder had replaced it.
"Because A wasn't there that night."
Julian's pulse stopped.
Mara stepped closer.
"I was."
She looked directly into his eyes.
"And I know who pulled you out of the river."