As the door clicked shut behind Ryan, a deep sense of dread settled over Emma. She slumped back onto the bed, her mind buzzing with the impossible weight of his words. A part of her wanted to believe it was a mistake—that she wasn't some hidden key to unlocking dangerous secrets, that there was no grand conspiracy revolving around her. But another part, the part that had seen Sasha's cold eyes, heard the gunshots, and felt the betrayal in her gut, knew the truth.

This wasn't a mistake. There were things buried deep in her past—things she had either forgotten or forced herself to forget.

Felix brushed against her leg, his soft fur a small comfort in the midst of the turmoil. She absently reached down and scratched behind his ears, but her focus was elsewhere. If Ryan was right, then whatever was hidden in her memory wasn't just a relic of the past. It was something powerful enough to make Mr. Black send people after her, to make Sasha betray her.

Her stomach twisted at the thought of Sasha, the girl she had once trusted, standing there with a gun aimed at her. Why hadn't she seen this coming? Could she have stopped it somehow?

She let out a shaky breath. No use dwelling on what was already done.

Her mind snapped back to Ryan's words: a contact who might be able to help us unlock whatever's hidden in your memories. She had agreed to go with him, but now the gravity of what he had said was sinking in. It wasn't just about running anymore. It wasn't about staying one step ahead. If she was going to unlock whatever secrets were hidden in her mind, it would mean delving into parts of her past she had long buried.

That terrified her.

She stood, pacing the small room, her thoughts spiralling. Memories swirled in her head—flashes of her time with Sasha, of their shared rebellion against a corrupt system. But that had been years ago. The stakes had felt different then, simpler. It had been about justice, about making things right. Now, it felt like she was on the edge of something much darker. Something far bigger than the two of them could have ever anticipated.

Emma's pacing was interrupted by the sound of a faint knock at the door. She froze for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. Ryan had just left—who could be knocking now? The knock came again, firmer this time.

"Emma, it's me," came Ryan's voice, steady but low, as if he was trying not to draw attention.

She crossed the room and opened the door cautiously. Ryan stood there, his face set in grim determination. Behind him was a tall woman dressed in black, her dark hair pulled into a tight bun. Her eyes were sharp, assessing Emma with the kind of precision that sent a shiver down her spine.

"This is Ava," Ryan said, stepping aside to let the woman into the room. "She's the contact I mentioned."

Emma nodded, stepping back to give them space. Ava moved with an air of quiet confidence, her gaze never leaving Emma's face. It was clear she was used to sizing people up, reading them.

"Nice to meet you," Emma said, though her voice felt small in the presence of this stranger.

Ava gave a curt nod but didn't return the pleasantries. Instead, she glanced at Ryan before focusing on Emma again. "Ryan told me about your situation. You're carrying something buried in your mind—something you can't remember, but others want badly enough to kill for."

Emma swallowed hard. Hearing it said so bluntly made it even more real.

Ava continued, "My job is to help you retrieve those memories. It won't be easy. You'll have to confront things you've repressed, things you don't even know you've forgotten. Are you sure you're ready for that?"

Emma hesitated, but only for a second. She had come too far to turn back now. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

Ava's eyes softened, just a fraction. "No, you don't. But you're stronger than you think, Emma."

The words echoed Ryan's earlier sentiment, but coming from Ava, they felt heavier, as if they carried more weight. Emma took a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay, what do we do?"

Ava set down a small black bag she had been carrying and unzipped it. Inside were several items Emma didn't recognise—some sort of device that looked like a sleek helmet, wires, and a tablet. Ava lifted the helmet-like device and turned it over in her hands.

"This," she said, "is going to help stimulate the parts of your brain that store long-term memories. It's not painful, but it can be disorienting. You may feel like you're dreaming, or that you're seeing things from your past play out in real-time."

Emma stared at the device, a pit forming in her stomach. It looked harmless enough, but the idea of having her memories pulled to the surface—memories she had no control over—was deeply unsettling.

"And what happens if we find something?" Emma asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ava met her gaze. "Then we figure out what it means. And we use it to stop Mr. Black."

Ryan stepped forward, his face filled with concern. "Are you sure about this, Emma? You don't have to do it right now. We can wait, prepare more."

Emma shook her head. "No. We can't wait any longer. If there's something buried in my memory that can help us, then we need to get to it before they do."

Ava gave her an approving nod and motioned for her to sit. Emma complied, her heart pounding as Ava positioned the helmet-like device over her head. The cool metal rested against her scalp, and for a moment, she felt a wave of panic rise in her chest. But then she heard Felix meow softly, reminding her of the only thing that still felt real in this chaotic nightmare.

"Okay," Ava said, tapping a few buttons on her tablet. "I'm going to start the process. You'll feel a slight tingling sensation, and then... well, you'll start to see things. Don't fight it, Emma. Just let the memories come."

Emma closed her eyes as the tingling began. At first, it was faint, almost like static at the edge of her consciousness. But then, slowly, images began to form. Flickers of light and sound, blurred and indistinct, like pieces of a dream she couldn't quite remember.

She saw flashes of faces—familiar, yet distant. Her childhood home, the streets of her old neighbourhood, the laughter of her friends. And then, there was Sasha. She appeared suddenly, his face clear and sharp, as if she were standing right in front of her. But this wasn't the Sasha who had betrayed her. This was the Sasha she remembered—the girl she had trusted with everything.

"Emma," his voice was soft, but it rang in her ears. "I need you to listen carefully. What we did... it wasn't just about rebellion. There's something bigger. Something we couldn't talk about. Not then. But now..."

Her words echoed, disjointed, and Emma felt her heart racing. She tried to reach out to her, to ask her what she meant, but the scene shifted abruptly. She was no longer in her memories of Sasha. Instead, she was somewhere darker, somewhere cold and sterile. A laboratory. A man in a lab coat was speaking to her, but she couldn't make out the words. All she could hear was the sound of machines whirring, and all she could feel was the creeping sense of danger.

And then, just as quickly as it had started, the memory faded, and Emma was thrust back into the present. She gasped, her eyes flying open as she tore the device off her head. Ava was there, watching her closely, while Ryan hovered nearby, his face pale.

"What did you see?" Ryan asked, his voice urgent.

Emma's breath came in shallow gasps. "Sasha... she was trying to tell me something. But then... there was a lab. A man in a lab coat. I don't know who he was, but it felt... wrong."

Ava nodded, already typing something into her tablet. "It's a start. We'll keep digging, but whatever's in your memory, it's linked to that lab. We just need to figure out how."

Emma rubbed her temples, trying to make sense of it all. "But why? Why me? Why was I involved in something like this?"

Ava looked at her, her expression somber. "That's what we're going to find out. But one thing's clear: this goes deeper than we thought. And we're running out of time."

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I hope you guys like it!!!