Silence.
That was all Aria could hear as Echo's words echoed in her head. "It's in your blood too. You were just dormant."
Dormant.
As if something inside her had been waiting—hidden, asleep.
She looked down at her hands, at the faint tremble that had taken hold of her fingers. Kael was saying something, but it was like his voice came from underwater. Muffled. Far away.
"Aria," he said again, his hand gripping her shoulder. "Breathe."
She tried. The air felt too thick, too heavy. She turned to Echo. "You're lying. You're just trying to mess with me."
"I don't need to lie," Echo said, her voice soft, almost serene. "They tested all of us. Some failed. Some survived. Some… forgot."
Kael moved between them. "That's enough."
"She has a right to know," Echo whispered. "And you're not her keeper."
"I'm trying to protect her," Kael growled.
Aria stepped between them. "Both of you, stop."
The power in her voice startled even her. Echo smiled faintly, but said nothing more.
Aria turned away, breathing deep. She's wrong, she told herself. I would remember. I'd know.
But… would she?
Her past was full of holes. Orphaned. Foster care. She'd bounced between homes, always feeling out of place, like she was meant for something different. Something more. She had dreams sometimes—strange ones. Running through the snow barefoot. Hearing whispers no one else could. And her instincts—they were always too sharp. Her reflexes too fast.
She'd always told herself she was just different.
Not altered.
Not… created.
Kael watched her carefully. "We need to move. The others won't give up so easily. Echo—you can walk?"
She nodded.
Together, they left the ruins of Red Hollow behind. The forest swallowed them once again, a dark maze of trees and secrets. Snow fell heavier now. Aria's thoughts were louder than the wind.
They stopped only when it was too dark to continue.
Kael built a fire in silence while Aria sat nearby, watching the flames. Echo sat across from her, knees pulled to her chest like a child.
"Why did they call you Echo?" Aria asked finally.
"Because I wasn't supposed to exist. I was the echo of someone else's failure."
Kael looked up.
"I was born from their desperation. Made from scraps of other experiments. Their last attempt. They didn't expect me to survive."
"But you did," Aria said.
Echo nodded slowly. "And I remember everything. Every needle. Every scream. Every time they said I wasn't enough."
Kael stood abruptly and walked into the shadows beyond the fire. Aria knew the look in his eyes. He was unraveling—fighting something dark inside him.
She followed.
He stood near a tree, fists clenched. Snow dusted his dark hair.
"I should've left her there," he said bitterly. "She's going to tear you apart."
"She's just a girl."
"She's dangerous."
"So are we."
He looked at her, startled.
"I don't know what's real anymore, Kael. But I know she's not lying. And that scares me more than anything."
Kael's voice dropped. "I didn't want you to find out this way."
"You knew?"
He hesitated. "I suspected. I read some of the files. There were references to a 'secondary carrier'—someone whose DNA matched mine. I didn't want to believe it was you."
Aria stepped back. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I wanted you to stay you," he whispered. "Not whatever they made you to be."
She stared at him, a dozen emotions warring inside her.
Hurt. Anger. Confusion. Longing.
"We don't get to choose who we are, Kael. But we can choose what we do with the truth."
He nodded. "You're right."
Suddenly, a scream pierced the night.
Echo.
They ran back to the fire—only to find Echo on her knees, clutching her head. Blood ran from her nose. Her eyes glowed faintly silver.
"What's happening?" Aria cried.
Kael pulled her back. "She's changing."
"No, she's remembering," Echo gasped. "They're coming. They know I'm with you. I can feel them."
"Who?" Kael demanded.
"Them. The ones who didn't leave. The ones who want this."
Before anyone could react, a tremor rocked the ground. Trees groaned. Snow shook from the branches like rain.
"They found us," Kael said grimly.
Echo rose, her eyes wild. "They want me alive. But you—" She looked at Kael. "They want you dead."
Kael stepped forward. "Let them come."
Aria grabbed his arm. "There's too many. We have to run."
He shook his head. "No. I won't run anymore."
Echo suddenly turned to Aria. "There's a place. A safehouse north of here. Coordinates 14.62, -89.47. It's buried underground. That's where they kept the oldest files. Where the first subjects were made. You'll find answers there."
Aria blinked. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because they'll never let you live if they find out who you really are. You have to get there before they do."
Kael growled. "She's trying to separate us."
"She's trying to save me," Aria said quietly.
Kael looked between them, jaw clenched.
"Go," he said finally. "I'll draw them away."
"No."
"Aria—"
"I'm not leaving you."
"You have to."
But she didn't move.
Kael cupped her face. "I need you to survive. You're stronger than you think."
Aria's eyes burned. "I can't lose you."
"You won't," he whispered. "Find the truth. Then find your way back to me."
And with that, he turned and vanished into the trees, just as lights flared behind them.
Aria grabbed Echo's hand.
And they ran.