Why was Lirael separated from the others?
In the stillness of the night, Lirael sat hugging her knees, trying to piece together her memories. The memories came in fragments, bit by bit.
Flashback:
The day they escaped from Varn's base. The explosion shook the ground, flames consumed the buildings. Two buses sped away, filled with young survivors coughing and crying.
Taren sat in the back with Peterson, who was unconscious. Lirael sat near the front door with Nyssa, trying to catch her breath.
Then—
Their path was blocked.
A strange military vehicle emerged from the edge of the forest, showing no Varn insignia. Instead of shooting, it emitted a high-frequency shockwave device.
CRASH!
The bus jolted violently. Lirael was thrown out when the front door burst open from the impact.
Someone grabbed her before she hit the ground, then everything went dark.
Back to the night in the barracks:
Lirael closed her eyes—her heart pounding.
"So… I was thrown off the bus. And they didn't know I was alive."
"They thought I was lost. Or dead."
The barracks door creaked open.
Saria—the girl who approached her earlier that day—entered quickly, slipping between the neatly arranged beds.
"Lirael!" she whispered urgently.
Lirael looked at her, confused.
Saria leaned in, speaking softly but fast:
"You're starting to remember, right? The ones who 'saved' you—they're not saviors. They're part of Varn's next experiments. This isn't a free human base—it's a new control center."
Lirael clenched her pendant tightly.
"I have to get out. Find the others."
Saria nodded.
"We'll leave tonight. But we need a plan. They won't let you go easily… especially after they find out who you really are."
Lirael and Saria were sneaking quietly down the dark corridor, their escape plan almost within reach. Suddenly, a loud voice called out from behind them.
"Hey! Stop right there!"
Startled, they turned around with their hands raised. Two masked men approached quickly. A voice crackled through their earpieces,
"He's still alive. He's here."
Lirael stared suspiciously, and Saria bit her lip nervously. The two masked men exchanged glances, then one slowly removed his mask.
It was… Riven.
Shortly after, the other man pulled off his mask as well. It was… Taren.
Lirael froze, filled with confusion and anxiety.
"Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Riven exchanged a look with Taren, then spoke softly,
"We're here to save you, Lirael. We're not who you think we are."
Taren added,
"We're trapped here too. And we won't leave you behind."
Lirael was still uncertain, but deep inside, a spark of hope flickered.
That night, an unexpected reunion marked the beginning of a new chapter inside the strange base.
Lirael looked sharply at Riven and Taren, then said firmly,
"Then help us get out of here. I don't want to be a prisoner any longer."
Taren smirked and whispered mischievously to Riven,
"Looks like she really has forgotten everything… her memory is completely gone."
Riven nodded, suppressing a smile, then looked at Lirael seriously,
"Don't worry. We'll help you get out. But we have to be careful—this place is heavily watched."
Lirael took a deep breath, trying to recall the faint fragments of her past.
"Then let's do it before they realize we're missing."
The three of them turned down the dark hallway, quietly making a daring and risky plan to escape.
They moved quickly through the dark corridors, barely making a sound. As they turned a corner, footsteps echoed from the opposite direction. Taren swiftly pulled Lirael and Saria behind a metal panel—holding their breath. Two guards passed by, speaking in low voices, unaware of their presence. Once the footsteps faded, Riven gave the signal to continue.
Finally, they reached an emergency exit. When it opened, the night air hit their faces—cold and sharp. In the distance, the faint glow of a car's lights flickered. Exter raised his hand in greeting. Veyra sat behind the wheel, ready.
They rushed into the vehicle. The door closed with a quiet thud. Veyra hit the gas, leaving the dark facility behind them.
For a few moments, silence filled the car. Lirael was still trying to process everything. Veyra glanced in the rearview mirror and said,
"You need time. But the important thing is, you're safe now. And slowly, your memories will return... on their own."
Lirael stared out the window, catching a faint reflection of her face. For a second, she saw the pendant around her neck—something about it felt too familiar.
Taren, sitting beside her, added in a softer voice,
"Since we escaped from the base that exploded, Peterson went missing. We thought he was with you. But he wasn't. You were found alone… and you've been at that facility for a week now."
Lirael slowly touched her head, feeling dizzy.
"Peterson… he helped me, I think… right before everything went black."
Saria reached out and gently held Lirael's hand.
"It's okay. We'll find him. And you'll remember… all of it."
The car sped through the forest night, heading toward a new safe place—with hope in their hearts, and mysteries still left unsolved.
As the vehicle moved steadily through the forest, the conversation inside gradually quieted. Lirael leaned her head against the window, Veyra focused on driving, and Exter kept an eye on a small scanning device in his hand.
Suddenly, a faint glow shimmered beneath the skin on Taren's neck, right below his left collarbone. It pulsed faintly—rhythmic, like a heartbeat.
"Taren..." Lirael whispered.
Taren noticed it too and quickly pulled up his jacket collar to hide it, but it was too late—everyone had seen it.
Riven turned from the front seat. "It's happening again? Since when?"
Taren let out a breath. "Since last night. But it's stronger now... I think the system inside me is starting to activate again."
Lirael stared at him. "What do you mean, system? That's not something normal…"
Veyra eased off the gas, slowing the car. "We need to know. If it's activating... it means one of two things: we've been detected, or you're beginning to change."
Taren was silent for a moment, then said, "My father once told me... when I was young, there was something inside me. Something Peterson didn't have. That's why he feared me, even more than he feared our enemies."
"What is it? Some kind of Zytherion tech?" Exter asked, serious.
Taren nodded slowly. "Maybe… But it's never activated this strongly before. And I don't know why it's happening now... unless..." He glanced at Lirael, as if he wanted to say something—but didn't.
Lirael's fingers moved instinctively to the pendant around her neck. For the first time since waking up in that strange facility, it felt warm—alive.
Their eyes met.
Something was connecting.
Something beyond reason.
And everything… was starting again—with the two of them at the center.