Ahce's POV
I poured everything I had into my novels instead. I wrote like a woman possessed, about heroes who vanished into the dark, about lovers who waited, about wars that twisted men into monsters. The readers loved it.
My pen name became famous. My books trended, adapted, and applauded. But every round of applause echoed like an empty corridor. Every award I received felt like a consolation prize for a victory I never wanted.
On the outside, I was a writer chasing her dream. That's what I told my family, my fans, and the media when I announced I was leaving the country for a "world tour."
I smiled in interviews, said I needed new inspiration, that I wanted to see the world and write about it. They called it romantic. They didn't know that every ticket I bought, every hotel I booked, was a step on a trail soaked in secrets and blood.
Because behind the glamour, I was still Miss Nine, the Grandmaster hacker of Zeiren. And I wasn't chasing inspiration. I was chasing ghosts.
