When The Rain Fall

Mia's breath caught in her throat.

"They made me forget?" she repeated, the words heavy on her tongue.

Elias Voss nodded, his sharp eyes watching her closely. "The Hollow Veil has been erasing and manipulating memories for years, Mia. You're not the first… but you may be the most important."

Jonah's fists clenched at his sides. "And you waited until now to tell us?"

Voss sighed and gestured for them to follow. He led them to a hidden door at the back of the bookstore. Behind it was a spiral staircase leading underground. The air grew colder as they descended into a dimly lit basement lined with books, maps, and strange metallic devices that hummed softly in the dark.

"This is what's left of my research," Voss said. He pulled an old leather-bound journal from a shelf and handed it to Mia. "You gave me this years ago."

Mia's fingers trembled as she flipped through the pages. Handwritten notes, sketches of strange symbols, and… her own handwriting.

She read the words aloud: "The key is in the echoes. If I forget, find Voss."

A chill ran down her spine. "I wrote this?"

Voss nodded. "And now you must remember why."

Liam stepped forward. "What exactly did The Hollow Veil want from her?"

Voss hesitated before answering. "Mia isn't just someone with Echo abilities. She is the only known person who can access the Harmonic Nexus."

Jonah frowned. "The what?"

Voss turned to a nearby holographic projector and activated it. A glowing map of the world appeared, marked with strange energy points.

"The Harmonic Nexus is an ancient, hidden frequency within the Earth's magnetic field. It holds the ability to alter reality itself. Only those with strong Echo abilities can even sense it. But Mia… she can open it."

Mia's heart pounded. "Open it? For what?"

Voss's face darkened. "That's what The Hollow Veil has been trying to find out. And if they succeed, they won't just alter memories… they will rewrite history itself."

The room fell into a stunned silence.

And then, from above—

A loud crash.

The front door of the bookstore had been broken down.

Voss's face paled. "They found us."

The crash above sent a jolt of adrenaline through Mia's veins.

Voss moved quickly, grabbing an old metallic cylinder from the shelf and shoving it into Mia's hands. "Take this. It contains the last known coordinates of a Nexus entry point. You have to leave—now."

Liam pulled Mia toward the spiral staircase leading to the back exit. Evelyn had already drawn her gun, her sharp eyes scanning the shadows. Jonah grabbed a stack of old books and stuffed them into his bag, his mind working at lightning speed.

Another crash. This time, footsteps followed. Heavy boots against wooden floors.

"They're inside," Evelyn whispered. "We don't have much time."

Mia's grip tightened around the cylinder as she glanced at Voss. "What about you?"

He gave her a sad smile. "My role ends here. Yours is just beginning."

Before she could argue, he pressed a small button on the wall. A hidden metal door slid shut, sealing them off from the main bookstore.

Then—gunfire.

Shouts rang out. Mia stumbled as Liam pulled her through a narrow hallway that opened into a hidden alleyway behind the bookstore. The cold night air hit her like a wave.

Jonah glanced back. "We can't just leave him!"

Evelyn shook her head. "Voss knew what he was doing. We have to move."

From inside, a voice cut through the chaos—calm, authoritative. A woman.

"Find them. Bring me the girl."

Mia froze. She knew that voice.

Dr. Celeste Veyne.

A name buried deep in her erased memories. A name she had tried to forget.

Liam saw the look on her face. "Mia—who is that?"

She didn't answer. She couldn't.

Because deep down, she knew the truth.

Celeste Veyne was the one who had erased her memories.

And now, she was coming to finish what she started.