When The Rain Fall

Jonah pulled up files on his laptop, eyes scanning lines of encrypted data. "The Echo? I've seen references to it before, but all records were redacted."

Noah rubbed his temples. "Because it wasn't supposed to exist."

He glanced at Mia, hesitation flickering across his face.

"Mia… do you ever hear whispers?"

The question sent a jolt through her. She hesitated before answering, "Sometimes. But they're faint. Like… echoes of something I can't quite hear."

Noah nodded. "That's because your mind was altered. They tried to suppress it."

Liam's eyes narrowed. "Suppress what?"

Noah exhaled. "The Echo isn't just a phenomenon—it's a frequency. A hidden resonance within certain people's minds. And Mia… you were the first known case."

Jonah's typing slowed. "A frequency? Like a sound wave?"

Noah shook his head. "More than that. It's a pattern—an energy signature that exists outside normal perception. Most people can't hear it, can't feel it. But those who can…" He paused, looking at Mia. "They become something more."

Mia's heart pounded. "Something more?"

Noah's voice was grave. "They become conduits."

Silence settled over the room.

Evelyn shifted uneasily. "So, what you're saying is—Mia isn't just hearing things. She's connected to something?"

Noah nodded. "Yes. And it's why they tried to erase her."

Mia's pulse raced. "But why? What does The Hollow Veil want?"

Noah's expression darkened. "They don't want to control the Echo." His voice was quiet, almost broken. "They want to silence it."

Jonah continued sifting through data, his expression grim. "I found something."

The screen flickered before displaying a classified document. The title sent a chill through Mia's bones.

Project Resonance – Subject 018

Her fingers tightened into fists. "That's me."

Noah closed his eyes. "You weren't supposed to know."

Mia's chest tightened. "Tell me everything."

Noah hesitated for only a moment before speaking.

"The Hollow Veil wasn't just an organization." His voice was barely above a whisper. "It was a research division—one that studied people like us." He swallowed hard. "You and I were part of an experiment. A failed one."

Mia's nails dug into her palms. "What kind of experiment?"

Noah's jaw tensed. "They were trying to control the Echo."

Jonah's fingers froze on the keyboard. "Control it? How?"

Noah sighed. "By using people like Mia as test subjects. They wanted to find a way to isolate the frequency, manipulate it, weaponize it."

Evelyn cursed under her breath. "And let me guess—it didn't work."

Noah's lips pressed into a thin line. "No. It didn't."

Mia felt her breath shake. "What happened?"

Noah met her gaze. "You destroyed the lab."

The words sent a shock through her system. "That's not possible."

Jonah looked up. "Actually… it might be."

He tapped on his keyboard, revealing security footage—grainy, distorted, but unmistakable.

The screen showed her.

A younger Mia stood in a darkened room, surrounded by flickering lights. A dozen scientists scrambled in panic. Equipment shattered around them.

Then—Mia's form blurred, her body flickering between reality and something else.

The footage ended in static.

Mia's stomach twisted. "I don't remember this."

Noah's expression was pained. "That's because they took it from you."

Her fingers clenched. "Why? Why did they erase me?"

Noah exhaled. "Because you weren't supposed to survive."

The words hit like a physical blow.

Mia forced herself to breathe. "Then why am I still here?"

Noah's eyes darkened. "Because someone saved you."

Evelyn frowned. "Who?"

Noah hesitated. "I don't know their real name. But in The Hollow Veil, they called them Seraph."

The name sent a shiver down Mia's spine.

Liam stiffened. "Seraph? That name has come up before."

Jonah quickly searched the database. A single classified file popped up.

Codename: Seraph

Status: Unknown

Last Sighted: Five years ago

Mia's mind raced. "Why would Seraph save me?"

Noah's gaze flickered. "Because they believed in what we were trying to do." He hesitated. "And because they knew that one day… you would wake up."

A deep unease settled in Mia's chest.

Seraph had vanished years ago. But if they had saved her, it meant they knew something The Hollow Veil wanted buried.

Liam folded his arms. "So, what's our next move?"

Noah's voice was quiet, but firm. "We find Seraph."

Mia's fingers trembled, but she steadied herself.

If Seraph had the answers, then she would find them.

Even if it meant uncovering the truth that had been stolen from her.

The room remained silent after Noah's declaration. Find Seraph. The name echoed in Mia's mind like a forgotten melody, stirring something deep within her—something she couldn't quite grasp.

Jonah's fingers flew over the keyboard. "There's barely anything on Seraph in the database. Just fragmented records and conflicting reports."

Liam rubbed his temples. "Which means whoever they are, they covered their tracks well."

Evelyn crossed her arms. "Or someone else covered them."

Noah sighed. "Seraph isn't just a ghost. They're the only one who knew the full truth about the Echo… and about what we were."

Mia hesitated. "You keep saying we. Who else was there?"

Noah's expression darkened. "There were others. Like us. People who heard the Echo."

A chill ran down Mia's spine. "What happened to them?"

Noah's voice was hollow. "They didn't make it."

Silence.

Jonah's voice broke the tension. "I found something."

Everyone turned toward the screen.

A grainy image loaded—a surveillance photo from five years ago. A figure, hooded and faceless, stood in a rain-soaked alley. Next to them was a body. The caption below the image read:

Unidentified Subject – Possible Codename: Seraph

Deceased Individual Identified as: Dr. Elias Voss

Mia's breath hitched. "Elias Voss?"

Noah tensed. "You knew him."

Mia's hands clenched. "I don't remember."

Jonah scrolled down. "There's more."

A blurred message was embedded in the file:

"If you're reading this, it means the past is unraveling. You were never supposed to wake up. But now that you have… find me before they do."

A location was attached. Vienna, Austria.

Mia's pulse quickened. "It's him. Seraph."

Evelyn exhaled. "Then we have our next destination."

Noah's gaze met Mia's. "This isn't just about finding him. It's about finishing what we started."

Mia nodded, determination solidifying within her.

Whatever the truth was, it had been buried long enough.