" But you're Lena," Sophia said again, as if repeating it would finally make me understand.
Aria stood very stilled in the middle of the room, She blinked at the girl in front of her, this gentle, too eager stranger who spoke like they shared a history Aria couldn't touch.
She forced her voice into something more steadier than she felt. "Sophia. What… what happened to Lena?"
Sophia moves her head a little to the side, eyes moving briefly to Aria's face as if checking for the sincerity in it "You really don't remember any of it?"
Aria hesitated, then shook her head. "Just… flashes. It's like everything before waking up is blurry
That seemed to satisfy her. Sophia stepped forward, brushing a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "It was the lake in the west wing. You must've gone out there alone… We're still not sure why. It was late."
Aria's brows twitched. "I fell?"
Sophia nodded solemnly. "Yes. Into the lake. The current pulled you under, and… you didn't come back up for a long time. It was Marcus who found you. You weren't breathing at first. They thought " She swallowed hard. "You've been unconscious for two days."
Aria's mind flickered abit . Two days ago. That's when I died.
Sophia gave her a soft smile meant to comfort but somehow made everything worse. "It's okay now. You're awake. That's all that matters."
She stepped back toward the small table by the wall. "You still look pale," she added. "I'll make you the ginger tea and lemongrass one you like
Aria didn't answer her, her eyes were still locked on Sophia's face, trying to make sense of everything happening , the way she looked at her so full of affection for someone Aria had never been.
Sophia reached the door and turned back. "Don't go anywhere, okay? I'll be right back."
Then she was gone, the door clickin shut behind of her
Aria stood there a while longer.
She moved toward the window , then turned over to the door. Her hand hovered over the door knobb
And then, very slowly, she twisted the handle, the door opened and she stepped out of room she saw two people buy the door, they looked a bit like gaurds. Upon seeing her they both straightened greatibg her. She nodded and asked them the directoion to west wing of the compound. The leaner one answered her
"It's a distance from here ma'am we have to pull the car aroun"
"We'll do that and take me to west wing now"
The car pulled up in front of aria and she stepped in, the interior was black leather,, and smelled faintly of being fresh and expensive. Aria slid in, her thin frame nearly swallowed by the plush seat.
The door closed behind her with a silent thud.
Up front, the driver one of the uniformed men adjusted the mirror briefly, catching her eyes, and nodded once. The other guard took the front passenger seat. No small talk. No questions just the way she liked it
The car moved forward, moving down a long stone drive that turned through landscaped hedges and tall trees. The estate around her was massive, much larger than she had imagined from inside of the room. buildings with high arches loomed in the distance. Pathways between well trimmed gardens. A greenhouse blinked faintly under lamplight.
No other people or notices, just her and these two silent guards.
Aria kept her hands pressed to her lap, trying to not fidget. Her pulse steadily in her throat. She didn't speak she didn't want to give herself away. Not until she saw the lake.
The thought of it sat in her mind. That strange water and the girl, her reflections ans her body.
Maybe that lake was the doorway or something
Maybe all she had to do was get in again. Sink and let it take her back
The car slowed and turned right onto a gravel road.
Beyond the next enclosure the trees opened and Aria leaned forward in the car
They had arrived it seemed
But what she saw didn't make sense.
There was no lake, where there should have been water there was only a drained basin.
The car rolled to a stop at the edge of what looked like a construction site. Aria pushed the door open and stepped out onto damp ground.
The lake was gone.
What remained was a massive empty ground in the earth, maybe sixty feet across, surrounded by makeshift barriers and yellow rope.An excavator stood off by the side, a few empty barrels lay tipped over. Water lines covered the stone where the lake used to be
Aria moved toward the edge holding her breath
"This… this can't be right," she whispered.
The driver stepped up beside her, hands still behind his back, eyes forward. "This is the lake," he confirmed, as if she had asked.
"What happened to it?" Her voice was sharp now, panic rising beneath it.
He hesitated. Then gestured toward a figure further down the embankment.
A man in coveralls was fiddling with a hose valve. Aria marched toward him.
"Excuse me," she said. "What happened here? Why is the lake gone?"
The groundskeeper straightened. He looked surprised to see her nervous even. He removed his cap. "Miss Lena. I didn't expect uh. We were ordered to drain it."
"Drain it? By who?"
"Mr. Lucien," he said quickly. "Day after… your accident."
"Why?"
"I don't ask questions ma'am" the man said. "We just followed the instructions given . Full drainage, no delay. It was prioritized."
Aria stared at him. Then down at where the lake used to be
Nothing, no shimmer or pull like she was expecting.Just mud and rock
Her fingers shook. "Of course it was," she murmured.
She stepped back.The cold was sinking into her bones now not from the weather, but from the certainty that she couldn't go back.
Aria turned sharply, her voice rising with a new edge.
"I need a phone."
The driver who had followed her only halfway down the hill paused. "I'm afraid I don't carry one during guard duties, Miss Lena."
"A landline, then, a computer ?Anything."
anger heating her face. "I just want to call someone."
"Who would you like to call, miss?"
Aria blinked. Who indeed?
Myself, she almost said. Anyone who knows I'm not this person.
She swallowed. "Just… someone from outside."
The man gave her small smile. "I'll have to check with Mr. Lucien."
That name again, always Mr Lucien
"No. No more Mr Lucien".she said, stepping toward him now, her voice hard "I'm asking you directly. Give me something anything. I have the right to call someone. Don't I?"
The driver's expression didn't change. "Mr. Lucien handles all external contact ma'am"
She stared at him. "This is like a prison then?"
His smile didn't falter. "This is your home miss lena."
Her stomach turned. She stepped back again, looking back at the empty lake.
She felt trapped in here,
Aria took a deep breath. "Take me back," she said flatly.
The driver bowed slightly. "Of course, Miss Lena."
The car ride back was silent.
Aria stared out the window as the estate moved past in.The night seemed heavier now. The buildings more distant. She couldn't stop replaying the image of the empty lake in her mindd
No portal back , nothing no way back
Neither of the men spoke. The only sound was the sound of tires over gravel and the faint tick of the turn signal as they turned back toward the main house.
When they reached the front steps, the passenger exited first and opened her door with the same polite efficiency.
"Miss Lena," he said, bowing slightly as she stepped out.
She didn't thank him just came down and left
The hallway inside looked exactly as it had before quiet. Nothing was out of place. She walked with slow, steps back toward the room that was supposed to be hers. The other guard was already waiting, holding the door open and passed through it without a word the door clicking shut behind her