The Shadow Of Identity Behind The Mirror Of Reality

CHAPTER #15

(KEIRA'S POV)

The workshop door slammed shut behind me, the echo chasing me down the dim corridor.  My breath came in ragged gasps, each inhale sharp and shallow.  The CCTV footage replayed in my mind—frame after frame of emptiness where Lena should have been.

My footsteps echoed, a frantic rhythm against the cold floor, as I fled the suffocating confines of Rowen's workshop.

As I stepped outside, the first raindrops splattered against my skin, cool and unexpected.  Within moments, the drizzle transformed into a downpour, soaking me to the bone.

The rain blurred the world around me, turning streetlights into hazy orbs and washing the colors from the cityscape.  It was as if the universe itself was trying to erase the confusion and fear that clung to.

I stepped out toward the main street, water squishing in my shoes. The rain blurred everything—the headlights, the traffic, even my thoughts. I raised my hand when a cab finally slowed beside me, tires hissing against the wet pavement.

I slid into the back seat, too wet to care about the upholstery.
“Where to?” the driver asked without looking.

I gave my address, voice low.
He pulled away from the curb, and I sank into the seat, arms wrapped around myself.

I pressed my forehead against the cold glass and kept my eyes open, even though I didn’t want to see anything. I just needed something solid. Something not falling apart.

The taxi stopped. The driver said something—I barely heard it. My hand moved without thinking, reaching into my pocket, handing over the fare like I was someone else.

I stepped out. The air was sharp and too clean.

I was home.

I glanced up. Just a glance.

Lena was standing in front of my door.

My first thought was: No.

My second thought was… nothing.
Just silence. White noise.

She was just—there.

Still. Waiting. Like she had all the time in the world.

I didn’t move at first.
Didn’t breathe.

My fingers tightened around my jacket. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t feel clearly enough to name anything. But I was moving. My feet were already walking toward her, and I hadn’t told them to.

Each step felt heavy.

But I couldn’t stop.

I didn’t even know what I’d say when I got to her.

Maybe nothing. Maybe everything.

All I knew was that even after what I saw,
even after the weight of it—

I still walked toward her.

I stopped just a few feet away.

She didn’t say anything.

Neither did I.

My throat was tight, too tight. There were words sitting there, pressed up against my tongue, but none of them made it out. They didn’t even feel real. I didn’t know where to start.

You weren’t there,” I said finally. My voice didn’t sound like mine.

Lena tilted her head slightly. “Where?”

“The footage. I watched it. Every second. You weren’t on it.”

I paused. “But I remember you there. I swear you were.”