The Shadow Of Identity Behind The Mirror Of Reality

Chapter #16

(Keira’s POV)

The screen buzzed on the ground.

I wiped my face, smearing rain and tears alike.  My pulse was still uneven, my head heavy with voices.

When I opened the door, the smell of the rain hit first.

Rowen was standing on the porch, rain dripping from his hair. His usual easy confidence was gone — he looked tense.

“What's going on, Keira?”

“Nothing.” My own voice sounded strange to my ears.

He studied me for a moment, his gaze steady, not hard but searching.

“Did you see something in the footage?” He questioned.

“No, it's nothing. I don't want to talk about it” I denied.

“Look I don't know what you saw in that footage, but you ran out of there like–

“I said I don't want to talk about it” I cut in.

He took a few steps forward.

“Keira, do you realise what you looked like? You saw something on that screen, like something mortifying and just bolted. The whole team is concerned.”

I stood there looking at him not knowing what to say. There's no way I could find proper words to describe what just happened.

“It's…it's nothing, I'll be fine.”
That's all I could say.

“Fine…” he sighed “But whatever it is, don't let it take you out. You have to be there tomorrow.”

“Sure,” I replied.

Rowen's gaze lingered a beat longer,then he stepped back, “get some rest.”

The next morning felt heavy, like my skin didn’t quite fit right.

Today was our weekly training. The training center was already buzzing when I walked in. The sharp scent of floor polish stung my nose, mixed with sweat and the faint metallic tang of the weapons racks. Rubber soles squeaked against the mats, voices overlapped — too loud, too bright.

Warm-ups blurred together. My muscles stretched, moved, obeyed — but I felt detached, like I was watching myself from somewhere outside my body.

Lia was enthusiastic as usual, I watched make up her own routine and marshal the others to follow her.

When we finally got a break, I grabbed my bottle and slipped to the far wall, sitting down on the cool metal bench.

The condensation from the bottle slicked my palm.

“Hey.”

I looked up. Rowen stood there, casual but steady, a bead of sweat running down the side of his temple.

“You’re quiet today,” he said, taking a slow sip from his own bottle. “Everything okay?”

I shrugged. “Just tired.”

He leaned against the wall beside me, his presence steady, grounding.

“We're going to have this every week apparently, there's no escape.

I nodded in agreement.

“By the way… who's Lena?”

Everything in me went still.

My breath caught, halfway in.

My eyes widened before I could stop them.
Cold prickled across my arms, rushing up the back of my neck like a wave.