LOGINThe quiet morning at the clinic was shattered by a sudden, urgent ring. The sound cut through the soft hum of the ventilation system, pulling Avery from her notes.The screen showed a call with no number displayed. She stared at it for a beat, her pen pausing mid-stroke. Unknown calls in her line of work were rarely social.She answered. The voice on the other end was clipped and professional, but carried an unmistakable note of barely concealed excitement."Dr. Morris, I'm so glad you picked up. Please forgive the intrusion. We are a top-tier executive search firm based in Diamond City, reaching out on behalf of the Winster Medical Development Foundation. They would like to invite you to lead a confidential neurological consultation for a high-ranking family member. The compensation is exceptional, and they have promised full resource support. May I ask for your preliminary thoughts?"Avery held the phone, a glint of dark calculation flashing behind her
It took Julian about seven minutes for his breathing to steady.Avery stayed half-kneeling in front of his wheelchair the entire time, her fingers pressed firmly against his knees. She could feel the residual tremors running through his thin frame, the muscles still twitching beneath his skin. She watched his trembling right hand, the fingers still quivering uncontrollably, as if the memory of that night had seized hold of his nerves. She wrapped her warm hands around his, rubbing the stiffness out of his knuckles one slow stroke at a time, working from his palm to his fingertips, smoothing the tension from each joint with patient, steady pressure."It's okay, Julian. I'm here. No one's getting past me. You're safe now."She rested her forehead gently against her brother's trembling shoulder. His body was still warm from the exertion, his breath coming in shallow, uneven pulls. She stayed there for a long moment, letting the rhythm of her own breathing guide his
A long stretch of static crackled through the receiver, stretching on so long that the call was about to disconnect itself—when finally, someone picked up. Avery's fingers tightened around the phone, her knuckles pale against the dark casing."Hello…"A hoarse, aged voice came through, heavy with the rasping sound of a bellows-like struggle for breath. Each exhale seemed to cost him more effort than the last, as if the simple act of speaking was draining what little strength he had left."Professor,"Avery leaned against her desk, cutting straight to the point. "I found her. Your ex-wife. My birth mother."A dead silence fell on the other end of the line. Then came a fit of coughing so violent it sounded like his lungs were tearing apart."You… how is that possible!" Wenger's voice shot up sharply. "Avery, have you lost your mind? Where did you hear such nonsense? Aren't you—""How did I find out this secret? Don't rush, Professor. I know far more than you think."Avery cut him off, h
A long stretch of static crackled through the receiver, stretching on so long that the call was about to disconnect itself—when finally, someone picked up. Avery's fingers tightened around the phone, her knuckles pale against the dark casing."Hello…"A hoarse, aged voice came through, heavy with the rasping sound of a bellows-like struggle for breath. Each exhale seemed to cost him more effort than the last, as if the simple act of speaking was draining what little strength he had left."Professor,"Avery leaned against her desk, cutting straight to the point. "I found her. Your ex-wife. My birth mother."A dead silence fell on the other end of the line. Then came a fit of coughing so violent it sounded like his lungs were tearing apart."You… how is that possible!" Wenger's voice shot up sharply. "Avery, have you lost your mind? Where did you hear such nonsense? Aren't you—""How did I find out this secret? Don't rush, Professor. I know far more than you think."Avery cut him off, h
At noon, Avery adjusted the blinds in her consultation room to a precise, subtle angle—enough to let in light, but not enough to make the space feel exposed. The slanted rays fell across the desk in neat, geometric lines, casting the rest of the room in a soft, muted shadow that made the space feel both intimate and contained.Professor Andrew arrived on time. But the moment he sank into the sofa, the fine beads of sweat on his forehead and the rigid tension in his shoulders betrayed the anxiety the renowned scholar couldn't hide. His hands were clasped tightly in his lap, the knuckles pale, and his eyes darted around the room as if searching for an exit he knew wasn't there.Avery didn't rush to speak. She moved with deliberate slowness, measuring every gesture. She brewed a cup of calming herbal tea and set it before him, the ceramic warm against her fingertips. Then she turned the room's diffuser down two notches, letting the subtle fragrance settle into something softer, less intr
In that instant, Avery's rationality was simultaneously overwhelmed by fear and clarity.She couldn't let him see her. She couldn't let him find her here. Dorothea had just enrolled at St. George's Academy. Mother and daughter had finally managed to carve out a fragile peace in Sunset City. She had just settled her mother and brother into their treatments. The truth about the fire was slowly unraveling, thread by thread, and she was finally beginning to see the shape of what had happened all those years ago.If he discovered her here in Sunset City, she would be dragged back. The bottomless vortex of Obsidian City would swallow them whole once again. Everything she had fought for—every sleepless night, every calculated risk, every step of this desperate escape—would be for nothing.Her heartbeat thundered in her ears like war drums, each pulse a deafening roar that drowned out the storm around her. Avery moved on pure instinct, retreating backward until her back pressed flat against t
Dominic’s hand, which had been ruffling Dorothea’s hair, froze completely mid-air.The flawless, untouchable image of the sovereign of Obsidian City collapsed instantly under a six-year-old girl’s flawless, unprompted cross-examination. Avery watched the fleeting look of astonishment and sheer awkw
The piano music was soft, but the daylight flooding through the floor-to-ceiling windows was blinding.On the top floor of the Kessler Hotel, Sophia sat in a booth near the glass. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw Avery approaching, but just as she raised her hand to wave, her arm froze i
In the hallway, Dominic stood silently at the threshold of the pink bedroom, holding a cup of black coffee. The morning light slanted through the tall windows, catching the gold cufflinks at his wrists.His hair was perfectly styled, and he wore a dark three-piece suit with his tie meticulously kno
After dinner, Avery remained in Dorothea’s room.Dorothea sat on the carpet, her paintbrushes clutched in her hand, while Avery held a children’s picture book, reading softly:"...In the heart of the forest lived a great beast covered in jagged thorns. It captured the on







