Lena gasped as her consciousness snapped back into her body.
A rush of air. The smell of rain on concrete. The world sharpened—too sharply.
She could hear the birds flapping in the distance. Feel the microscopic tremors in the ground from distant footsteps. The buzz of electricity behind a wall. The heartbeat of the boy holding her.
Aarav.
She pulled back from his arms, trembling. "What's happening to me?"
His hands stayed at her shoulders, but he didn't try to hold her again. "You've awakened your first aspect."
"My what?"
"Your power," he said slowly, carefully. "Every Vanished has one. A core ability linked to their soul. Some vanish into shadow. Others erase memories. Yours… is silence."
Lena blinked. "Silence?"
He nodded. "You don't just disappear, Lena. You erase presence. Sound, scent, even thought. You are the void in the room. The emptiness no one can find."
Her breath caught.
It all made sense now—the way people sometimes forgot she was there. The way her parents looked through her. The times she cried and no one noticed.
It hadn't been neglect.
It had been her power.
"I never wanted this," she whispered.
Aarav's voice was quiet. "Neither did I."
He reached out again, but this time, Lena stepped away. "No. You lied."
His jaw clenched. "I protected you."
"You used me."
She turned, her voice hard. "You kissed me, knowing you were assigned to erase me if I went unstable. And now I'm supposed to trust you?"
"I kissed you because I love you."
Lena froze.
The world held its breath.
Then she whispered, "That's the worst lie of all."
---
Later That Night
Lena sat on her bed, legs folded, back against the wall. Her phone buzzed again—messages from Rhea, three missed calls from an unknown number.
She turned the phone off.
The mark on her collarbone pulsed softly. She touched it. It was warm now, not burning. A dull hum, like a heartbeat beneath her own.
Suddenly, her bedroom lights flickered.
Her window slid open, though no wind stirred.
And from the shadows, someone stepped into her room.
Not Aarav.
"Who the hell—?"
The figure was tall, dressed in black, face hidden beneath a hood. But when he stepped closer, she saw his eyes.
Silver.
Like molten mercury.
"You've awakened," the stranger said, voice deep and rich. "We've been watching."
Lena stood slowly. "Who are you?"
"The Vanished," he said simply. "The ones your Aarav was trained to destroy."
She stiffened.
He chuckled. "Relax. We're not here to harm you. On the contrary—we've come to recruit you."
"Why me?"
"Because your gift is rare. And because your loyalty was already tested. He broke your heart. That makes you ours now."
Lena didn't respond.
"You can run," he said, stepping closer, "or you can rise."
He pulled a small silver envelope from his coat and placed it on her desk. "Tomorrow. Midnight. The old temple in the forest. If you're ready for answers—come."
Then he vanished.
Just like that.
No trace.
No sound.
Only the envelope remained, glittering like frost in moonlight.
---
The Next Day – School
Lena walked into class and felt the shift.
Eyes turned. Whispers followed her like shadows. She could feel it—they knew. Something about her was changing, even if they couldn't explain it.
Rhea ran to her, breathless. "You didn't answer my texts! Lena, something's going on—people are talking about that Meher girl. She disappeared last night."
Lena's chest tightened. "What?"
"Gone. No one knows where she is. Her parents filed a missing person report. The school's crawling with police."
She swallowed hard.
She remembered the threat in Meher's voice. The way her smile had cracked.
Was this... connected?
Or something worse?
"Lena," Rhea whispered, grabbing her hand. "What's happening?"
Lena didn't answer.
Because for the first time in her life, she didn't feel invisible anymore.
She felt hunted.
---
Midnight – The Temple Ruins
The trees whispered secrets as Lena stepped through the ancient iron gates of the forgotten temple. Vines curled along broken pillars. Moonlight spilled in through a collapsed roof, painting the floor with silver.
The mark on her chest pulsed with each step she took, like it was guiding her deeper into the dark.
And then she saw them.
Six figures, cloaked in black, standing in a circle. The one with silver eyes stood at the center.
"You came," he said with a smile. "Welcome, Lena Carter. Daughter of silence."
She clenched her fists. "What do you want from me?"
"Nothing," he replied. "We only want to offer you truth. And power."
He extended his hand.
Behind him, two others removed their hoods.
One of them—Lena gasped.
It was Meher.
Alive. Smiling.
"You thought I disappeared," Meher said, stepping forward. "But I was only returning home."
"You're one of them," Lena whispered.
"No," Meher said. "I'm one of us."
The silver-eyed man stepped closer.
"This is your last moment of choice, Lena. You can return to your human world, where you'll be hunted, betrayed, and forgotten. Or you can become what you were born to be."
Lena didn't take his hand.
But she didn't walk away, either.
The mark on her skin began to burn brighter.
And for the first time… she smiled.
---
Quote of the Chapter:
"There is nothing louder than a girl who chooses silence. And nothing more dangerous."
---