Chapter 67 —
Lyra's POV
I didn't cry.
Not in front of him.
Not again.
The hospital room suddenly felt suffocating.
The machines continued their steady rhythm.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Every sound reminded me that he was alive.
And every second reminded me that he had lied.
I picked up the Project Echo file from the bed.
My fingers tightened around its edges.
"You knew."
Kieller remained silent.
That silence was louder than any confession.
I laughed once.
Cold.
Humorless.
"You know..." My voice barely rose above a whisper. "I spent years wondering why people always chose to lie to me."
Still nothing.
"My stepmother."
Silence.
"My kidnappers."
Nothing.
"The White Masks."
His jaw clenched.
"And then you."
Finally—
"I never lied."
My head snapped toward him.
"No?"
His silver eyes met mine.
"I just never told you."
A bitter smile formed on my lips.
"There's a difference?"
"Yes."
I stepped closer.
"No, Kieller."
I dropped the file onto his lap.
"There isn't."
The papers scattered across the hospital bed.
One photograph slid free.
A little girl.
Me.
His eyes fell onto it.
Mine never left his face.
"When did you know?"
Silence.
"Answer me."
His voice came quietly.
"The day we met."
Everything inside me froze.
"...What?"
"I knew who you were."
The room became painfully quiet.
"So every conversation..."
He looked away.
"Yes."
"Every deal?"
"Yes."
"The trip to New York?"
"Yes."
"My kidnapping?"
"...Yes."
I felt sick.
"So all those moments..."
I laughed again.
"They were planned?"
"No."
His answer came immediately.
"Those weren't."
I stared at him.
Trying to find the lie.
Trying to find the man I'd started trusting.
"I stood between you and bullets."
His voice was calm.
"I carried you out of burning buildings."
"I almost died saving you."
His breathing became uneven.
"If everything was an act..."
He looked directly into my eyes.
"...then I deserve an award."
Silence.
For one dangerous second—
I almost believed him.
Almost.
Then I remembered the phone call.
"Make her fall in love."
My heart hardened again.
"Was that part real?"
His expression changed.
Only slightly.
But I saw it.
Pain.
"What?"
"The feelings."
I swallowed.
"Were those assigned too?"
He didn't answer.
Wrong answer.
Again.
I nodded slowly.
"I understand."
"You don't."
"I do."
I turned toward the door.
Behind me—
"Lyra."
I stopped.
"You shouldn't investigate Project Echo."
I didn't turn around.
"Give me one reason."
His answer came after several seconds.
"...Because if they realize you remember..."
Silence.
"They'll stop trying to capture you."
My fingers tightened around the doorknob.
"They'll kill you."
For the first time—
His voice broke.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
Enough for me to hear the fear he'd been hiding.
But fear wasn't enough anymore.
I opened the door.
Without looking back, I said quietly—
"They already tried."
Then I walked away.
Detective Rael Callen's Office
Rael frowned as he examined the prison transfer records again.
Something was wrong.
One page had been altered.
Not digitally.
By hand.
He carefully held it beneath a forensic light.
Hidden ink slowly appeared.
Coordinates.
His heartbeat accelerated.
"What the..."
Before he could copy them—
The lights went out.
Darkness.
A voice echoed from somewhere behind him.
"You ask too many questions, Detective."
Rael reached for his weapon.
Too late.
Something struck the back of his head.
The world spun.
As consciousness slipped away, he caught one final glimpse.
A white mask.
And behind it—
A man with silver eyebrow and lip piercings.
The same kidnapper from years ago.
Unknown Location
Rael woke slowly.
His hands were tied to a metal chair.
A single lamp hung above him.
Across the room—
Someone sat in complete darkness.
Only a silhouette.
Elegant.
Motionless.
A white rose rested on the table.
The figure spoke.
Calm.
Cultured.
"Detective Rael Callen."
A pause.
"You've done impressive work."
Rael stared into the darkness.
"Who are you?"
A quiet chuckle answered.
"Someone you've been searching for..."
The figure leaned forward slightly.
"...without realizing you've already met me."
The lamp flickered.
The chapter ended.