She woke up on the concrete floor, cold, its lamp shattered, the darkness pressing in.
She stood up, her hands trembling. This was not a dream. She had entered the mind of the asylum… and her sister's mind. Then she heard a new sound, the footsteps of a man… approaching. Out of the darkness stepped a tall man, his face pale, his hair gray, his eyes carrying the weary look of a doctor who had grown tired of everything.
He said calmly,
"Finally, you've arrived, Selene."
"You… Ryan?"
He replied, "What's left of Ryan. The rest… was inside that child's mind."
Ryan stood before Selene, his exhausted gaze filling the cold room. He spoke in a low but firm voice:
"Lilia is not just an ordinary child. She is far more than we imagine. Her brain carries memories from multiple sources… memories not only from her own life, but from the lives of others. She is the key to a vast mystery."
Selene asked in a trembling voice,
"Why? And why was she taken from us?"
Ryan answered,
"Because they want to control that key. To control memory, truth, the future. I tried to protect her, but they were stronger."
He sighed and said,
"Her mother, Maryam, tried to protect her too… but she couldn't. So Marx… turned to an option no one would envy."
He stepped closer and said softly, "You are the only one who can save her. You are the other key. Your memories are linked in an unbelievable way."
Selene faltered and said, "Me? How?"
Ryan smiled, but his smile was sad:
"Memory is not just images and words, but energy. And Lilia's energy and yours are intertwined. You must help her remember… to be free."
As he said this, Selene heard footsteps coming down the corridor. A moment of tension, then Eva entered, holding a small device and some papers.
Eva said,
"I found this in Marx's office. Encrypted messages, and a map of the asylum. It's time to bring Lilia back."
Ryan looked at her and said, "Time is running out. Every moment of delay means a greater loss."
Selene clenched her fist and looked at Ryan.
"I won't let my sister be lost. I won't allow it."
He smiled with effort and said,
"That's what I wanted to hear."
To be continued...