Fragments

The video crackled.

Grainy.

Unstable.

Too real.

Rose couldn’t move.

Her fingers tightened around the document in her hand, but she barely felt it anymore.

On the screen—

People in lab coats rushed back and forth.

Voices overlapped.

Urgent. Sharp. Controlled chaos.

And then—

She saw herself.

Younger.

Still.

Sitting in a chair.

Her breath caught.

“That’s not—”

She stopped.

Because it was.

Same face.

Same eyes.

But something was different.

The girl on the screen didn’t look confused.

Didn’t look scared.

She looked… focused.

“What is this?” Rose whispered.

No one answered immediately.

Jason had stepped closer to the screen now, his jaw tight, his eyes locked on it like he wanted to tear it apart.

Ethan didn’t move.

Didn’t speak.

And Daniel—

Daniel was watching her.

“Say something,” Rose said, her voice sharper now.

Jason exhaled slowly.

“It could be manipulated—”

“No,” Daniel cut in calmly.

That single word silenced everything.

Rose turned to him.

“What is it?” she demanded.

Daniel didn’t look away.

“It’s a memory.”

Her stomach dropped.

“That’s not possible.”

“Isn’t it?” he replied.

Rose shook her head immediately.

“No. I would remember that.”

Daniel tilted his head slightly.

“Would you?”

That hit harder than it should have.

Rose’s breathing became uneven.

On the screen—

The younger version of her turned slightly.

And spoke.

“I’m ready.”

Rose’s heart stopped.

The voice.

It was hers.

But steadier.

Colder.

“What is she talking about?” Rose whispered.

Ethan finally moved.

Stepping just a little closer.

“You weren’t just there,” he said quietly.

“You were part of it.”

Jason snapped. “Enough.”

Ethan didn’t look at him.

“She deserves the truth.”

Jason’s voice hardened. “Not like this.”

“Then how?” Ethan shot back.

That tension snapped again—

“Stop.”

Rose’s voice cut through both of them.

Silence fell.

Her eyes were still on the screen.

“I don’t remember this,” she said.

Her voice was quieter now.

Not defensive.

Not angry.

Uncertain.

Jason stepped closer to her.

Careful.

“You don’t have to figure this out right now,” he said.

Rose turned to him slowly.

“You knew.”

It wasn’t a question.

Jason froze.

“Rose—”

“You knew something,” she said.

His silence confirmed it.

Her chest tightened.

“How long?” she asked.

Jason ran a hand through his hair.

Frustrated.

Cornered.

“I didn’t know everything,” he said.

“That’s not what I asked.”

A pause.

“…Before you joined,” he admitted.

That felt like something inside her cracked.

“You hired me knowing this?” she said.

“It wasn’t like that.”

Rose let out a soft, disbelieving breath.

“Then what was it like, Jason?”

He stepped closer.

“It was controlled,” he said. “I was told you were flagged. That your background needed monitoring—”

“Monitoring?” she repeated.

His jaw tightened.

“I was trying to protect you.”

Rose laughed.

Soft.

Sharp.

“By lying to me?”

Jason’s voice dropped.

“I didn’t lie.”

“You didn’t tell me,” she shot back.

“That’s the same thing.”

Silence.

Heavy.

Ethan watched the exchange carefully.

Daniel didn’t interrupt.

Because this—

This was exactly what he wanted.

Rose stepped back slightly.

Not from the room.

From Jason.

“I trusted you,” she said quietly.

That landed harder than anything else.

Jason’s expression shifted.

“I know.”

“No,” she said.

“You don’t.”

Her voice didn’t rise.

But it cut.

On the screen—

The video jumped.

Static flickered—

Then a new clip.

The same room.

But different angle.

The younger Rose was standing now.

Speaking to someone off-camera.

“If this works,” she said, “I won’t remember anything.”

The room went completely still.

Rose’s breath hitched.

“No…”

Jason turned sharply to the screen.

“What does that mean?”

No one answered.

Because the video continued.

“Are you sure?” a voice asked from behind the camera.

Her younger self nodded.

“It’s the only way.”

Rose felt her knees weaken slightly.

Ethan’s voice came low.

“You chose this.”

Jason turned on him instantly.

“Shut up.”

But Rose barely heard them.

Her eyes were locked on the screen.

“You chose to forget,” Ethan continued.

Jason stepped toward him again—

“Say one more word—”

“Then explain it yourself,” Ethan snapped back.

That stopped him.

Because he couldn’t.

Rose looked at Jason.

And this time—

There was no anger.

Just hurt.

“You knew I chose this?” she asked.

Jason hesitated.

That was enough.

Rose looked away.

Her mind was spinning.

Nothing felt stable anymore.

“Why?” she whispered.

Daniel finally spoke.

“Because whatever you were involved in…”

A pause.

“…required you to disappear from it completely.”

Rose shook her head slowly.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

Daniel stepped closer.

“It doesn’t have to.”

Her eyes snapped to his.

“It just has to be true.”

Silence.

The video flickered again.

Then—

One final clip appeared.

Close-up.

Her face.

Calm.

Certain.

And then—

She said something that made Rose’s blood run cold.

“If anything goes wrong…”

A pause.

“…Jason will find me.”

The room froze.

Rose’s head snapped toward him.

Jason went completely still.

“What?” she breathed.

No one spoke.

Because that—

That changed everything.

Rose took a step back.

“You were part of this?” she asked.

Jason didn’t answer immediately.

His silence said enough.

Rose’s voice shook for the first time.

“You knew me before this?”

Jason’s eyes finally met hers.

And this time—

He didn’t look away.

“Yes.”

Everything inside her dropped.

The room felt like it tilted.

“Then why don’t I remember you?” she whispered.

Jason took a step toward her.

“Because you made sure you wouldn’t.”

Rose shook her head.

“No…”

But it made sense.

Too much sense.

Ethan watched her carefully.

Daniel remained still.

Because the truth wasn’t fully out yet.

And that was the point.

Rose looked between all of them.

Nothing felt real anymore.

“Then tell me everything,” she said.

Jason opened his mouth—

But before he could speak—

The screen went black.

All lights shut off again.

Darkness swallowed the room.

And then—

A voice echoed through the speakers.

Not Daniel.

Not Ethan.

Not Jason.

Familiar.

But distorted.

“You weren’t supposed to see that yet.”

Rose’s heart slammed against her chest.

Because this—

This wasn’t over.

It was just beginning.