CHAPTER 28 The Voice Behind the Door

CHAPTER 28

The Voice Behind the Door

Miyaka couldn't breathe.

She knew that voice.

She knew it in the way you know a song you haven't heard in years but somehow remember every word to.

“Miyaka…”

Her mother's voice.

Soft.

A little breathless.

Exactly the way she remembered it.

Her knees almost gave out.

Moises caught her elbow.

“Hey.”

She barely noticed him.

“My mother.”

Jason looked toward the tunnel.

“You're sure?”

Miyaka nodded.

“I know her voice.”

Daniel was staring into the darkness.

He looked more frightened than Miyaka had ever seen him.

“That's not possible.”

Miyaka turned sharply.

“You said she survived.”

“I said she survived the accident.”

“Then why are you acting like that?”

Daniel didn't answer.

Another knock came from beyond the door.

Three times.

Miyaka's heart hammered against her ribs.

“Open it.”

Daniel immediately shook his head.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because we don't know who's behind it.”

“You just heard her.”

“I heard someone use her voice.”

Miyaka stared at him.

“You think someone is pretending to be my mother?”

“I think we've been lied to too many times to assume anything.”

She hated that he was right.

But that didn't stop her from wanting to run toward the door.

Her mother could be behind it.

Her mother could have been waiting twelve years.

Her mother could have been alive this entire time.

The thought hurt more than the possibility that she was dead.

Because if she was alive, then Miyaka had spent twelve years grieving someone who had been somewhere in the world.

Somewhere without her.

“Miyaka.”

Moises' voice was close.

She looked at him.

“You don't have to open it.”

She swallowed.

“What if it's really her?”

“Then we'll find another way to prove it.”

“And if it's not?”

“Then we don't give whoever's behind that door exactly what they want.”

His words reached her.

Barely.

She looked at the door again.

“I need to know.”

“I know.”

He didn't try to stop her.

That mattered.

Miyaka stepped forward.

Daniel grabbed her wrist.

She immediately pulled away.

“Don't.”

His hand dropped.

“I wasn't trying to hurt you.”

“Then don't stop me.”

Daniel stared at her.

“Your father was terrified of that door.”

Miyaka froze.

“What?”

“He told me never to let you open it.”

“Why?”

“I don't know.”

She laughed bitterly.

“Of course you don't.”

Daniel's face tightened.

“He didn't explain everything.”

“Then maybe he should have.”

She stepped toward the door.

Jason followed.

“Miyaka.”

She glanced back.

“If this goes wrong, we're leaving.”

She nodded.

“Fine.”

Jason looked at Moises.

“You stay with her.”

Moises gave him an annoyed look.

“I wasn't planning on going anywhere.”

Despite everything, Miyaka almost smiled.

Almost.

They reached the door.

Up close, it looked older than the rest of the tunnel.

Heavy metal.

Rust around the edges.

A narrow opening beneath it where cold air slipped through.

Miyaka stared at the handle.

Something about it felt familiar.

Not the door itself.

The feeling.

Her hand hovered over the handle.

Then memory struck.

A little girl.

Her mother's fingers wrapped tightly around hers.

Rain outside.

Her father standing several feet away.

Someone was shouting.

A man was crying.

And then—

her mother pushing her behind the door.

Don't look.

Miyaka jerked her hand back.

“What happened?”

Moises caught her shoulder.

“I remembered.”

“What?”

“My mother.”

Her breathing became uneven.

“She pushed me behind this.”

Daniel stepped closer.

“Are you sure?”

Miyaka looked at him.

“She said not to look.”

“What else?”

“I don't know.”

She squeezed her eyes shut.

“Wait.”

Another fragment.

Her father.

His voice.

If she asks, she saw nothing.

Miyaka opened her eyes.

Her blood ran cold.

“My father told someone I saw nothing.”

Jason exchanged a look with Moises.

“That means he knew you saw something,” Jason said.

“Yes.”

Miyaka looked at the door.

“And he wanted everyone to believe I didn't.”

A sound came from the other side.

A quiet scrape.

Miyaka stepped backward.

The handle moved.

Nobody spoke.

The door slowly opened.

An inch.

Then two.

Darkness appeared between the frame.

Miyaka's heart nearly stopped.

A woman's hand appeared first.

Older.

Pale.

A thin silver ring on one finger.

Miyaka knew that ring.

Her mother had worn it every day.

She took one step forward.

“Mom?”

The door opened wider.

A woman stood on the other side.

Her hair was longer than Miyaka remembered.

There were faint lines around her eyes.

Her face was older.

But the eyes—

Miyaka knew those eyes.

The woman stared at her.

Neither moved.

Then the woman's lips trembled.

“Miyaka.”

Miyaka's entire body went numb.

“Mom?”

The woman took a shaky breath.

“I told them not to bring you here.”

Miyaka's eyes filled instantly.

She took another step.

“You're alive.”

The woman's expression broke.

“I tried to come back.”

Miyaka laughed through her tears.

It came out almost painfully.

“I waited for you.”

Her mother looked at her as if those words physically hurt.

“I know.”

“No.”

Miyaka shook her head.

“You don't know.”

Her voice cracked.

“I was five.”

Her mother closed her eyes.

“I know.”

“I thought you were dead.”

“I know.”

“Why didn't you come back?”

The woman looked past her.

Toward Daniel.

Toward Moises.

Then Jason.

Her expression changed.

Fear.

Real fear.

“Because I couldn't.”

Miyaka stared at her.

“Why?”

Her mother whispered,

“Because they were watching you.”

Miyaka's tears slipped down her cheeks.

“Who?”

Her mother didn't answer.

Instead, she looked at Moises.

For a moment, something strange passed between them.

Recognition.

Pain.

Then fear again.

“You brought him back.”

Miyaka frowned.

“What?”

Her mother looked at Moises.

“You brought Moises back into her life.”

Moises stepped forward.

“I didn't know—”

“You weren't supposed to.”

His expression hardened.

“Supposed to what?”

Her mother looked at Miyaka.

“You were never supposed to remember.”

Miyaka felt the ground disappear beneath her.

“Remember what?”

Her mother reached toward her.

But stopped before touching her face.

“You saw what happened that night.”

“I know.”

“No.”

Her mother shook her head.

“You don't.”

Miyaka's breath caught.

“Then tell me.”

Her mother looked behind them.

The fear in her eyes deepened.

“We don't have time.”

Daniel moved toward the doorway.

“What happened that night?”

Her mother stared at him.

“You know.”

Daniel shook his head.

“I know pieces.”

“You know enough.”

Miyaka looked between them.

“Stop.”

They both turned toward her.

“No more talking around me.”

Her voice shook, but she didn't back down.

“I am standing right here.”

Her mother looked at her daughter for a long moment.

Then she whispered,

“You saw who killed your father.”

Silence.

Miyaka stared at her.

“My father isn't dead.”

Her mother's expression changed.

“I didn't say he was.”

Miyaka's blood ran cold.

“What?”

Her mother stepped backward.

“He wasn't killed.”

“Then where is he?”

Her mother's eyes filled with tears.

“That's the question you should have been asking.”

Miyaka couldn't speak.

Behind her, Jason whispered,

“What the hell?”

Moises looked at Daniel.

Daniel looked as shocked as they were.

Then the lights in the tunnel went out.

Darkness swallowed them.

Someone screamed.

Miyaka felt a hand grab hers.

She didn't know whose.

Then she heard her mother's voice in the dark.

“Don't trust the person holding your hand.”

Miyaka froze.

Because she knew exactly whose hand was holding hers.

Moises.

And before she could pull away—

a gunshot exploded somewhere inside the tunnel.