Chapter 5

The word echoed in Saria’s mind long after everyone had fallen silent.

She had heard the mysterious woman say it through the hospital window.

And now it would not leave her thoughts.

“Welcome back, Princess.”

Princess

Who was she?

Because it certainly was not Saria Ben.

Or was it?

She looked at the silver bracelet Detective Noah had placed on the bedside table.

Lily Ben.

Her fingers trembled as she reached for it.

The instant her skin touched the cool metal

A sharp pain exploded inside her head.

“No!”

She cried out, dropping the bracelet onto the bed.

The room blurred.

Darkness swallowed everything.

A magnificent ballroom sparkled beneath crystal chandeliers.

Women in elegant gowns danced gracefully across the polished marble floor.

Men in tailored suits bowed respectfully.

Music floated through the air.

At the top of a grand staircase stood a young woman in a breathtaking silver gown.

She wore a sapphire necklace that shimmered beneath the lights.

The crowd applauded.

“Long live Princess Adria!”

Saria's heart skipped.

Princess…

Adria?

The woman smiled warmly and waved to the guests.

Then she slowly turned.

Saria gasped.

The princess

Had her face.

“No”

This couldn’t be real.

Someone approached the princess.

An older man with kind eyes and silver hair.

He kissed her forehead.

“My daughter.”

His voice was filled with pride.

“You’ll make this family stronger than ever.”

Before the princess could answer

Bang

A deafening gunshot echoed through the ballroom.

Guests screamed.

The chandeliers shook.

The princess looked down.

Blood stained her silver dress.

Another shot rang out.

“Protect the princess!”

Guards rushed forward.

Smoke filled the ballroom.

A woman wearing black gloves grabbed the princess by the arm.

“Hurry!”

The world shattered into darkness.

Saria bolted upright.

She struggled to catch her breath.

Dan and Detective Noah were already beside her.

“You fainted,” Noah said gently.

“You’ve been unconscious for almost twenty minutes.”

Saria stared at them.

“I saw her.”

“Who?” Dan asked.

“The princess.”

She swallowed.

“She looked exactly like me.”

Noah exchanged a quick glance with Dan.

“So you remembered something else,” Noah said.

Saria nodded.

“There was a palace.”

“A ballroom.”

“Someone called me Princess Adria.”

The room became deathly still.

Dan’s face revealed nothing.

Too controlled.

Too calm.

But Noah…

Noah looked genuinely surprised.

“That’s impossible,” he muttered.

“What is?” Saria demanded.

Noah hesitated.

Then shook his head.

“It could just be your subconscious creating images.”

Saria didn’t believe him.

Not for a second.

Outside the room, Noah stopped Dan before he could leave.

“We need to talk.”

Dan sighed.

“Now?”

“Now.”

They stepped into the hallway.

Noah lowered his voice.

“You recognized the name.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t insult my intelligence.”

Dan remained silent.

“If saria really is…”

Noah stopped himself.

Dan’s eyes darkened.

“Don’t say another word.”

“You’ve kept this secret for years.”

“I was protecting her.”

“Were you?”

Noah asked quietly.

“Or were you protecting yourself?”

Without another word, Dan walked away.

Neither man noticed Lucas standing at the end of the hallway.

He had heard every word.

That evening, Saria insisted on walking through the hospital garden.

The fresh air helped calm her racing thoughts.

An officer followed several steps behind to protect her.

She wandered slowly among the flowers until she noticed a little girl sitting alone on a bench.

She couldn’t have been older than six.

She held a stuffed rabbit tightly against her chest.

When the little girl looked up and saw saria…

Her eyes widened.

“Mommy?”

Saria froze.

The child ran toward her.

“Mommy!”

She wrapped her tiny arms around Saria's waist.

“I missed you.”

Saria's entire body stiffened.

She looked helplessly at the officer.

“This child…”

“I’ve never seen her before.”

The officer gently approached.

“Sweetheart, I think you’ve mistaken her for someone else.”

The little girl shook her head fiercely.

“No!”

She pointed at Saria.

“That’s my mommy.”

Tears rolled down the child’s cheeks.

“You promised you’d come back.”

Saria felt something break inside her.

Without thinking, she knelt and hugged the little girl.

The embrace felt…

Natural and safe.

As though she’d done it a thousand times before.

“What… what’s your name?” Saria asked softly.

The child smiled through her tears.

“Lily.”

Saria’s heart stopped.

The world seemed to spin around her.

“Lily?”

The little girl nodded happily.

“You remembered me!”

Before Saria could say another word

A woman’s voice rang across the garden.

“Lily!”

An elegant woman hurried over.

She pulled the little girl away from Saria.

“I’m so sorry,” she said politely.

“My daughter mistakes kind women for her mother sometimes.”

Saria frowned.

“But she called herself Lily.”

The woman’s smile faltered for the briefest moment.

“You must have misheard.”

She quickly took the child’s hand.

“Come on, sweetheart.”

The little girl looked back over her shoulder.

She was crying again.

“Mommy…”

The woman hurried away before saria could react.

Something wasn’t right.

Saria turned to the officer.

“Follow them.”

The officer looked confused.

“Ma’am?”

“Please.”

By the time they reached the hospital entrance…

The woman and the child had disappeared.

It was as though they had vanished into thin air.

That night…

Saria couldn’t sleep.

Every time she closed her eyes…

She saw Lily’s face.

Just after midnight, she heard a soft knock on her door.

“Come in.”

The door opened.

Lucas stepped inside.

“I know I shouldn’t be here this late.”

He walked to her bedside.

“But there’s something you deserve to have.”

He carefully placed a small velvet box in her hands.

“What is it?”

“It belonged to you.”

Saria slowly opened it.

Inside lay an exquisite sapphire necklace.

The same one the princess had worn in her vision.

A folded piece of paper rested beneath it.

With trembling hands, she unfolded the note.

Only one sentence was written inside.

Your real name isn’t Saria Ben.

Before she could even process the words, every light in the hospital suddenly went out.

A loud explosion shook the building.

The emergency alarm blared.

Smoke poured into the hallway.

People screamed.

Lucas grabbed Saria's hand.

“We have to leave.”

“What happened?”

His face turned grim.

“They’re not trying to scare you anymore.”

He looked straight into her frightened eyes.

“They’ve come to finish what they started.”

As another explosion echoed through the hospital; Saria realized one terrifying truth.

She wasn’t just running from her forgotten past.

Her past…

had finally found her.