Sleep never came.
Lily lay awake, staring at the ceiling as moonlight slipped through the curtains.
The words from the Phoenix file repeated endlessly inside her mind.
*"Protect Lily."*
*"Protect Ethan."*
*"The children must never know."*
Why?
What could be so dangerous that adults chose silence over truth?
She closed her eyes.
For a brief second...
Everything became quiet.
Then another memory appeared.
A little girl's laughter.
The scent of jasmine.
Someone gently tying a ribbon into her hair.
"Don't run too fast, Little Star."
The voice was warm.
Soft.
Familiar.
Lily suddenly sat upright.
Her heart pounded wildly.
"Amelia..."
She whispered the name before she even realized it.
The memory disappeared.
Leaving only tears behind.
For the first time...
She hadn't re
