Chapter 7: The Secret in The Library
1056 Words
Elara couldn't sleep.
She sat beside her bedroom window, staring at the rain sliding down the glass.
Something about Alden's behavior that afternoon wouldn't leave her mind.
I'm sorry.
Those two words kept repeating in her head.
Why had he looked at her like that?
Why had he suddenly left?
And why had he warned her about Sophia?
Elara reached for her notebook.
She opened it to a familiar page.
The drawing she had made days ago was still there.
A boy beneath an umbrella.
A girl standing beside him.
And above them, dozens of stars.
She stared at the drawing.
Then, without thinking, she wrote one sentence underneath it.
What are you hiding from me, Alden?
She closed the notebook.
Tomorrow, she decided, she would ask him.
No matter what.
---
The next morning, Alden wasn't at school.
Elara noticed immediately.
His chair was empty.
She looked at the clock.
8:03.
Mrs. Anderson began taking attendance.
"Alden Arka Wijaya?"
No answer.
"Absent."
Elara's stomach tightened.
She checked her phone.
No message.
She typed:
Are you okay?
She stared at the message for a moment.
Then deleted it.
She typed again.
Why aren't you at school?
Deleted.
Finally, she sent:
Are you coming today?
No reply.
---
At lunch, Elara went to the library.
She needed somewhere quiet.
The library was almost empty.
She walked between the shelves until she reached the back section.
History.
Old newspapers.
School archives.
She didn't know exactly what she was looking for.
She just knew she needed answers.
Four years ago.
Amelia.
That was where she started.
She searched through the old school yearbooks.
2019.
2020.
2021.
Then—
2022.
Elara stopped.
She opened the yearbook.
Pages filled with photographs of students.
Sports teams.
School festivals.
Graduation ceremonies.
Then she saw it.
A photograph from the astronomy club.
Several students stood beneath a large telescope.
At the edge of the photograph was a familiar face.
Amelia.
Elara's fingers froze.
She stared at the picture.
Underneath it was a caption:
Evermere High Astronomy Night — October 14, 2022.
Elara's heart began beating faster.
October 14.
Four years ago.
She turned the page.
Nothing.
She turned another.
Then she found a smaller photograph.
It showed Amelia sitting beneath a tree.
Beside her was another girl.
Elara leaned closer.
The photograph was blurry.
But she recognized the girl.
Her own face.
Only younger.
Much younger.
Elara dropped the book.
It hit the floor with a heavy sound.
"No..."
She crouched down and picked it up.
She stared again.
There was no mistake.
That was her.
But how?
She had no memory of Evermere High four years ago.
She hadn't even remembered meeting Amelia.
Her hands began trembling.
Then she noticed something else.
Written beneath the photograph was a name.
Elara Aveline Pratama.
She stopped breathing.
Someone had written her name there.
Four years ago.
Before she had ever met Alden.
---
"You're not supposed to be looking at that."
Elara nearly screamed.
She turned around.
Sophia stood at the end of the aisle.
Elara quickly stood.
"What are you doing here?"
Sophia walked toward her.
"Looking for the same thing you are."
"What?"
"The truth."
Elara held the yearbook tightly.
"You know me."
Sophia stopped.
"Yes."
"From four years ago?"
Sophia didn't answer.
Elara's voice became sharper.
"Do you know what happened to Amelia?"
Sophia looked at the photograph.
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"I think you should ask Alden."
"I tried."
"He won't tell you."
"Then tell me."
Sophia looked directly into her eyes.
"Do you really want to know?"
Elara nodded.
"Yes."
"Even if it changes the way you see him?"
Elara hesitated.
Then nodded again.
Sophia took a slow breath.
"Four years ago, Amelia wasn't supposed to be at that park."
"Why?"
"She was meeting someone."
"Who?"
Sophia's eyes moved toward the photograph.
"You."
Elara's heart dropped.
"Me?"
"You were there that night."
"I don't remember."
"I know."
"Why don't I remember?"
Sophia stepped closer.
"Because something happened."
"What?"
Before Sophia could answer, the library doors opened.
Alden stood there.
His eyes immediately found Elara.
Then he saw the yearbook in her hands.
His expression changed.
"Elara."
She stared at him.
"Alden..."
He walked toward them.
Sophia stepped aside.
Elara held up the photograph.
"Is this me?"
Alden didn't answer.
"Is this me?"
His eyes dropped.
"Yes."
The word was barely audible.
Elara felt the room spinning.
"You knew."
Alden closed his eyes.
"Yes."
"For how long?"
He didn't respond.
"How long, Alden?"
"Since the first day I saw you."
Her eyes widened.
"The first day?"
"I recognized you."
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't know if you remembered."
Elara's voice shook.
"Remember what?"
Alden looked at her.
His eyes were filled with fear.
"The night Amelia died."
Silence.
Elara slowly shook her head.
"I don't remember."
"I know."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
Sophia interrupted.
"That's not completely true."
Alden turned toward her.
"Don't."
"You deserve to know."
"Not here."
Sophia looked at Elara.
"Your memory wasn't lost naturally."
Alden's face went pale.
"Sophia."
She continued.
"Someone made sure you wouldn't remember that night."
Elara stared at her.
"Who?"
Sophia didn't answer.
Alden stepped between them.
"That's enough."
"No," Elara said.
Alden turned around.
She looked at him.
"Who made me forget?"
He couldn't answer.
"Was it your mother?"
Alden's eyes widened.
Elara noticed.
Her heart sank.
"Your mother knew about Sophia."
Alden said nothing.
"She knew about Amelia."
Nothing.
"And she knew I was there."
His silence was answer enough.
Elara took a step backward.
"So your family knew me before I knew you."
"Elara—"
"And you knew who I was."
"I was trying to protect you."
"From what?"
Alden's voice broke.
"From the truth."
Elara stared at him.
"The truth about what?"
Alden looked at the photograph in her hands.
Then he whispered,
"You were the last person Amelia spoke to."
Elara's fingers went numb.
"What?"
Alden swallowed.
"Before she died..."
He looked directly into her eyes.
"She called your name."
The library suddenly felt unbearably quiet.
Elara stared at him, unable to speak.
Then her phone vibrated.
One new message.
From an unknown number.
You shouldn't trust Alden.
A second message appeared.
He wasn't the one who saved you that night.
And then a third.
Ask him what happened to Amelia after you left.
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