UNTILL SUNRISE
704 Words
Episode 7: Until Sunrise
Elara stared at the gun.
Her entire body went numb.
The woman stood only a few steps away.
“You.”
The woman smiled.
“Me.”
“How did you get inside?”
“You've asked me that question before.”
Elara's eyes narrowed.
“Who are you?”
The woman lowered the gun slightly.
“My name is Seraphine.”
The name struck something inside Elara.
A memory.
A garden.
Rain.
A woman's hand brushing through her hair.
“Sleep, Evelyn. When you wake up, you'll forget everything.”
Elara stepped backward.
“You erased my memories.”
Seraphine smiled.
“No.”
She pointed the gun toward Elara's chest.
“You erased them yourself.”
Maya suddenly stepped between them.
“Seraphine, stop.”
Seraphine looked at her.
“You still protect her.”
“I promised.”
“You promised a dying girl.”
Maya's face crumpled.
Elara looked between them.
“What promise?”
Neither answered.
“Tell me!”
Seraphine sighed.
“She promised to keep you away from Kael.”
Elara's heart sank.
“Why?”
“Because Kael was the reason you died the first time.”
A loud knock came from downstairs.
Kael.
“Evelyn!”
Seraphine immediately raised the gun.
“Choose.”
Elara looked at her.
“Choose what?”
“Who dies before sunrise.”
“No.”
“You've done it six times.”
“I won't do it again.”
Seraphine's expression hardened.
“You always say that.”
Another knock.
Kael's voice became urgent.
“Elara, listen to me. Do not trust her!”
Seraphine laughed.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“She told you that every life.”
Elara's eyes widened.
“Kael remembers?”
“Yes.”
Seraphine lowered her voice.
“He remembers every time you die.”
Elara looked toward the door.
“Then why doesn't he stop it?”
Seraphine's eyes became cold.
“Because he can't.”
“Why?”
“Because you made him promise.”
Elara froze.
“What promise?”
Seraphine looked directly into her eyes.
“That if you ever remembered the truth, he would let you kill him.”
Silence.
Elara's heart pounded.
She walked toward the door.
“Kael.”
“Yes?”
“Did I make you promise that?”
There was a long silence.
Then—
“Yes.”
Elara closed her eyes.
“Why?”
His voice cracked.
“Because the truth would destroy you.”
The clock on the wall changed.
4:00 a.m.
Seraphine looked at it.
“Four hours.”
Elara turned.
“Four hours until what?”
“Until the seventh life ends.”
Maya grabbed Elara's hand.
“Run.”
They rushed toward the back door.
But before Elara could reach it—
A gunshot exploded.
Maya fell.
“Maya!”
Elara dropped beside her.
Blood slowly spread across Maya's shirt.
Elara screamed.
“No!”
Seraphine stood frozen.
“I didn't shoot.”
Elara looked toward the doorway.
Kael stood there.
Holding a gun.
His face was pale.
The gun slipped from his hand.
“Elara…”
She stared at him in horror.
“You killed her.”
Kael shook his head.
“I didn't.”
Elara looked down at Maya.
Maya was still breathing.
Barely.
She reached for Elara's hand.
“Don't…”
Elara leaned closer.
Maya whispered four words.
“The photograph… is lying.”
Her eyes closed.
Elara looked at the photograph still lying on the floor.
And suddenly noticed something she hadn't seen before.
The dates.
They weren't years.
They were names.
Life One.
Life Two.
Life Three.
Life Four.
Life Five.
Life Six.
Life Seven.
They were all written in the handwriting of the same person.
Elara recognized it immediately.
Her own handwriting.
She picked up the photograph.
On the back, beneath the final line, another sentence slowly appeared.
Fresh ink.
As if someone had just written it.
LIFE SEVEN — SHE MUST REMEMBER WHO SHE REALLY IS.
Elara's hands began to shake.
Then the lights went out again.
And from somewhere in the darkness came her own voice:
“You finally made it to the last life.”
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