THE FACE SHE FORGOT
1742 Words
Elena couldn't breathe.
The man stood beneath the weak light, his face partly hidden by the shadows.
She had expected something frightening.
Something unnatural.
Instead, he looked ordinary.
That was what unsettled her most.
Dark suit. Black shoes. Neatly combed hair. A silver watch around his wrist. There was nothing monstrous about him.
Nothing that explained why Adrian had warned her not to look at his face.
But Elena had already seen him.
Not clearly.
Not completely.
Somewhere inside her mind, a door had opened.
A small hand.
A red door.
Her father's voice.
And that face.
She stepped backward.
"No."
The man smiled.
"You remember."
"I don't."
"You do."
"I don't know you."
He tilted his head.
"That's what they made you believe."
Adrian moved in front of Elena.
"Stay away from her."
The man's smile disappeared.
"You said the same thing sixteen years ago."
Adrian went still.
Elena looked between them.
"You know him."
"Yes."
The man laughed softly.
"You always were good at stating the obvious."
Elena's eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?"
He looked at her.
"My name doesn't matter."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because you came back."
"I didn't come here looking for you."
"Not consciously."
She hated that answer.
"What happened three days ago?"
The man walked toward the photographs covering the walls.
"You began remembering."
"I don't remember anything."
"Exactly."
He picked up a photograph.
It showed Elena standing in the lobby.
Three days ago.
She watched him turn it around.
Written on the back were four words.
SHE CAME BY HERSELF.
Elena stared.
"I didn't."
"You did."
"Why?"
"To ask a question."
"What question?"
The man smiled.
"Where your father went."
Her stomach dropped.
She looked at Adrian.
He said nothing.
"Did I find him?"
The man looked at her.
"Not yet."
"He's alive?"
Silence.
Elena's heart began pounding.
"Answer me."
"I didn't say that."
"You said I came looking for him."
"Yes."
"Then tell me what I found."
The man placed the photograph back.
"You found the truth."
"What truth?"
"That your father wasn't the first person to disappear from this building."
Elena waited.
"He was the first person to discover why."
Adrian stepped forward.
"Enough."
The man turned.
"You're still protecting her."
"Yes."
"After everything?"
"Yes."
The man's eyes hardened.
"You should have left her alone."
"I tried."
Elena looked at Adrian.
"Tried what?"
The man answered for him.
"To make you forget."
Elena's chest tightened.
Adrian didn't deny it.
"You couldn't erase her memories," the man continued. "So you buried them."
Elena stared at Adrian.
"Is that true?"
He looked at her.
"Yes."
Her voice became quiet.
"You knew this would happen."
"I knew something might."
"And you still brought me here."
"I didn't bring you."
"You accepted my application."
"Because I thought keeping you close was safer than leaving you outside."
Elena shook her head.
"That doesn't make sense."
"It did to me."
The man laughed.
"That's always been his problem."
Adrian turned toward him.
"You don't get to talk about what I did."
"Why not?"
"Because you caused it."
The room went silent.
Elena looked at the man.
"Caused what?"
He didn't answer.
She turned to Adrian.
"What did he cause?"
Adrian's eyes remained on the man.
"The first game."
The man's expression changed.
"It wasn't the first game."
Adrian frowned.
"Then what was it?"
"A test."
Elena looked at the photographs.
"Test for what?"
The man walked toward her.
Adrian immediately blocked him.
The man stopped.
"Your father wanted to know whether you could access the lower levels."
Elena's stomach twisted.
"Why me?"
"Because the building responded to you."
"Since when?"
"Since you were six."
She looked at the walls.
"So that's why my parents brought me here?"
"Your father brought you."
"My mother didn't want me here."
"No."
Elena swallowed.
"Why did he bring me?"
"Because he believed you could help him."
She felt anger rise.
"My father used me."
The man didn't deny it.
"Yes."
Adrian looked at Elena.
"Your father changed his mind."
"After what?"
"After the first game."
The man smiled faintly.
"After he realized what the building wanted."
Elena looked at him.
"What did it want?"
He stepped toward one of the photographs.
It showed little Elena standing in front of a black door.
Her hand was pressed against it.
A strange symbol was painted above the handle.
"The building doesn't choose people randomly."
Elena stared.
"Then how does it choose?"
The man looked at her.
"It remembers them."
A cold sensation travelled down her spine.
"What does that mean?"
"Some people leave impressions behind."
"Impressions?"
"Fear. Memories. Promises. Secrets."
He tapped the photograph.
"You left a stronger impression than anyone else."
Elena looked at Adrian.
"Why?"
He didn't answer.
The man did.
"Because you were the only person who opened the door and came back."
Elena stared.
"I opened it?"
"Yes."
"What was behind it?"
The man's smile returned.
"That's what you're here to remember."
A loud bang came from somewhere beneath the room.
Elena jumped.
Adrian looked toward the floor.
"Marcus."
The man glanced at him.
"Still thinking about the employee?"
"Where is he?"
"Alive."
"Let him go."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because he knows something."
Elena stepped forward.
"What does he know?"
The man looked at her.
"He knows who brought you here."
Her heart skipped.
"Who?"
"Ask him."
"Where is he?"
The man pointed toward the far wall.
A section of the wall opened.
Behind it was another corridor.
Elena stared.
"How many rooms are under this building?"
The man smiled.
"Enough."
Adrian caught her arm.
"We're leaving."
The man laughed.
"You can't."
A metallic click sounded behind them.
The door they had entered through locked.
Elena tried the handle.
Nothing.
Adrian pulled it.
Still nothing.
The man walked away.
"Your game isn't over."
Elena turned.
"What game?"
He stopped without looking back.
"The one you started three days ago."
Then he disappeared into the corridor.
Elena stared after him.
"Adrian."
"I know."
"You said he was dead."
Adrian looked at her.
"I never said that."
"Then why did you tell me he disappeared?"
"Because that's what happened."
"But he's here."
"Yes."
"Who is he?"
Adrian's face tightened.
"The man who ran the first games."
"The first boss."
He nodded.
Elena looked toward the corridor.
"And he knows everything about me."
"Yes."
"Then why hasn't he hurt me?"
Adrian didn't answer.
"Why?"
"He needs you."
"For what?"
Adrian looked at the photographs.
"To open something."
"Again."
He nodded.
"What?"
"The room beneath this one."
Elena looked at the floor.
"There are more levels?"
"Yes."
"How far down?"
"I don't know."
"You've been here for sixteen years."
"I've never reached the bottom."
Elena stared at him.
"Then how do you know there's a bottom?"
"I don't."
A sound came from the corridor.
Footsteps.
Someone was approaching.
Adrian pulled Elena behind him.
Marcus appeared.
He stumbled into the room, breathing heavily.
Elena rushed toward him.
"Marcus!"
He caught himself against the wall.
"Don't."
"You're hurt."
"Not badly."
He looked toward the corridor.
"He's coming."
"Who?"
Marcus looked at Adrian.
"The boss."
Adrian's expression hardened.
"He let you go?"
Marcus nodded.
"Why?"
"Because I told him where you were."
Elena froze.
"You told him?"
Marcus shook his head quickly.
"Not on purpose."
"Then what happened?"
"He showed me something."
"What?"
Marcus looked at Elena.
"A recording."
Her stomach tightened.
"Of what?"
"You."
"When?"
"Three days ago."
Elena went still.
"What was I doing?"
Marcus swallowed.
"You were talking to him."
"I've never met him."
"You did."
"No."
"You were sitting across from him."
Elena shook her head.
"That's impossible."
Marcus looked at Adrian.
"She asked him about her father."
Elena's mind raced.
"What did I say?"
Marcus hesitated.
"You asked him why he kept following you."
Her heart stopped.
"Following me?"
He nodded.
"You told him you knew what he had done."
Elena looked at Adrian.
"Did I?"
He didn't answer.
Marcus continued.
"You also told him that if he wanted the key, he would have to come and get it himself."
Elena slowly reached into her pocket.
The brass key was still there.
Her fingers closed around it.
She looked at Adrian.
"If I spoke to him three days ago, why don't I remember?"
Adrian's face was grim.
"Because something happened after that conversation."
"What?"
"You disappeared."
Elena stared.
"For how long?"
"Almost six hours."
"Where?"
Adrian looked toward the corridor.
"We found you in the old office."
"The one upstairs?"
"Yes."
"Alone?"
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"You were unconscious."
Elena's eyes widened.
"Did I say anything?"
Adrian hesitated.
"You kept repeating one sentence."
"What?"
He looked directly at her.
"You said, 'Don't let him make me open it.'"
Elena felt the blood drain from her face.
"What was I supposed to open?"
Adrian didn't answer.
A soft clicking sound came from the wall.
Everyone turned.
The photographs began falling one by one.
Not randomly.
In a line.
They dropped toward the far end of the room.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Until only one photograph remained.
It showed Elena standing before the black door.
Sixteen years ago.
Beside her stood Adrian.
But there was someone else in the photograph.
A man.
Elena's father.
He was holding a small black box.
The photograph had writing across the bottom.
THE FIRST GAME WASN'T FOR ELENA.
The final words appeared slowly.
IT WAS FOR ADRIAN.
Elena looked at him.
He didn't move.
"What does that mean?"
Adrian stared at the photograph.
Then, quietly:
"My father was testing whether I would choose you over him."
Elena's eyes widened.
"Your father?"
Adrian nodded.
"The first boss wasn't my employer."
He looked toward the corridor where the man had disappeared.
"He was my father."
Silence filled the room.
Elena stared at him.
The pieces in her head shifted.
The games.
Her father.
Adrian.
The photographs.
The memories.
The man who had been waiting for her.
She looked at the closed door.
"Then why did he choose me?"
Adrian's eyes met hers.
"Because sixteen years ago, you were the only person I chose over him."
A deep bell sounded somewhere beneath the floor.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The lights flickered.
A message appeared across the wall.
NEXT GAME: TRUST.
Then another line appeared.
TWO PLAYERS. ONE LIAR.
Marcus stepped backward.
Elena looked at Adrian.
He looked at her.
Neither of them spoke.
Then the door at the far end opened.
And somewhere beyond it, a woman's voice whispered:
"Choose carefully, Elena."
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