The 365 Letters

Episode 11: The Man Who Was Dead

Rain poured across the abandoned railway station.

Ariana stood frozen on Platform Three.

Daniel's words repeated in her mind.

Let's go meet your father.

Her father.

Alive.

It was impossible.

She had stood beside his grave.

She had watched her mother cry.

She had spent three years believing she would never hear his voice again.

Ariana looked at Daniel.

“You're lying.”

Daniel smiled.

“That seems to be a popular word tonight.”

“Where is my father?”

“You'll see.”

Ariana grabbed the tracker.

“Leon!”

Nothing.

Only static answered her.

Lila stood several feet away, staring at Daniel with fear in her eyes.

Ariana noticed.

“You knew about this?”

Lila didn't answer.

Daniel turned toward her.

“Of course she did.”

Ariana looked at her sister.

“Lila?”

Lila's jaw tightened.

“I knew he was alive.”

Ariana's world tilted again.

“You knew?”

“I found out six months ago.”

“And you didn't tell me?”

Lila laughed bitterly.

“You weren't exactly easy to find.”

Ariana took a step toward her.

“I didn't know you existed.”

“And whose fault is that?”

The question hurt.

Before Ariana could answer, Daniel clapped his hands once.

“Enough family drama.”

A loud metallic sound came from behind them.

A door opened beneath the platform.

Ariana turned.

There was a narrow staircase leading underground.

Daniel pointed toward it.

“After you.”

Ariana didn't move.

“Where is my mother?”

Daniel's expression hardened.

“You ask too many questions.”

“And you answer none.”

For the first time, Daniel looked angry.

Lila stepped forward.

“Don't touch her.”

Daniel slowly turned toward her.

Ariana noticed something change between them.

Fear flashed across Lila's face.

But she didn't step back.

“Lila,” Ariana whispered.

Daniel smiled again.

“Interesting.”

Ariana looked at her sister.

“You're not working with him willingly.”

Lila said nothing.

Daniel walked closer to Lila.

“You've become emotional.”

“Leave her out of this.”

Ariana stared at Lila.

She had defended her.

Daniel's smile disappeared.

“Go downstairs, Ariana.”

“No.”

His eyes became cold.

“I wasn't asking.”

Ariana stepped backward.

Then a voice suddenly echoed from the darkness.

“She's not going anywhere.”

Everyone froze.

Ariana turned.

Leon stood at the entrance to Platform Three.

Her heart stopped.

“Leon!”

He was injured.

Blood stained the side of his shirt.

His face was pale.

But he was standing.

Daniel's expression darkened.

“You're difficult to kill.”

Leon gave a weak smile.

“You should know. You've tried enough times.”

Ariana ran toward him.

Leon caught her as she reached him.

“You're hurt.”

“I'm fine.”

“You're bleeding!”

“I've had worse.”

Ariana looked into his eyes.

She wanted to be angry.

She wanted answers.

But for one second, all she felt was relief.

He was alive.

Daniel laughed quietly.

“This is touching.”

Leon immediately moved in front of Ariana.

Daniel's smile widened.

“There you are again.”

Leon said nothing.

“Always standing between her and the truth.”

Ariana looked at Leon.

“What does he mean?”

Leon remained silent.

Daniel sighed dramatically.

“Of course.”

Ariana stepped around Leon.

“No. Not this time.”

Leon looked at her.

“Ariana—”

“You promised me nothing.”

His expression changed.

“I know.”

“You hid my sister.”

“I was trying to find her.”

“You hid my father.”

“I didn't know if he was alive.”

“You knew more than you told me.”

Leon looked down.

“Yes.”

Ariana's eyes filled with tears.

“Then tell me everything now.”

Before Leon could answer, Lila suddenly screamed.

“GET DOWN!”

A loud gunshot echoed across the station.

Ariana fell to the ground.

Leon pulled her behind a concrete pillar.

Another gunshot followed.

Daniel had disappeared.

“Where is he?” Ariana whispered.

Leon pressed his hand against his injured side.

“Stay here.”

“No!”

“Ariana!”

“I am tired of staying behind.”

Leon looked at her.

For a moment, despite everything happening around them, he almost smiled.

“You really don't listen.”

“No.”

Lila crawled toward them from the other side of the platform.

“Daniel has people here.”

Ariana looked at her.

“You're helping us?”

Lila gave a bitter smile.

“Don't make this emotional.”

Another bullet struck the wall.

Leon pulled both Ariana and Lila down.

“We need to leave.”

“The stairs,” Ariana said.

Leon shook his head.

“That's where Daniel wants us.”

Ariana looked toward the underground entrance.

Then she remembered Letter 204.

Who saved him?

Her father had survived.

Someone had saved him.

But why hide him?

Ariana suddenly remembered the letter's final instruction.

Go to Platform Three.

Not:

Follow Daniel.

She looked around the platform.

“There has to be something else.”

Leon frowned.

“What?”

“The letter brought me here.”

“Ariana, now isn't—”

“Letter 204!”

Leon stopped.

Ariana grabbed the envelope from her jacket.

She read it again.

Who saved him?

Then below it:

Go to Platform Three.

Nothing else.

Ariana looked around.

Old benches.

Broken signs.

Railway tracks.

A rusted emergency box.

Then she saw something.

A number painted beneath one of the benches.

204.

Her heart began racing.

She ran toward it.

“Ariana!” Leon shouted.

She dropped to her knees beside the bench.

There was a small metal plate underneath.

A keyhole.

Ariana immediately remembered the brass key from the swimming pool.

She pulled it from her pocket.

Leon stared.

“Where did you get that?”

“The old pool.”

She inserted it.

Click.

The metal plate opened.

Inside was another envelope.

And a small flash drive.

Lila crawled closer.

“What is that?”

Ariana opened the envelope.

The handwriting was her father's.

Real.

Familiar.

Her hands trembled.

She began reading.

Ariana,

If you found this letter, then Daniel has probably revealed himself.

Ariana looked toward the darkness.

Leon and Lila waited silently.

She continued.

I need you to understand something before you search for me.

I did not leave you.

Her eyes filled with tears.

I was forced to disappear.

Ariana stopped breathing.

Leon slowly looked away.

She continued reading.

The night you were taken, I discovered something that Daniel could not allow me to reveal. I rescued you, Lila, and Leon—but Daniel's people were waiting for us.

Lila covered her mouth.

Ariana read faster.

I was injured, but I survived.

Her hands shook.

Someone helped me escape. Someone I trusted with my life.

Ariana looked at the next line.

Then froze.

Your mother.

Silence.

Ariana slowly lowered the letter.

“My mother saved him.”

Leon closed his eyes.

Lila stared at Ariana.

“What?”

Ariana continued reading.

Your mother made everyone believe I was dead because it was the only way to protect you.

Ariana's mind raced.

The funeral.

The grave.

Her mother's tears.

Had they all been part of the plan?

Then Ariana reached the final paragraph.

But there was a problem.

Daniel knew about Lila.

Lila's face changed.

Ariana read:

To protect Ariana, we had to separate you both. Your mother took Ariana home. I was supposed to take Lila somewhere safe.

Ariana stopped.

The next sentence was written in darker ink.

I never reached the safe house.

Lila's breathing became uneven.

Ariana continued.

Someone betrayed us on the road.

Leon suddenly whispered—

“No.”

Ariana looked at him.

He stared at the letter.

“What?”

Leon slowly stepped backward.

“No.”

Ariana's heart began pounding.

“What is it?”

Leon looked toward Daniel's hidden underground entrance.

Then back at Ariana.

“The person who betrayed your father…”

His voice broke.

Ariana waited.

Leon looked directly at Lila.

“...wasn't Daniel.”

Everything became silent.

Lila's face went pale.

Ariana stared at Leon.

“Then who was it?”

Leon reached toward the flash drive.

“Play this.”

Ariana inserted the drive into her phone using a small adapter.

A video appeared.

The screen was dark at first.

Then an image slowly formed.

Ariana gasped.

It was inside a hospital room.

Her father was lying on a bed.

Alive.

Older.

Weaker.

Ariana covered her mouth.

“Dad…”

On the screen, her father turned toward the camera.

“If Ariana is watching this, then Daniel is no longer the only danger.”

Ariana couldn't stop crying.

Her father's voice.

She hadn't heard it in years.

He continued.

“There is someone I trusted who betrayed me.”

The video suddenly shifted.

A name appeared on the screen.

Ariana's heart stopped.

LEON CARTER

Ariana slowly turned toward Leon.

He stood completely still.

Lila backed away.

Ariana whispered—

“Leon…”

The video continued.

Her father's voice became quieter.

“If you are watching this with Leon, do not let him leave.”

Leon looked terrified.

Ariana stared at him.

“What did you do?”

Leon shook his head.

“I didn't betray him.”

Her phone screen suddenly changed.

The video froze.

Then a new message appeared.

HE'S LYING.

Ariana looked toward the darkness.

Daniel's voice echoed through the station.

“Now you finally understand.”

Leon stepped back.

Ariana noticed.

He was preparing to run.

Her father's final words echoed again.

Do not let him leave.

Ariana raised her voice.

“Leon.”

He stopped.

Rain fell harder across the broken station.

Ariana's tears mixed with the rain.

“Don't move.”

Leon looked at her.

For the first time, Ariana saw something in his eyes she had never seen before.

Not fear of Daniel.

Not fear of death.

Fear of losing her.

And Ariana realized something terrifying.

Maybe Leon wasn't running from her.

Maybe he was running from the truth.

To be continued...