Ep 3: The Ring That Shouldn’t Exist
806 Words
The silver ring felt cold against Lyra’s skin.
She stared at it without blinking.
Moments ago, her hand had been empty.
Now a simple silver band rested in her palm, its surface engraved with tiny vines that twisted into the shape of an endless circle.
It wasn’t flashy.
It wasn’t expensive.
Yet the moment she touched it, an overwhelming sadness settled over her heart.
She couldn’t explain why.
She slipped it onto her finger without thinking.
The ring fit perfectly.
Not too loose.
Not too tight.
As though it had been made for her.
“No…”
Kael’s voice was barely a whisper.
His eyes remained fixed on the ring.
“That’s impossible.”
Lyra looked up.
“You’ve seen it before?”
Kael didn’t answer.
His breathing had become uneven.
For a brief second, another memory flashed through his mind.
Rain.
A railway platform.
A young woman laughing.
A silver ring resting in the palm of his hand.
Then came a blinding pain.
He pressed a hand against his temple.
The memory vanished before he could grasp it.
“Kael?”
Lyra stepped toward him.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
He answered too quickly.
Director Evelyn noticed.
“So did Dr. Bennett.
Neither said a word.
⸻
Evelyn approached slowly.
“May I see the ring, Miss Carter?”
Lyra hesitated.
Something inside her resisted.
It wasn’t fear.
It was instinct.
As though giving away the ring would mean losing something precious.
Still, she carefully removed it and handed it over.
The moment the ring left her fingers…
The warmth disappeared from her chest.
The emptiness returned.
Evelyn turned the ring over in her hand.
Her expression remained calm.
Only someone who knew her well would have noticed the slight tightening of her jaw.
She passed it to Dr. Bennett.
He adjusted his glasses.
“There are no identifying marks.”
“No Archive registration.”
“No memory seal.”
Kael frowned.
“Then how did it appear?”
No one had an answer.
Dr. Bennett tried placing the ring inside a small crystal scanner.
The device emitted a soft blue light.
A few seconds later…
The scanner beeped sharply.
ERROR
OBJECT NOT FOUND
He frowned.
“Run it again.”
Same result.
OBJECT NOT FOUND
“That’s impossible.”
“The scanner identifies everything.”
Evelyn quietly took the ring back.
“Apparently not everything.”
⸻
Outside Observation Room Four…
Two junior employees whispered nervously.
“Have you heard?”
“Heard what?”
“The visitor.”
“The one whose badge turned gold.”
“What about her?”
“They say she created a memory.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“People don’t create memories.”
“They only store them.”
“I know.”
“But that’s what Security is saying.”
Neither of them noticed the cleaner mopping the hallway nearby.
He kept his head lowered.
His grey uniform blended perfectly with the surroundings.
Just another maintenance worker.
Invisible.
Forgettable.
Exactly as intended.
As soon as the employees walked away…
He removed a tiny communication device from his sleeve.
“The ring has appeared.”
A distorted voice answered immediately.
“Confirmed?”
“Yes.”
“And Memory Zero?”
The cleaner glanced toward Observation Room Four.
“I believe it has begun waking up.”
The voice remained silent for several long seconds.
Finally…
“Do nothing.”
“Simply watch.”
“When the girl leaves the Archive…”
“Bring her to me.”
The transmission ended.
The cleaner returned the device to his sleeve.
Then continued mopping the floor as if nothing had happened.
⸻
Back inside the room…
Lyra stood by the window overlooking the endless shelves of memory vials.
Thousands of tiny lights glowed peacefully.
It should have been beautiful.
Instead…
She couldn’t stop thinking about one question.
If memories could be stolen…
How many of hers were truly her own?
She turned toward Evelyn.
“When you offered me this interview…”
“Did you already know something was wrong with me?”
Evelyn answered honestly.
“No.”
“I suspected.”
“Suspected what?”
“That you might be connected to a case we’ve been investigating for over twenty years.”
“What case?”
Before Evelyn could answer…
The room suddenly shook.
Not violently.
Just enough to rattle the crystal vials on the shelves.
A deep horn echoed through the Archive.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Every employee froze.
Kael looked toward the ceiling.
His face hardened.
“No…”
Lyra noticed immediately.
“What is it?”
Kael answered without taking his eyes off the door.
“Nobody sounds the Black Horn…”
“…unless someone has broken into the Vault District.”
⸻
End of Part 1 of 3
- Writer
