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Chapter 29: Shadows of the Past
Aria sat on the rooftop of the Eastbridge Safehouse, knees drawn to her chest, eyes scanning the darkened skyline. The chill wind tousled her hair, but she didn’t shiver. Not anymore.
She wasn’t afraid of cold. Or of pain.
Not after what she’d seen inside the Cage.
For two days, she had drifted through her own mind like a ghost, confronting the shadows of her stolen past. Now, standing in the world again, everything felt sharper. Clearer. Heavier.
She hadn’t just broken the Cage.
She had remembered.
Everything.
Footsteps approached behind her. She didn’t turn.
“I can tell when it’s you,” she said softly.
Dante stepped into view, offering a warm cup of instant coffee. “Still got a pulse then.”
Aria gave a faint smile. “Barely.”
They sat in si
