CHAPTER 25 — The Time She Realized She Was Changing
Lia woke with a strange tightness in her chest — not fear, not sadness, but something quieter, heavier. She lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, listening to the faint hum of the city outside her window. Her notebook sat open on her desk, waiting. She didn’t touch it. She didn’t want to see the truth she wrote last night — that she was building a wall, that she didn’t know how to tear it down, that silence was becoming something she didn’t know how to escape. She pressed a hand to her chest. Why does it feel like I’m becoming someone I don’t recognize? A Morning That Felt Like Wearing Someone Else’s Skin At the research building, her group was already gathered. Aria waved her over. “Lia! We’re doing the final run-through today.” Mateo grinned. “We’re almost ready fo
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