Kieran's grip tightened around the ceramic mug, the heat now forgotten. His mind was calculating, processing a thousand possibilities in a fraction of a second. Who was at the door? Why was he here instead of the collapsing facility? Had the reset failed?
The handle twisted again.
His body moved before his mind could keep up. He set the mug down gently—no sound, no trace. Silent. Precise. His cybernetic enhancements flickered to life, subtly shifting his vision into thermal mode. One person. Their body heat outlined in deep orange, standing just beyond the door. Not moving, not breathing heavily. Waiting.
Kieran shifted into a defensive stance, every muscle coiled. The door clicked open.
A woman stepped inside.
She was tall, dressed in a sleek black coat that fell to her calves. Platinum-blonde hair framed her face, sharp and symmetrical—too perfect, almost artificial. Her eyes, cold and calculating, locked onto him instantly. Not a stranger. He knew her. But from where?
"Good morning, Kieran," she said, voice smooth, controlled.
Kieran didn't answer. His fingers twitched at his sides, ready to strike. His memory still felt fractured—he knew he should recognize her, but the name sat just out of reach, buried beneath layers of static.
She tilted her head slightly, observing him as if testing his reaction. "You're confused. That's normal."
His jaw clenched. That's normal. The words echoed in his head. He had heard them before. Many times.
"Who are you?" His voice was rougher than he intended.
The woman sighed, stepping further inside. The door shut softly behind her, sealing them in. "That's not the right question."
Kieran's eyes narrowed. He took a step forward. "Then what is?"
She reached into her coat—slowly, deliberately, so as not to startle him. From an inner pocket, she pulled out a small, silver device no larger than a coin. She rolled it between her fingers.
"The right question, Kieran," she said, "is how many times have we had this conversation?"
The air left his lungs. His vision blurred for a second, like a glitch in his own mind. A memory surfaced. Her face. This room. This exact moment.
And then it was gone.
The woman placed the device on the counter between them. "This will help. But you won't like what you remember."
Kieran stared at it, his pulse hammering in his ears. The whisper in his head returned.
"Run."
But he didn't. Not yet.