Silence suffocated the tavern. The man in the doorway didn't move, his dark eyes locked onto Amelia like a predator watching prey.
Her instincts screamed at her to run. But then—
A voice behind the bar broke the tension.
"Leave her be, Lucas."
The bartender's voice was steady, but there was an edge to it, something Amelia couldn't quite place.
Lucas. That was his name.
Lucas's lips curled into a slow, eerie smile. "She doesn't remember yet, does she?"
Amelia clenched her fists. "Remember what?"
Neither man answered.
Instead, Lucas took a step forward, and the bartender's hand shot beneath the counter. "I said leave, now."
For a long moment, Lucas stared at him, then at Amelia. Finally, he exhaled, his smile never wavering.
"We'll talk soon, Amelia."
And then—just like that—he turned and walked out into the night.
The moment the door shut, the bartender cursed under his breath. "You shouldn't have come here."
Amelia slammed her hand on the counter. "Then maybe someone should start telling me what the hell is going on!"
The bartender studied her, then sighed. "I don't know how much time we have, so listen carefully. My name is Samuel. You wrote yourself a note to find me, didn't you?"
Her breath caught. Go to the Hollow Tavern. Ask for Samuel. He remembers.
She nodded.
Samuel's jaw tightened. "Then that means they wiped your memory again."
Her stomach turned to ice. "What—who?"
He leaned in, lowering his voice. "The people in this town… they're not what they seem. You've been uncovering something dangerous, Amelia. Every time you get too close, they erase you."
She swallowed hard. "But I'm still here."
His eyes darkened. "For now."
A glass shattered in the back of the tavern.
Samuel stiffened. Amelia turned just in time to see a shadow move in the corner of the room.
They weren't alone.
To be continued…