Ava couldn't breathe. The words echoed inside her mind—The woman I lost. She stared at Adrian, trying to read the truth behind his calm expression. Was it grief? Obsession? Or something far more dangerous? "I'm not her," Ava said firmly. "I will never be her." Adrian didn't argue, and that scared her more. The monitors behind her flickered again, showing side-by-side comparisons—her face and another woman's. Same eyes. Same smile. Same bone structure. Almost identical. "Her name was Elena," Adrian said quietly. The name hit her like a ghost. Ava's chest tightened. "Stop," she whispered. "I don't want to hear this." "You deserve to know," he replied. Images flashed across the screens—Elena laughing, Elena standing beside Adrian, Elena wearing the same necklace Ava now wore. Ava's hand flew to her neck. "I never chose this necklace," she murmured. Adrian's silence confirmed everything. Her memories felt unstable suddenly. Blurry at the edges. Certain childhood moments didn't feel as clear as they once had. "What did you do to me?" she asked, fear creeping into her voice. Adrian stepped closer. "I didn't erase you." "But you changed me." He didn't deny it. Ava's heartbeat pounded in her ears. "Those sixteen versions… what happened to them?" "They couldn't handle the memory alignment," Adrian said. "Their minds rejected it." "Memory alignment?" she repeated. He gestured to the screen. A graph appeared—two lines slowly merging into one. "Your memories," he said softly, "and hers." The room felt like it was spinning. "So you've been feeding me someone else's life?" "Only fragments," he admitted. "To stabilize the integration." Ava felt her stomach twist. "You've been shaping me into her. Why?" Adrian's gaze softened. "Because I lost her, and I couldn't bear it. But you… you're strong. You're alive. You can survive what they couldn't."
Ava's hands trembled. "What if I don't want to survive as her?" Adrian stepped even closer. "Then I'll fight with you. But the process won't wait." Ava's pulse roared. "The process?" she whispered. "Integration. The merging of memories, skills, identity… into one stable consciousness. Yours and hers. Soon, you'll remember less of yourself and more of her." Ava shook her head violently. "I won't let you do this. I am not her!" Adrian's expression softened, but his eyes were serious. "I know. That's why I'm here with you. To guide you. To protect you. But I can't stop it completely. You'll have to fight your mind as it fights the process." The screens flickered again, showing Elena's face staring back at Ava. Ava's throat went dry. "And if I lose?" Adrian reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Then I'll be here when you wake up. And I'll help you remember yourself." Ava stared into his eyes, her body trembling. She felt trapped, confused, and strangely drawn to him all at once. The mansion felt cold around her, but Adrian's presence was warmer than she expected. The monitors glowed softly, casting strange shadows on her face. Her reflection in the screens no longer felt fully hers.
"You've been living in fragments," Adrian said quietly. "Memories of Elena, bits of what she was… all stitched into you. That's why you feel disoriented, why your thoughts aren't fully your own." Ava's mind spun. "And you knew this the whole time?" she asked, her voice cracking. Adrian nodded. "From the moment I saw you, I knew. But I didn't know if you could survive it. You're the first one who might." Ava's knees felt weak. "First one…?" she whispered. "The others didn't make it?" He looked away. "They couldn't handle the memory merging. They fractured. Their bodies couldn't sustain it. And I… I couldn't save them." She backed away, shaking. "So I'm just… lucky?" "No," Adrian corrected. "Strong. You survived their mistakes. But now it's your choice. Fight or submit. I won't force you, but the process won't stop." Ava swallowed hard. The room seemed smaller, the monitors watching her, her own face staring back like a stranger. Fear and defiance battled inside her.
Ava's hand flew to the screens. "Then I'll fight." Her voice was low, steady, and full of determination. "I won't be Elena. Not entirely. Not ever." Adrian's gaze softened again. "I believe you." She took a deep breath. "What about the integration? Can it be stopped?" Adrian paused. "Partially. But the closer it reaches one hundred percent, the harder it is. You'll have to reclaim your own memories while resisting hers." Ava's chest tightened. "And if I fail?" "Then I'll be here," Adrian said. "I won't let you vanish. But I can't do the fighting for you." Silence fell between them. The screens glowed softly. Ava studied her own image, then Elena's, then back at Adrian. Her pulse raced. Every instinct told her to flee, to run from the mansion, from Adrian, from this twisted reality—but part of her knew she couldn't. Not yet. Not until she understood what was real and what had been stolen from her.
Ava's mind raced. Every memory suddenly felt fragile, like glass waiting to shatter. Faces, conversations, moments from her childhood — were they hers, or Elena's? Could she even trust her own mind anymore? Adrian stepped closer again, gently holding her hands. "Your memories are strong," he said. "But you need to fight. Hold on to yourself. Only you can decide what survives." Ava's hands shook, but she met his eyes. "Then I fight," she said. Her voice grew louder, steadier. "I will not become her. I will not forget myself." Adrian nodded, a faint smile crossing his face. "Good. That is the start." The room hummed with soft light. The monitors flickered, showing Elena's face, smiling eerily, and Ava realized the battle had just begun.
Ava felt a sudden surge of clarity. Fear was still there, but now defiance burned brighter. She turned to face the screens, the monitors, Adrian, and the room itself. "I will not be erased," she whispered. "Not by anyone. Not by any program." Adrian's hand lingered on hers. "Then let's begin," he said softly. Ava's heart pounded, but this time it was hope as well as fear. The journey ahead would be dangerous. Terrifying. But she would reclaim herself, piece by piece, memory by memory. And as the monitors continued to flicker, showing glimpses of Elena and the past, Ava realized that the cracks in the reflection were hers to mend.