Marcus/Rocco
Nobody spoke for several seconds after Darren pointed
to the centre of the map.
The marker rested against a single location.
The Azzurro Estate.
The room felt strangely still. Not because of the
name. not for most of them.
For Noah, Riley, and even Seraphina, it was just
another location on a map. An old property. A lead. A place worth
investigating.
For me?
It was home. Or at least it had been. Seven years ago.
Darren tapped the map again. "I know it sounds crazy."
"It does." Noah said.
"It really does," Riley agreed.
Darren ignored them. "As far as I can tell, every
pattern leads back here."
He pointed to the estate. "Maybe it's nothing."
Seraphina raised an eyebrow.
"You spent an entire night building a conspiracy
wall."
"A data wall."
"Conspiracy wall."
"A data wall."
Callie snorted. Livia laughed. And just like that, the
tension in the room eased slightly.
Darren crossed his arms. "Mock me all you want…"
"Gladly," Noah said.
"…But if I'm right…" his expression became serious.
"…then whatever this Cassian guy is looking for may be connected to that
estate."
The room quieted again. That part wasn't funny. Not
even Noah had a joke ready for that one.
Seraphina studied the map for a long moment. Then
nodded. "We go tomorrow."
Simple, direct, final. Nobody argued.
The meeting broke apart shortly afterward. Noah and
Riley headed home first since it was half an hour away.
Darren packed up his equipment. Livia helped him
gather papers scattered across the table. Callie joined her halfway through.
Within minutes the two were talking. Not as awkwardly
anymore. Like years of friendship had remembered the path back.
It wasn't completely normal yet. But it was getting
there.
"Remember when you convinced me to climb that tree?"
Callie groaned. "Oh no."
Livia pointed accusingly. "You said you knew what you
were doing."
"I thought I did."
"You got stuck."
"Temporarily."
"You cried."
Callie looked offended. "I did not!"
"You absolutely did."
Darren laughed. I laughed. Even Seraphina seemed to be
holding back her smile.
Callie pointed toward all of us. "None of you are
helping."
"Nope," Livia said. "Not even a little."
For the first time that day, Callie was smiling
without forcing it. And that was nice to see
Eventually everyone left. Leaving just Callie,
Seraphina and I. the apartment grew quieter.
I found myself staring at the map again. At the
estate. At the familiar outline of roads leading toward it.
Roads I remembered. Places I remembered. A life I
remembered. There was no missing memory this time. No blank spaces, no
confusion.
I knew exactly what waited there and it felt heavier.
"You've gone quiet." Callie stepped beside me.
I shrugged. "Thinking."
"Dangerous."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome." I rolled my eyes, smiling slightly.
For a while, we just stood there looking at the map.
Then Callie sighed.
"I never thought we'd go back and this soon." The
words caught me off guard. Mostly because I understood exactly what she meant.
The estate had become one of those places. The kind
that seemed lost in memories. Never to be returned to.
"Me neither." The answer came quietly.
Callie looked toward me. "Nervous?" I considered lying
then decided against it.
"A little."
"A little?"
"A lot."
"That's more believable." She smiled then nudged my
shoulder. "We'll survive."
I looked at her. At the confidence and certainty. The
complete lack of concern. It was ridiculous and somehow reassuring.
"You sound very sure."
"I am."
"What if something terrible happens?"
Callie shrugged. "Then Noah will complain."
I laughed. Despite myself, "fair."
"And Riley will hit him."
"Also, fair."
"And Darren will somehow discover twelve more
problems."
"Definitely fair." The smile lingered long after the
joke ended. Because she wasn't just talking about them. She was talking about
us too.
The team. The people we'd somehow gathered along the
way. People who had important before any of us realized it.
Eventually I decided to drive home. The drive felt
shorter than usual. Maybe because my mind was already somewhere else.
Somewhere beyond the city. Beyond the roads. Beyond
seven years.
The Azzurro Estate.
I remembered the gates. The garden. The long halls.
The library. The training ground. My room. I remembered every part of it.
Not as Marcus. As Rocco.
Because those memories belonged to both of us now. The
line between them wasn't something I fought anymore. Hadn't been for a while.
I was Marcus. I was Rocco.
Both were true.
By the time I got home, it was nearly midnight. The
house was quiet. I dropped onto my bed. Stared at the ceiling and tried not to
think about tomorrow.
A familiar figure appeared near the desk. Valen.
"Do you always come here to brood."
"I'm thinking."
"Humans always call it thinking."
I sighed. "You ever stop talking?"
"No."
"Didn't think so."
Valen smirked then glanced toward the window. Beyond
the darkness outside.
For once, he seemed thoughtful. "The estate interests
me."
That made me sit up. Because Valen rarely volunteered
information. Especially information about himself.
"You've been there before?"
"Not exactly."
Helpful as always. Note the sarcasm.
"What does that mean?"
Valen's smile returned immediately. Gone was the
thoughtful expression and whatever honesty had almost surfaced.
"It means you are asking the wrong questions, Rocky."
I groaned. "There it is."
"There what is?"
"The annoying part."
"The best part."
"The worst part."
Valen chuckled. Then leaned back in the chair. Looking
entirely pleased with himself. "Sleep well, Rocky."
I sighed.
Tomorrow. The estate. The answers Darren though was
waiting there.
The answers Cassian might already be searching for.
The answers none of us were sure we wanted.
And as sleep pulled slowly pulled me under, one though
refused to leave.
Not fear or doubt, not even curiosity. Just a strange
certainty.
A feeling buried deep in memories I already possessed.
If the tears were connected to the estate…
Then whatever had started seven years ago wasn't over
yet.