THE RETURN OF THE FORGOTTEN

IA'S

gh complaining about her professor, who apparently doesn't know the difference between explaining something and just conf

ace, "he told us to re-read the syllabus. Like tha

ut to faint. "No! Not the syllabus!

s i

glaring into her camera

ndow's cracked open, and the sound pulls my attention like a magnet. I glance toward the glass,

ro

She looks as perfect as always-calm, composed, like she hasn't even thought about

to place, sighing softly as I

slightly. She's observant like that, alw

brushing it off. "Aurora's

ace lighting up with mischief. "R

ough the screen. "

le confused, but she doesn't push. Ian

up by now," he says, leaning closer to the camera like he's

Even when she stopped talking to me, even when the distance between

y, my voice softer than usual.

something softer. Eli looks like she wants to

voice unusually serious. "Aurora's stubborn, yeah

I don't fully believe it. Aurora's stubborn, yes, but I'm not sure wai

settling over me, "enough about her. What were

renewed energy, and Ian jumps in to stir the pot. I let their

ho are here for me, who understand me-even the messy, broken par

☆

t know why I do this. Every time I tell myself it's the last time, that I don't care anymore. But somehow, I alw

ture of what they are. I step closer, my boots crunching softly against the gravel, and I try not to let the memories

ven be here. But they can't die

beer, sweat, and something sharp and chemical that makes my nose wrinkle. I step i

ttles litter the floor, rolling slightly with each shift of the rotting carpet. Pills and powder

m-for everything they've done, for everything they've turned me into. But another part of me feels n

s fine. Fine enough that I don't need to do anything tonight. Fine enou

e cold night air feels cleaner now, less suffocating. The weight I didn't realiz

n them, even though I know I shouldn't. Because that's who I am. Not Amalia.

ont of me as I head home, and

☆

rug. A map of the city is spread out in front of us, red pins marking locations while blue ones highlight escape routes. Seb

that," Eliana says absently, her eyes glued to the

n glancing up. "Please,

ssional drama queen, maybe. Can we focus?

up. "We've got this. It's just a few Russians. W

neath the surface. "They're not just Russians, Seb. They're t

est. "All the better. If they've been messing with shipments

sing into a thin line. "This isn't

s warehouse is where they've been operating out of. I'll take the north entrance, Ian can

can see the worry in her eyes, the way she's al

. "You've got this. You're Athena, r

nodding. "Yeah. Ok

like a kid on Christmas. "And you, Ian? Think you can

ed. "I am offended by your lack of faith

hadow," I mutter

t feel a flicker of reassurance. This is what we do. The three of u

sn't have an

eone's

, I feel the familiar rush of anticipation. By the end of the night, the Ru

one name above al

☆

warehouse light, blood dripping from the edges as I move silently, my breathing steady despite the chaos erupting around me. Eliana's shot

s were sloppy-amateurs playing

ve heard. A big, loud idiot who thinks fear is enough to keep hi

cts screaming at m

ng through my teeth. I spin around, my knife already in hand, and find

his grip on the knife falters.

s that hav

sound that echoes in the empty space. "G

pin him to the wall, blood dripping from my shoulder as I press the b

ng like his fear had vanished

ehind this?" I ask very calmly as I sta

ff him in waves. "I-I don't know! We don't

ss. T

"Then I guess you're no

ppened. I crouch down, pulling a small, signature card from my pocket-a blood-red mark shaped like a phoenix. Sca

t my teeth. Something feels... wrong. I've been stab

ar the exit. The second he sees me, his expression twists into a

oice sharper than I mean

stepping closer and grabbing my arm

ndage it," I cut him off, win

his bag, muttering about how reckless I am. His hand

t normal. The wou

rds sink in. Poisoned. That explains the burni

is voice uncharacteristically serious. "Ju

ways. Darkness creeps in at the edges of my vision, and t