Chapter 20: The Truth in the Darkness

The morning sunlight filtered through the heavy curtains, illuminating the scattered papers and notebooks on the floor. Chen Shanyi opened her eyes, the echoes of last night's decision and that phone call still ringing in her mind. She knew, without a doubt, there was no turning back. No matter the truth behind her lost memories, she had to face it.

She stood up and walked to the window, gazing out at the bustling street below. This was the heart of the city—cars and people moving in a constant stream, a world so alive, yet so disconnected from her inner turmoil. She felt an inexplicable loneliness, as if the city had grown more distant from her, as if she no longer belonged here.

"Can I really find the truth in all this chaos?" she murmured to herself, her mind filled with doubt and unease.

Just as she was about to continue sorting through the papers, her phone rang again, the screen displaying an unfamiliar number. She hesitated for a moment but decided to pick up the call.

"Chen Shanyi, I know what you're looking for." The voice on the other end was deep and calm—Siska.

Her heart skipped a beat, as if that one sentence had torn down all her defenses. "You know? What do you want from me?"

"You've already touched upon a truth you can no longer avoid, Shanyi," Siska's voice was tinged with a hint of helplessness. "The memories you're searching for were never your choice. Everything, every piece of it, has been manipulated from behind the scenes."

Chen Shanyi felt a sudden, overwhelming pressure, and her hands instinctively clenched into fists. "What do you mean? You've known from the beginning?"

"I knew you'd ask that," Siska's voice carried a trace of pain. "The past you don't remember was not erased by chance. It was deliberately wiped away. You were part of an experiment, and every memory connected to you has been controlled."

Her mind went blank in an instant. Her hand slowly dropped, and the phone almost slipped from her grip. "Impossible… This can't be true!"

"Whether you can accept this is up to you," Siska's tone was somber, filled with an indescribable sense of powerlessness. "You and I once shared something deep, something crucial, but now, what you remember is just a fragment of that."

"Why?" Chen Shanyi couldn't help but ask. "Why would this happen? Are you… are you the person from my memories? Did I really love you?"

The silence on the other end seemed to answer all her questions. After a moment, Siska spoke again, "Yes, Shanyi. You were once the most important person to me, and I… I was once the one you held closest. But now, we are both forced to walk this path."

Her heart pounded painfully in her chest, her breath growing shallow as if something were suffocating her. "How did this happen? Why has everything turned out like this?"

Siska sighed softly. "Because some people don't want us to remember each other. They want us to forget everything. This is an experiment, a deep control. You lost your memories, and I became a stranger in your mind."

Hearing these words, a strange, inexpressible fear began to overtake Chen Shanyi's heart. Her world seemed to crumble, each word from Siska like a sharp needle stabbing into her heart.

"So, what do you want me to do?" she finally asked, her voice so low it was almost inaudible.

"I know you've been looking for the part of yourself you've lost, and now, you have to face this truth." Siska's voice was full of quiet, unwavering resolve. "You can no longer escape. You must understand that behind everything, there is a massive conspiracy."

"A conspiracy?" Chen Shanyi froze. "Who are you talking about? Who is controlling all of this?"

"I can't guarantee you'll believe me, but I'll tell you this: there are forces beyond the ordinary in this world. What you don't remember is the price you've paid under these forces." Siska paused briefly, then added, "This isn't just about you and me. There's a greater power struggle and a battle for interests behind everything."

Chen Shanyi's heart felt as though it were being gripped by an invisible hand, her breathing becoming heavy. She felt trapped in an endless fog, wanting to escape but unable to find the way out.

"You must decide now," Siska's voice was deep and urgent. "Will you continue to search for the truth behind this path, or will you leave it all behind and live in this false world?"

The voice on the other end carried an undeniable weight, each word pressing on Chen Shanyi's heart, forcing her to make a choice.

"I..." Her voice trembled. "I can't go back now."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, an unprecedented determination rising within her. No matter how terrifying the truth might be, she would not turn back. She had come this far—there was no choosing to give up now.

"I need to know everything," she spoke slowly, her voice clear and resolute. "No matter what the outcome, I have to face it."

There was no response from Siska on the other end of the line. After a brief pause, the call was abruptly disconnected. Chen Shanyi lowered her head, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes. She knew that there was no turning back from this path, but she also understood that only by finding the truth could she truly free herself and finally understand the connection that once existed between her and Siska.