The Path to the Garden

Evelyn and Lucien wasted no time. The moment they left the café, they stepped into the cool night, the city lights flickering like distant stars. The streets were quieter now, the hum of the evening settling in, but a sense of urgency wrapped around them like a vice.

"The garden," Evelyn muttered as they walked. "Where is it?"

Lucien led the way, his stride purposeful. "It's on the outskirts of the estate district. It used to belong to your family."

Evelyn faltered for a moment. "My family?"

Lucien slowed, glancing at her. "Yes. Before… everything."

A flicker of something stirred in her chest—recognition, but faint. Like a whisper in the wind, impossible to grasp. She pushed forward, determined to uncover what lay hidden in her past.

As they neared the estate district, Evelyn noticed the stark contrast between the bustling city and the quiet, grand mansions standing behind ornate gates. Some were alight with life, laughter spilling from their gardens, while others remained dark and somber, ghosts of a bygone era.

Lucien stopped in front of a rusted iron gate covered in overgrown ivy. Beyond it, the remnants of a once-glorious garden stretched into the night. Moonlight cast long shadows over the crumbling stone pathways, the flowers long since wilted.

Evelyn's breath hitched. The air here felt different—thick with memories she couldn't quite reach.

"This is it," Lucien said quietly. "This is where it happened."

Evelyn stepped forward, pushing the gate open with a creak. The scent of damp earth and old roses clung to the air. She walked cautiously, her fingertips grazing the leaves and petals as if they might tell her what she had lost.

Then, as she reached the center of the garden, something shifted.

A flicker—an image—flashed in her mind. The glow of lanterns. The rustling of silk. A warm hand wrapped around hers. A voice, soft yet urgent: Promise me… no matter what happens, you'll remember.

Her breath came faster. "I was here," she whispered.

Lucien was beside her in an instant. "What do you see?"

She closed her eyes, letting the echoes of the past wash over her. A feeling of warmth, of belonging… and then fear. Shadows looming. Voices raised in warning. A rush of cold air as something was torn away from her.

Her eyes snapped open, and she turned to Lucien. "They took something from me here. More than just a memory."

Lucien's jaw clenched. "I was afraid of that."

Evelyn reached for his hand, gripping it tightly. "Then we need to find out what it was."

Lucien nodded. "And we will. But we have to be careful. If they find out you're remembering…"

Evelyn swallowed hard. "Then they'll try to take it again."

The garden was silent, but Evelyn knew the echoes of her past were stirring. And this time, she wouldn't let them fade away.