Chapter Four: The Hidden Files

Chapter Four: The Hidden Files

Elizabeth's heartbeat was nearly audible. The news from Hunter had detonated like a bomb, instantly triggering all the questions that had been quietly building inside her. The Memento Project—she had only heard whispers about it in certain black market forums, but those had always been strange rumors and unsolved mysteries. Now, Hunter's words brought those shadows to life, as if everything pointed to her, to that forgotten past.

"You said I'm being watched. Who's doing this?" She clenched her fists, her eyes cold. "I need to know the truth."

Hunter didn't answer right away. Instead, he continued manipulating the terminal in front of him. He started pulling up an encrypted file, one belonging to the Memento Project. It was filled with blacked-out information, revealing lists of individuals who had participated in the experiment, along with dates and some scrambled instructions. Each name listed was tied to a story that had been erased—a story of system interference and memory manipulation.

"If you were really part of that project," Hunter said in a low voice, as if reciting a forbidden truth, "you've probably forgotten everything about it."

Elizabeth felt a chill spread through her chest as she listened. Those "deleted" memories seemed to be surfacing in the cracks of her own mind. She thought of her father—the man who had disappeared years ago—and that part of the past she had never fully understood. She remembered the night from her childhood when her father suddenly took her and fled their home, leaving behind cryptic marks and mysteries she'd never been able to solve.

"You're saying the Memento Project wasn't just about studying memory, but also about erasing an individual's identity?" Elizabeth's voice trembled.

Hunter nodded. "Yes. Its ultimate goal was to allow people to selectively forget—not just erase painful memories, but even the traces of their existence. You could become someone else, or someone else could become you."

A cold shiver ran down her spine. She thought of that memory of murder—why had it surfaced in her mind? Why did the weapon in that memory match her father's pocket watch serial number from before he disappeared? If those memories were manipulated, could the murder event itself also be a fabricated lie, implanted in her mind?

"I need to find all the files," Elizabeth said, her tone resolute. "Help me open them."

Hunter let out a cynical laugh, spinning his chair around to face her. There was a flash of disdain in his eyes. "You think it's that simple? This isn't about opening an encrypted file. You'll need to get into the core database, and that's a line even I can't easily breach."

"Then get someone who can," she said without hesitation.

Hunter studied her for a moment, his brow raised slightly. "Do you understand what this decision means?"

"If I don't lift this veil of mystery, I'll never have peace." She spoke softly but with a determination as sharp as a blade. "I have no choice."

Hunter paused for several seconds, seemingly weighing something. Finally, he sighed, pulling out a black encrypted phone and dialing a number.

"The person you need is on her way," he said, handing her the phone. "This is her contact. Her name is Victoria. She's an elite in the digital world, skilled at breaking any firewall. She's the only one who can help you."

Elizabeth took the phone, her heart racing. She knew that every step from here would drag her deeper into the unknown. But she also knew that if she continued to avoid the truth, she would lose the chance to uncover it forever. She had made up her mind—she would press forward.

The screen blinked with a message indicating Victoria was online. Elizabeth picked up the phone and spoke in a low voice.

"Victoria?"

"Who are you?" A young woman's voice answered on the other end, cold and professional.

"My name is Elizabeth. Hunter recommended that I come to you." She introduced herself briefly.

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the line, then Victoria's voice became more cautious.

"Do you know who you're calling?"

"I know you can help me crack the Memento Project's files," Elizabeth said, her gaze unwavering. "I need to understand what happened to my memories—and to my father's disappearance."

Victoria was silent for a moment, then her voice came again, this time tinged with careful consideration.

"Alright, I'll help you. But you need to understand that going down this path means facing unpredictable risks."

"I understand." Elizabeth closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Her voice held a note of finality. "No matter the cost, I need to know the truth."

The call ended. Elizabeth stood up, staring at the screen. There was no turning back now. All the evidence, all the clues, pointed to a mystery she could not avoid. She picked up the pocket watch from her desk, the hands ticking softly under the light, as though whispering some long-forgotten secret.

"You've gone too far, Elizabeth," Hunter's voice suddenly broke the silence, interrupting her thoughts. "Some truths aren't meant for you to know."

She didn't turn around. Her gaze remained steadfast. "Now tell me—what's your goal?"

A shadow flickered in Hunter's eyes. "I'm just a 'hunter,' but since you've decided to dive in, you'd better be prepared."

His words hit her like a heavy stone thrown into a lake, rippling outward in her chest. She knew then that she had already entered an inescapable whirlpool. No matter how it ended, the search for the truth would no longer be a simple journey. It would be a deadly game.

With Victoria's arrival, Elizabeth finally had the chance to delve into the core files of the Memento Project. But she also understood: the closer she got to the truth, the deeper she would fall into an unfathomable darkness.

The night was deep, and the city outside still hummed with noise. But Elizabeth's world was no longer at peace.