New Identity

Marion's voice cut through the silence of our secure study, gentle yet firm, as he looked at me over a spread of documents and blank forms. "Selena, if you're to remain safe, and if you're to truly start a new chapter, you must have a new identity," he said, setting a pen in front of me.

I hesitated, my eyes drifting over the pages filled with potential, each one a promise of anonymity. "A new identity?" I echoed, my voice tinged with both excitement and dread. "I'm not sure I want to leave behind who I am."

Marion leaned forward, his gaze softening. "It's not about leaving behind who you truly are, Selena. It's about protecting you, creating a shield until the storm passes. Think of it as wearing a disguise that allows you to walk unseen in a world that's too dangerous for the truth of your past."

I sighed, knowing he was right. "But what if I forget myself? What if this new name, this new backstory, makes me lose the parts of me that I hold dear?"