Chapter 160

ARIA'S POV

The nurse’s voice trembled as she glanced nervously at the elderly man standing beside her. “Professor, I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said hesitantly, “but are you saying the man in the mask is Kieran? The Kieran we all know?”

The room fell silent, her words hanging heavily in the air.

I looked at the man she had called “Professor.” He had the kind of face that told a story—a face worn by years, with deep lines etched into his skin and eyes that carried a weight I couldn’t quite place. He had an air of authority about him, as though people listened when he spoke without question.

I blinked, trying to process what was happening. The Kieran? What did that even mean? And why did it feel like there was so much I didn’t know?