Chapter 92

Who Was Muri

That night, Rhea sat in the nursery while Lex sat across from her on the floor. The air was thick with silence—until she finally asked:

"Who was she to you? Muri?"

Lex met her eyes.

"You, before you became Rhea. The one they built and you later broke free from. Brilliant, quiet, dangerous. The first time I saw you, you held a scalpel like a pen. You weren't afraid of anything."

"I don't remember her," Rhea said.

"You're not supposed to. You chose to forget her."

She turned away.

"What if she's coming back?" she asked. "What if I'm not supposed to be Rhea?"

Lex stood, moved toward her. "You are Rhea. You're more than what they tried to make you. But Muri... she wasn't a mistake. She was a warrior."

She looked down at her baby, who was now murmuring in her sleep, tiny fingers curling toward invisible threads in the air.

"I can feel her," Rhea whispered. "Every night. I see white halls. I smell antiseptic. I hear the code. Like I'm still there."

Lex said nothing.

Because the truth was, he was beginning to wonder if Muri never left.