Chapter 7
In a dark room, a little girl was chained to a cold metal chair.
She couldn't have been more than five years old.
Her hair was white as snow, and her bright blue eyes were filled with terror. She wore a simple white gown, and on the side of her neck was a black mark:
No. 1
The room was filled with scientists and guards. Large computers lined the walls, displaying endless streams of data.
The little girl trembled.
"Please..." she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Nobody listened.
One of the scientists approached with a syringe filled with a glowing blue liquid.
The girl shook her head desperately.
"No... please don't..."
The scientist ignored her and injected the liquid into her arm.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then suddenly—
Every computer screen froze.
The lights flickered violently.
Warning alarms echoed throughout the room.
Sparks erupted from the machines.
One by one, every electronic device exploded.
Glass shattered.
Scientists screamed in panic.
The little girl threw her head back.
Her eyes glowed an unnatural blue.
Then she screamed.
A horrifying scream filled with pain and fear.
The sound shook the room.
The remaining lights exploded.
Several scientists collapsed to the floor, covering their ears.
The scream continued, louder and louder, until everything faded into darkness.
---
Amaya sat upright in bed.
Her breathing was uneven.
Sweat covered her forehead.
Another nightmare.
The same nightmare.
She pressed a hand against her chest as she tried to calm down.
For some reason, it felt real.
Too real.
The pain.
The fear.
The loneliness.
It felt as though she had experienced it herself.
After a few moments, she got out of bed and headed to the bathroom.
The cool water helped calm her nerves.
Soon she was dressed and ready for school.
Yet throughout her morning routine, she couldn't stop thinking about the dream.
The white-haired girl.
The chains.
The number on her neck.
Why did it feel so familiar?
---
Downstairs, breakfast was already waiting.
Kim Dan sat at the table reading through some documents.
Sylvester lazily scrolled through his phone while eating.
Santi happily worked on a stack of pancakes.
"Good morning," Amaya greeted.
"Morning," Sylvester replied.
"Morning, Aunty Amaya!" Santi grinned.
Amaya forced a smile and sat down.
Normally she would have teased Sylvester or played with Santi.
Today she was unusually quiet.
Kim Dan noticed immediately.
"Amaya, are you okay?"
She looked up nervously.
"Yeah, I'm fine. What makes you think I'm not?"
Kim Dan raised an eyebrow.
Before he could answer, Santi spoke.
"Aunty Amaya, you look distracted."
Amaya laughed awkwardly.
"No, I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Sylvester chuckled.
"The kid has a point."
Amaya rolled her eyes.
"I'm fine, everyone."
She quickly stood up and grabbed her bag.
"Besides, I'll be late for school. Bye."
Before anyone could stop her, she hurried out of the house.
---
After the door closed, Kim Dan and Sylvester exchanged a glance.
Santi soon left for school as well.
The dining room became quiet.
Kim Dan leaned back in his chair.
"Sylvester."
"Hm?"
"You still haven't found her yet?"
Sylvester's playful expression disappeared instantly.
His face became serious.
"My sister? No."
Kim Dan frowned.
"You're one of the best hackers I know. How haven't you found her?"
Sylvester looked away.
"Because the one person who could have helped me is gone."
Silence filled the room.
"Anita spent years searching before she died," Sylvester continued quietly.
"She always believed we'd find her someday."
His eyes darkened.
"I still have all of Anita's files. Every note. Every lead she ever discovered."
He let out a bitter laugh.
"I've gone through them thousands of times."
"And?"
"Nothing."
For the first time, Kim Dan saw genuine pain in Sylvester's eyes.
"I couldn't save Anita."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"And I'm afraid I might lose my sister too."
Kim Dan didn't know what to say.
Some wounds never truly healed.
---
Meanwhile, Amaya arrived at school.
Her thoughts were still focused on the nightmare.
She barely noticed the students walking around her.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind.
Instinct took over.
Before the person could react, Amaya grabbed his arm, flipped him over her shoulder, and pinned him to the ground.
Several students gasped.
The boy groaned.
"Okay! I surrender!"
The voice made Amaya freeze.
She looked down.
Her eyes widened.
"James?!"
The boy grinned.
"Still got your strength intact."
Amaya immediately released him.
"Oh my God!"
James stood up while rubbing his back.
"Nice welcome."
Without warning, Amaya hugged him tightly.
James laughed before hugging her back.
"I missed you too."
"It's been forever!"
"I know."
"When did you transfer here?"
"Yesterday."
"And you didn't tell me?"
"I wanted to surprise you."
Amaya smacked his shoulder.
"Idiot."
"You still missed me."
She rolled her eyes.
Maybe she had.
A little.
---
A while later, the two sat beneath a large tree near the sports field.
"So," James said.
"So?"
"You live in a mansion now."
Amaya groaned.
"Don't start."
"You have bodyguards."
"Technically."
"You eat dinner with mafia members."
"Technically."
James leaned forward dramatically.
"And you're married to Black King!"
His voice echoed across the school grounds.
Several students turned.
Amaya nearly jumped out of her seat.
"Be quiet, James!"
James immediately lowered his voice.
"Sorry."
"You want me dead?"
"I'm just shocked!"
"It's not even a real marriage."
"Still married."
"It doesn't count."
"It does."
"It doesn't."
"It does."
Amaya threw her notebook at him.
James burst out laughing.
---
The rest of lunch passed quickly.
For the first time all day, Amaya forgot about the nightmare.
She and James talked about old memories, old friends, and the trouble they used to cause.
When classes ended, she headed home.
The sunset painted the sky orange and gold.
As she looked out the car window, her thoughts drifted back to the dream.
The little girl.
The chains.
The number.
Questions filled her mind.
Questions with no answers.
Not yet.
Somewhere in the darkness, secrets remained buried.
Waiting.
Patiently.
For the day the truth would finally come to light.
But for now, the mystery remained hidden.
And nobody—not Kim Dan, Sylvester, James, or even Amaya herself—had any idea how deeply connected she was to the nightmare.
