Chapter 1: The Message That Wasn’t Meant to Be Found

Rain hammered against the rusted metal rooftops as the city of Virell sank deeper into midnight. Neon signs flickered like broken signals, and alleyways stretched like secrets—twisting, shadowed, and dangerous.

In a cramped apartment tucked on the edge of the old district, Aarya Velen sat hunched over a desk covered in papers, code printouts, and half-burnt photographs. Her fingers hovered above her keyboard, hesitating, before finally typing in the last string of characters.

“014E-X7//IR3”

The encrypted file blinked once. Then twice.

A soft chime.

Access granted.

Lines of data unravelled like a puzzle collapsing into itself. Aarya’s heart pounded. For weeks she’d been chasing these strings—bits of binary poetry left behind by her brother, Ilan, who had disappeared two years ago without a trace. Presumed dead. But she never believed that.

Not when he was the kind of genius who could disappear and still leave behind a digital ghost trail for her to find.

The screen shifted.

A message appeared.

Short. Cold. Terrifying.

"They know. You’re next. –I"

Aarya pushed back from her desk, eyes wide. “No...”

She’d always feared the truth wouldn’t just explain Ilan’s disappearance—it would pull her into it. And now it was too late to turn back.

Somewhere across the city, buried deep in a secure bunker lit only by the glow of a dozen monitors, Rivan Cole watched the same message appear on one of his screens.

He hadn’t meant for her to crack it. Not yet.

But she had.

He leaned back, dark eyes flicking toward the camera feed. He’d tapped into her system long ago—watching, observing, protecting… and maybe manipulating. A smirk tugged at his lips. "You’re quicker than I thought, Aarya."

And now she was in danger.

With a flick of his wrist, Rivan sent a silent signal through the darknet.

A faceless profile lit up.

Username: Shadow.

“She found it. Protocol Alpha. No delays.”

The reply came instantly.

“Understood. And Rivan… don’t get attached.”

He didn’t reply. He never did when it came to warnings about his heart.

Back in her apartment, Aarya packed fast. She knew better than to stay once a message like that dropped. Her best friend, Zia Monroe, would ask too many questions—and maybe get herself killed trying to help.

But the door creaked.

Aarya spun, gripping the closest thing to a weapon—her metal desk lamp.

“Easy,” came a deep, amused voice. “If I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t have time to grab that.”

Rivan.

He stepped into the dim room like he belonged there. Drenched from the rain, leather jacket dripping, but expression unreadable.

“Who the hell are you?” she demanded.

“I’m the one keeping you alive,” he said coolly. “And your brother isn’t dead.”

Her blood froze.

“What did you just say?”

“You heard me.” He took a step closer. “But if you want the rest of the truth, you’ll have to trust me. And let me warn you, Aarya—trusting me is a terrible idea.”

**to be continued**

AUTHOR WORDS:

Hey my dear Story buns!

Here’s the very first chapter of Encrypted Whispers! I truly hope you enjoy diving into Aarya and Rivan’s mysterious world. I’ll be waiting eagerly to hear your thoughts—so don’t forget to leave a comment and share what you think. Your feedback means the world to me!!!

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***