Fate Line

Chapter 9

Ellian held his breath.

He hadn't expected the workers to arrive this early. With his own eyes, he saw them stop at the house, discuss something,calmly at first,and then suddenly head inside. His heart was pounding.

There was no time.

He quickly hid the binoculars and notebook under a broken board, making sure everything was safely out of sight. Then, almost without thinking, he made a move.

He circled the building from the other side, trying not to be seen. There were no doors in the back,only shattered windows and chunks of collapsed wall. He found a gap in the old brick wall and barely managed to squeeze through.

The house felt cold and dead.

Voices from the workers already echoed on the first floor. Their heavy steps thumped against the rotting floorboards. Ellian moved slowly, controlling every breath.

He climbed to the second floor, careful not to make a sound or cast a shadow.

In one of the rooms, he found a broken window overlooking the lower floor. The workers had already spread out their plans and were discussing their course of action.

"Nael said everything has to be done in five days."

"We'll start digging right here."

"There's an inspection next week."

"Quietly. No one can know about this place."

Ellian's eyes widened.

He'd been right. Directly beneath this house, a laboratory was being built.

He memorized everything,where they stood, what marks they made on the blueprint, which direction they pointed. All of it was key.

But suddenly, one of them stopped.

"You hear that?"

Silence.

One of the workers started up the stairs.

Ellian froze.

His heart was pounding in his throat. He backed deeper into the room, stood against the wall, and held his breath.

The footsteps came closer...

...and he quickly slipped away before the workers returned upstairs. Clutching his things, Ellian could barely feel his legs,his heart still thundered from the tension.

He checked his watch. About an hour had passed since he entered the house. It was enough.

"I know where," he whispered to himself as he stepped outside the property line.

He moved along the old street, head down. He had to get away,far from this place. He knew that a stranger near a restricted construction site could raise suspicions. Especially if Nael was who he thought he was.

Jumping onto a bus, he took a seat by the window and closed his eyes.

The plan was clear:

• Return in a few days when the actual digging begins.

• Watch closely when the hatch is opened,maybe he'd see the first time they go inside.

• And after that… uncover everything Nael is hiding.

He arrived home near sunset. The sky was painted orange and violet. The house greeted him with silence. On the porch, Linnea sat again, reading something on her phone. She looked up but said nothing. Just gave a small nod. Ellian forced a tired smile and slipped inside.

He headed straight upstairs and locked the door behind him.

Sitting on his bed, he laid out the map, notebook, and city plan.

"Everything's going to plan," he whispered.

He marked it down:

"Laboratory. Hatch. Digital lock. Day 3 of construction. Return on the 10th."

Then he closed his eyes.

Now it was all a matter of time.

He hugged a pillow to his chest and exhaled deeply.

The voice from the dream still echoed in his mind.

"If you don't remember me, it's better for you."

"Who are you...?" Ellian whispered into the dark.

He felt that it wasn't just a dream. It wasn't imagination. She knew him. She spoke like she'd been part of his life. But then,why did she disappear every time he tried to learn the truth?

He closed his eyes. Inside, fear, doubt, and a strange sense of guilt clashed. As if he really had known her. As if, in the past, he had made a choice that cost them both too much.

Darkness surrounded him again, but sleep didn't come. He just lay there, staring at the ceiling, listening to the ticking of the old wall clock somewhere downstairs in the hallway.

The world gave him no rest.

The past was calling.

But the truth still slipped through his fingers.

Morning came. He got up and washed. No one was in the kitchen, so he ate alone. Then he saw Iris at home.

Ellian finished eating, got up from the table, nodded at Iris, and left the house.

Outside, the sun was already shining brightly, but the air was cool,the day was just beginning. He walked the familiar streets, watching the ordinary life of the city. Kids rushed to school, adults to work. Everything moved as usual. But inside him… it was different. Heavy thoughts wouldn't leave him. He couldn't focus or relax.

"I can't just sit here. I have to find out why I'm here… who she is… and what Nael is hiding," he thought as he walked past the abandoned park.

He sat down on a bench in the shade of the trees. The words from the dream came back again.

"If you don't remember me, it's better for you."

"What does that mean..." he whispered.

He spent about an hour in the park, just sitting and thinking. Then he pulled out his city map and the list of possible lab locations. He knew: tomorrow or the day after, the digging would begin. That meant the hatch would soon open.

But before that,he had to be ready.

Ellian took a deep breath and stood up slowly.

Today, he wouldn't act. Just observe.

The next day, Ellian woke up early,he was going to check on the progress at the construction site again. Something inside told him that the time was close, and if he wanted the truth, it had to be now.

He dressed quickly, ate breakfast with everyone, trying not to draw attention, and headed out. But Kane, who had been watching him for days, had finally confirmed it,something was off with Ellian. He'd been leaving alone far too often, avoiding conversations.

When Ellian left the house and headed to the bus stop, Kane quietly followed. He didn't board the same bus,instead, he called a taxi and instructed the driver to keep a distance so Ellian wouldn't notice. His suspicions grew with every minute.

Ellian, unaware he was being followed, arrived in the right district and went to the abandoned building. He took his usual observation spot, pulled out his binoculars, and started watching. Everything was going according to plan. The workers were already inside,someone was unloading equipment, someone was sketching something.

He could feel it,the moment the entrance to the lab appeared was near. And then, he would learn what Nael was really planning.

Kane watched from afar. He stood across the street, staying hidden. What he saw only raised more questions. Why did Ellian come here? What drew him to this abandoned building?

For a while, he debated whether to get closer, but decided against it. He didn't want to give himself away. Yet in his mind, the certainty grew,something was very wrong with Ellian. And it didn't feel like some normal personal issue.

While Kane made his way back home, Ellian continued observing. He watched every movement near the building. He noted when the workers took breaks, when materials were brought in, how many people there were, and when the day ended. He recorded everything,every step, every pattern.

This day brought no answers, but it gave him a foundation. When the right moment came,he would be ready.

After taking notes, Ellian got on the bus and went home as if nothing had happened.

Returning home, Ellian quietly opened the door and was met with the warm atmosphere of home,the kitchen was full of voices, someone laughing, someone reaching for dishes. Everyone was getting ready for dinner.

He knew: if he kept avoiding them, they'd start asking questions. So he quickly nodded, greeted everyone, and went upstairs. After changing, he came back down and joined the flow,chopped vegetables, passed plates, even smiled once or twice.

"Ellian," Iris asked, glancing at him, "where do you even look for job openings?"

"Thinking of trying something as a waiter," he replied confidently.

Kane frowned.

"And where exactly do you go looking? We barely see you all day."

Without thinking, Ellian said the first thing that came to mind:

"I find ads and apply in person. But no one's hired me yet... You know why."

Linnea stepped in with a gentle smile:

"Don't worry. If you need help,just ask. We're always here."

Dinner passed calmly. They ate, chatted, shared little details from the day. Ellian acted normal,but inside, everything was boiling.

After dinner, he thanked them, went to his room, and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he'd learn what he had watched and tracked for days. If his calculations were right, he'd find the code,the very one that unlocked the access point. The lab wasn't built yet, but the entrance should already exist. And he knew every schedule, every move of the workers. He knew when he could get inside.

Tomorrow it would all begin. But that… was for tomorrow.