When The Rain Fall

The air in the small apartment was thick with tension. Mia sat by the window, staring out into the rain-slicked streets, her mind racing. The revelation that she wasn't just another victim of The Hollow Veil—that she had natural Echo abilities—changed everything.

Liam sat across from her, flipping through the stolen files. "Vienna," he muttered. "Elias Voss. He's the only lead we have."

Jonah paced behind them. "But what if it's a trap? The Hollow Veil could be waiting for us."

Evelyn leaned back in her chair. "That's a risk we have to take."

Mia closed her eyes. There was something familiar about the name Elias Voss. A whisper in the back of her mind. A fragment of something she couldn't quite grasp.

And then, a flicker.

A shadowy alleyway. The glint of a silver pocket watch. A voice—low, urgent.

"If you ever need answers… find me."

She gasped, her vision snapping back to reality.

Jonah looked at her, concerned. "Mia?"

She swallowed hard. "I think… I've met him before."

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Mia's pulse pounded in her ears. She had seen Elias Voss before—but when? And why had her mind buried that memory?

Evelyn pulled up a map of Vienna. "If Voss is still alive, he's likely in hiding. According to this file, he used to work at a private research institute before disappearing."

Jonah tapped his fingers against the table. "And let me guess—this 'research institute' had connections to The Hollow Veil?"

Evelyn nodded grimly. "It was one of their front organizations. They were using Voss to study Echo abilities, but something went wrong. One day, he vanished."

Mia frowned. "So why did he tell me to find him?"

Liam closed the file. "Only one way to find out."

The decision was made. They were going to Vienna.

But none of them knew that someone was already watching them.

A figure stood in the shadows outside, a phone pressed to their ear. "They've taken the bait. Tell the others."

Far away, in a dimly lit control room, a woman in a sharp black suit leaned forward, a cold smile on her lips.

"Welcome to the game, Mia Carter."

Vienna at night was a maze of cobblestone streets and flickering streetlights. The city carried whispers of the past, its architecture a blend of old and new, much like the tangled web of secrets they were chasing.

Mia, Liam, Jonah, and Evelyn stood outside an old bookstore on Burggasse Street, their breaths visible in the cold night air.

"This is it," Evelyn said, checking her phone. "The last known location of Elias Voss."

The store's faded sign read 'Antiquariat Rosenberg', and the windows were covered in dust. It looked abandoned.

Mia pushed the door open, and a small bell jingled overhead. Inside, the air smelled of old paper and ink. Tall bookshelves cast long shadows in the dim lighting.

A voice echoed from the back. "We're closed."

Mia hesitated, then stepped forward. "We're looking for Elias Voss."

Silence.

Then, a rustling sound. A figure emerged from the shadows—an old man with silver hair, sharp eyes, and a nervous expression. He studied them for a moment before sighing.

"You shouldn't be here," he muttered.

Liam crossed his arms. "Neither should you. But here we are."

Voss glanced toward the window, as if expecting someone. "If they followed you, we don't have much time."

Mia stepped closer. "You told me to find you."

His gaze snapped to hers, eyes narrowing. "So you do remember."

Mia saw herself standing in this very bookstore years ago. Voss handing her an old leather-bound book. His words a whisper in her ear—

"When the time comes, you must remember."

She gasped as the memory faded. "I've been here before."

Voss nodded grimly. "Yes. But they made you forget."