บท 14: Shadows of the Past

As the man vanished into the darkness, Avery felt an unsettling discomfort she couldn't shake. She closed her curtains and returned to her desk, buried under a pile of work. Her father's message flashed on her phone: "Morning meal? We have to speak."

Avery glanced at the television, feeling a mix of emotions. After years of separation, her father was reaching out. Part of her wanted to ignore the message and cling to the anger she had carried for so long. Yet, a part of her longed for answers. She typed a simple reply: "OK," took a deep breath, and prepared for the meeting.

The next evening, Avery was in the private dining room of a fancy restaurant. Marcus Chen sat across from her, showing both vulnerability and strength. The silence stretched between them as they struggled for words. Finally, Marcus spoke. "Avery, you did a fantastic job. Better than I could have dreamed."

Avery tilted her head. "Is that why you disappeared from my life? To test my abilities?"

Marcus shuddered at her words. "That wasn't the case. I argued... I thought I was protecting you."

Avery's mind drifted back to her childhood. She remembered being eight years old, laughing as her father chased her through the grand hallways of their family estate. "Daddy, you can't catch me!" she called over her shoulder. Marcus's hearty laugh echoed behind her. "Oh, I think I can, you silly dragon!"

Just as he was about to lift her up, a loud knock on the door interrupted their game. Marcus's joyful expression quickly turned to the stern look of a criminal lord. "Go to your room, Avery," he ordered.

Avery obeyed, but her curiosity got the better of her. She sneaked back to the top of the stairs and peered down at the foyer. She didn't know the man standing there, but his voice was urgent. "They're coming for you, Chen. They know about your family."

Avery missed Marcus's soft reply, but the fear in his eyes stayed with her long after she returned to her room. Avery blinked and came back to the present. "You were trying to keep me away from your enemies?"

Marcus nodded. "I thought they would leave you alone if I stayed away, if you weren't important to me."

"And the lessons in combat, strategy, and everything else?" Avery pressed.

Marcus gave a half-smile. "Insurance. I wanted you to be able to protect yourself, just in case."

A new memory flashed before her eyes. At fourteen, Avery was breathing heavily in a small training room. A tall, thin man with piercing blue eyes watched her every move. "Again," he ordered.

Avery gritted her teeth and continued a difficult series of moves. After her fast knee strike and spinning kick, the man nodded. She knew him only as The Architect. "Better. But remember, in a real fight, your opponent won't stop. You need to predict their moves."

Avery asked, "Who exactly is The Architect?"

Marcus sighed and looked older than before. "You should have known the truth too. The Architect is my brother. Your uncle."

Avery felt as though the ground had dropped out from under her. "My aunt, too? Why all the secrecy? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I was supposed to be dead," a new voice said from behind her. Avery turned and saw The Architect standing by the door. She immediately recognized the connection between him and her father.

"What happened next?" Avery asked urgently.

The Architect sat at the table, looking serious. "That was a long time ago. A rival family discovered our weaknesses and connections. They targeted each of us."

Marcus began to explain. "We created a false story about my brother's death to confuse our enemies. He worked in the shadows to protect and guide our family as The Architect."

Avery put it together. "And to train me."

The man nodded. "You were meant to lead. We didn't expect it to happen so soon."

As the evening went on, Avery's view of her family and her role in it began to change. She started to let go of the bitterness and resentment she had carried. But beneath this, darker currents were at play.

In his campus office, Detective Harper was going through the materials he had collected. The room was covered in financial data, security photos, and mysterious notes, all focused on a picture of Avery. "Ms. Chen, how does all this connect?" he mumbled, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep.

The doorbell rang, interrupting him. Officer Reyes, looking pale, entered with a file. "Detective, you need to see this." She handed him the file.

Harper read through it, his eyes widening. "Are you sure about this?"

Reyes nodded grimly. "I triple-checked. It's all connected."

Harper leaned back and ran a hand through his hair. "This changes everything. We need to act quickly."

Meanwhile, a figure sat in a dark room, watching multiple screens that displayed various feeds from Blackthorn University. One screen showed Avery walking out of the restaurant with Marcus and The Architect. The person leaned forward and grinned. "Oh, Avery," they whispered. "You have no idea what's coming."

Avery returned to her dorm room, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. The conversation with her father and uncle had brought some closure and clarity. But as she got ready for bed, the feeling of being watched returned. She looked out the window and thought she saw a flicker of movement in the shadows, but it was gone when she blinked.

Unaware of the dangers closing in on her, Avery was caught between her dream and reality. In her dream, she was back in the training room with The Architect. This time, her opponent shifted into Elena, Detective Harper, and a dark figure she couldn't identify. The Architect's voice echoed in her mind: "Remember, Avery, your opponent won't stay still. You have to predict their movements."

Avery woke up suddenly, her heart racing. As the first light of dawn peeked through her window, she felt a storm approaching. Little did she know, it was already at her door.