Chapter 2 Waking Up

Aria woke to the beeping of a heart monitor. The walls were white. The smell of antiseptic was sharp and familiar. A nurse adjusted her IV, moving quickly but gently. "Good to see you awake, Dr. Bennett. You've been out for three days."

"Where...?" Aria croaked, her throat dry.

"St. Luke's Hospital. You were found on the riverbank, half-drowned. You have hypothermia, but you'll be fine. Just need to rest." The nurse hesitated, her smile fading. "A Mr. Cole visited. He left this." She handed Aria a folded note, damp from the rain.

Aria unfolded it. The handwriting was messy and urgent: "You shouldn't be here. They're watching. – E"

Her pulse quickened. Ethan? Why would he visit? He had wanted her gone. He testified against her.

The nurse left, closing the door quietly. Aria sat up, wincing as sharp pain shot through her head. Her vision blurred, then cleared. She was in a private room, the blinds drawn. A vase of wilting flowers sat on the nightstand-probably from the hospital staff.

A knock sounded. A young doctor entered with a clipboard. He was tall, had dark hair, and a kind face, but his eyes looked cautious. "Dr. Bennett? I'm Dr. Marquez. You're scheduled for a psych evaluation tomorrow. It's standard after... incidents."

"Incident?" Aria frowned, her voice hoarse. "What happened? I don't... I don't remember."

Dr. Marquez pulled up a chair and sat close. "You were found unconscious near Waverly Bridge. The police said it looked like a suicide attempt. But..." He lowered his voice, glancing at the door. "Your chart says you've been having... episodes. Sleepwalking. Hallucinations. The nurses reported you talking to someone who wasn't there. A woman in white, they said."

Aria's stomach dropped. She didn't remember any of that. "I don't... I don't remember any of that."

He handed her a tablet. "Security footage. From the hospital. Last night."

The screen showed grainy footage: Aria, in her white coat, walking down a dim hallway. Her movements were stiff, almost robotic, as if she were sleepwalking. She stopped at the morgue door, punched in a code (how did she know the code?), and disappeared inside.

"Security found you there at 3 AM," Dr. Marquez said. "You were standing over a body. The deceased was a patient of yours-Mr. Carter, the one who passed away last week. His cause of death was ruled a heart attack, but..." He paused. "The night nurse said you were smiling. Like you were talking to him."

Aria's hands trembled. She didn't remember any of this. "I don't know how I got there. I don't remember Mr. Carter's case. I don't remember anything from the past week."

Dr. Marquez sighed as he stood up. "Get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow. And... be careful. People are asking questions about you. People who don't have your best interests in mind."

After he left, Aria lay back and stared at the ceiling. Her head throbbed. Fragments of memory flashed through her mind-Ethan's face, the bridge, the journal-but they dissolved like smoke.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. The door creaked open.

Aria tensed, but it was just a janitor pushing a cart. He glanced at her and then looked away, as if he had seen a ghost.

Once he was gone, Aria pulled the journal from under her pillow (how? She didn't remember bringing it). She flipped to the last entry, but as she touched the page, the ink shifted-new words appeared as if written in invisible ink, now visible:

"The Veiled One feeds on fear. It will make you doubt yourself. But you are stronger than you think. – Mom"

Aria's breath caught. The Veiled One?

Another soft knock. The door creaked open again.

Ethan stood there, his lab coat rumpled and dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. "Aria," he said, his voice tight. "You shouldn't be here. You need to leave. Now."

She stared at him, her heart racing. "Why did you visit? Why leave the note?"

He looked away, running a hand through his hair. "I... I heard you were here. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Liar."

He flinched. "You need to leave. Before they find you."

"Who? Ethan, what's going on? Why are you doing this?"

He stepped closer, his hand brushing hers. For a moment, she felt it-the old warmth, the way he used to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear when she was stressed. She remembered that. She remembered him.

Then he pulled back, his expression hardening. "Just go. Please. For your own sake."

He left, slamming the door behind him.

Aria opened the journal again, her hands shaking. A new entry appeared, as if written in her mother's hand:

"He's not your enemy. But he's not your ally either. Find the locket. It's in the convent's attic. – Mom"

Aria's breath caught. The locket. She remembered it-a silver heart, her mother's most prized possession. She had worn it every day until the day she died.

That night, Aria snuck out of her room. The hospital was quiet. The only sound was the hum of vending machines down the hall. She made her way to the parking garage, found her old beat