Chapter 5: The Truth Hidden in the Storm

"Look!" someone shouted. "That's the scene of the crime!"

"The truth is coming out!"

The crowd surged toward the screen.

Claire froze, eyes locked on the image.

The woods were black and violent under the storm.

My younger self held an umbrella with both hands, her voice trembling.

"Who's there?"

No one answered.

Only rain hammered the umbrella.

Thunder cracked.

A shadow flashed between the trees.

I fell backward, terrified, and the figure vanished into the dark.

Claire's pupils shrank.

"Rachel..." she whispered.

The memory continued.

I forced myself to stand and ran toward the direction where the shadow had disappeared.

"Lily!" I screamed.

"Answer me!"

Lightning illuminated the forest for a brief second.

Something white lay beside a fallen tree.

It was Lily's scarf.

I picked it up with trembling hands.

"No..."

"Please don't scare me..."

Another clap of thunder echoed through the mountains.

Then I heard it.

A weak sob.

It came from an abandoned hunting cabin hidden deep inside the woods.

I rushed toward it.

The old wooden door stood slightly open.

My breathing became heavier with every step.

"Lily?"

No reply.

I slowly pushed the door open.

The room was dark.

Rainwater dripped through the broken roof.

A lantern lay overturned on the floor.

Then I saw her.

Lily was curled up in the corner, shaking uncontrollably.

Her dress was torn.

Bruises covered her arms.

She stared blankly ahead as tears rolled silently down her face.

"Lily!"

I dropped beside her and wrapped my arms around her.

The moment she recognized my voice, she completely broke down.

"Rachel..."

She clung to me so tightly that I could barely breathe.

"Don't let him come back..."

"Please... don't let him find me..."

The crowd watching the memory fell silent.

Many people lowered their heads.

Even Mr. Warren's body began trembling.

Claire covered her mouth.

Tears slowly filled her eyes.

"Lily..." she whispered.

Inside the memory, I gently held Lily's face.

"Who was it?" I asked softly.

"Tell me who did this."

Lily's lips trembled.

She tried to speak several times.

But no sound came out.

Finally, she slowly raised one shaking hand.

She pointed toward the darkness behind the cabin door.

Before I could turn around, another bolt of lightning exploded across the sky.

The screen suddenly flickered violently.

The entire memory distorted.

The image shattered into white static.

"Memory conflict detected," the machine announced.

"Critical memory fragment locked."

"Extraction interrupted."

The crowd erupted in confusion.

"What happened?"

"Why can't we see his face?"

"Who was outside the cabin?"

Claire stared at the frozen screen without blinking.

For the first time since the trial began, doubt crept into her heart.

If Rachel truly wanted to protect the attacker...

Then why had she desperately searched for Lily that night?

Why had Lily cried in Rachel's arms instead of running away from her?

And most importantly...

Why did the machine seem determined to hide the attacker's identity?