Chapter 6: The Name She Could Never Speak

The square fell into complete silence.

No one understood why the memory had stopped again.

Claire slowly turned toward the lead technician.

"Fix it," she ordered.

"I don't care how."

The technician swallowed hard.

"Ms. Sutton... the machine isn't malfunctioning."

"Then what's happening?"

"Someone deliberately suppressed this memory years ago."

"That's impossible," Claire whispered.

"Only overwhelming trauma can cause this level of mental protection."

Claire stared at me.

For the first time, anger was replaced by confusion.

"Rachel... what happened after that cabin?"

I kept my eyes closed.

Blood continued running down my cheeks.

"Please... stop..."

Claire tightened her fists.

"Not until I know everything."

The technicians restarted the extraction.

The giant screen slowly lit up again.

This time, the memory resumed inside the cabin.

Lily was shaking violently in my arms.

"Rachel..."

Her voice was barely audible.

"Don't tell anyone..."

"No," I answered immediately.

"The police need to know."

She grabbed my sleeve with surprising strength.

"Promise me..."

"Please..."

"He'll destroy everything..."

"He'll destroy Claire too..."

The crowd exchanged confused glances.

"Why Claire?"

"What does that mean?"

My younger self gently wiped away Lily's tears.

"Who are you talking about?"

"Tell me his name."

Lily slowly opened her mouth.

Just as the first syllable escaped her lips, another violent wave of static covered the screen.

"No!" Claire shouted.

"Not again!"

The memory fought against the extraction with everything it had.

The machine emitted a deafening alarm.

"Warning."

"Patient's neural activity reaching critical levels."

"Risk of immediate death exceeds ninety percent."

The technicians looked toward Claire.

"We have to stop."

"If we continue, she'll die."

Claire never looked away from the screen.

Her voice trembled.

"Continue."

The extraction intensified once more.

Pain exploded through my body.

My heart monitor began beeping wildly.

Then another memory surfaced.

It was three days after Lily's funeral.

The police chief sat across from my younger self.

"Rachel," he said gently.

"We know Lily trusted you."

"Please tell us who attacked her."

I lowered my head.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

Tears rolled onto the table.

"Because if I tell you..."

"Everything will be destroyed."

"Destroyed how?"

I remained silent.

The officer sighed.

"Rachel... keeping this secret won't save anyone."

"It already has," I whispered.

Those words echoed across the square.

The crowd stared at the screen in stunned silence.

"What does she mean?"

"Who was she protecting?"

"Why would telling the truth destroy everything?"

Mr. Warren clenched his fists.

"Stop speaking in riddles!"

"Say his name!"

Claire slowly stepped toward me.

Her voice was no longer filled with hatred.

Only desperation remained.

"Rachel..."

"Please..."

"Who were you trying to save?"