CHAPTER 2 — THE LIES
CHAPTER 2 — THE LIES
Lena didn’t drink anything that night.
She pretended.
She laughed.
She played along.
But she watched.
And what she saw made her stomach turn.
Ryan kept checking his watch.
Amara kept whispering to guests she didn’t recognize.
And every 15 minutes… someone went missing from the party.
One guest. Then another.
“Where did they go?” Lena asked casually.
Amara smiled. “Bathroom, maybe. You’re overthinking.”
But Lena wasn’t overthinking.
She was counting.
And she realized something horrifying.
No one had arrived.
They were disappearing.
---
At midnight, Lena slipped into the kitchen and checked her husband’s phone.
It was unlocked.
Too easy.
One folder caught her eye.
“PROJECT LENA — RESET PROTOCOL”
She opened it.
Inside was a photo.
Her.
Sleeping.
Attached file:
“SUBJECT: MEMORY REPLACEMENT COMPLETE”
Lena dropped the phone.
Behind her, a voice said softly:
“You weren’t supposed to see that yet.”
She turned.
Ryan stood there.
But his eyes… were different.
Colder.
Not hers.
Not human.
“Who are you?” she whispered.
Ryan smiled.
May you like
And said:
“I’m the version of him you agreed to keep.”
