I buried my face in my hands.
Everything was slipping. Too fast. Too sudden. Too much.
The doctor's words still echoed in my head. Acute myocarditis. Emergency treatment. Millions. Money I didn't have. Money I had never even seen before.
My chest tightened as tears soaked into my palms. "What am I going to do…" I whispered helplessly.
The hallway felt colder. The silence louder. Like the world was waiting for me to fail.
---
My phone buzzed. I ignored it. Another buzz. And another. Annoyed, frustrated, broken, I finally looked at the screen.
Kelvin.
My heart skipped. Not now.
I declined the call. Another one came in. Declined again.
Then a message appeared.
Kelvin: Have you made your decision?
My fingers tightened around my phone. I didn't reply. Another message came almost immediately.
Kelvin: Time is not something you have, Ayra.
My breath caught. It felt like he knew. Like he could see me sitting here, completely helpless.
I lifted my head slowly and looked through the glass. My mother lay there, still, fragile, fighting for her life. Machines breathed for her. Not her. Machines.
I stood up suddenly and began pacing. "I can't do this…" But the words felt empty. Because deep down, I already knew the truth.
---
I walked back into the room and sat beside her. Her hand felt weak in mine. Too weak.
"We don't have anyone else," I whispered. "And you're all I've got." My voice broke. "I can't lose you."
I stared at my phone again, long and hard, like it held the answer to everything. Because it did.
My fingers trembled as I typed.
Ayra: I'll do it.
The moment I sent it, my chest tightened. Something inside me had just been sealed.
My phone rang immediately. I answered.
"Good," Kelvin's voice came, calm and controlled. "Report to me tomorrow morning." A pause. "You just made the best decision of your life."
The call ended. I lowered the phone slowly. My hands were still shaking. Nothing felt real anymore.
I stepped out of the room, my thoughts in chaos, and almost ran into a doctor walking toward me.
"Miss Ayra?"
"Yes?"
"I've been looking for you. We need your consent immediately."
My heart dropped. "For what?"
He handed me a file. "Your mother's condition is worsening. The inflammation is affecting her heart more aggressively. We need to perform an emergency cardiac procedure."
My fingers tightened around the papers. "How much will it cost?"
"The initial deposit is two point five million naira," he said carefully. "The total treatment, including post-operative care, could reach six to eight million naira depending on how she responds."
My vision blurred. "I… I can't afford that…"
The doctor looked at me briefly, then said, "An advance payment has already been made."
I froze. "…What?"
"Yes. A deposit was credited not long ago. It's enough for us to begin treatment immediately."
Kelvin. Of course. He didn't solve the problem. He made sure I couldn't run from it.
"All we need now is your signature," the doctor added. I looked down at the document: Consent for Emergency Cardiac Surgery. My hands trembled. This wasn't just a signature. It felt like a chain.
"Miss, we need to act quickly." I swallowed hard. Then signed.
The moment I dropped the pen, something shifted inside me. Quiet. Permanent.
"Thank you," the doctor said, already turning away. "We'll begin preparations immediately."
I stood there for a moment. Empty. Numb.
My phone buzzed again.
Unknown: Your ride is waiting outside.
A slow breath left my lips. Of course it was.
I walked out of the hospital. And there it was. A black car. Engine running. Waiting. For me.
A chill ran through me. Everything had already been arranged. Every step. Every outcome.
The driver stepped out and opened the door. "Miss Ayra."
I looked back once at the hospital. At the window where my mother was fighting.
"I'll save you," I whispered. This time, it wasn't hope. It was a decision.
I got into the car. The door shut. And just like that, there was no going back.
The gates opened as we arrived. Kelvin's mansion stood tall as ever. Elegant. Intimidating. But this time, I didn't see beauty. I saw a place that changed people.
More black cars. More guards. Watching. Silent.
A man approached me. "Follow me."
I expected his office. But instead, I was led into a large hall. Wide. Empty. Cold. Tall windows covered with heavy curtains. Several doors lined the walls, closed and quiet.
And in the center of it all stood Kelvin.
"Welcome," he said.
I stopped a few steps away from him. Something about him felt different. Sharper. Colder.
"First things first," he said. "From now on, your life doesn't belong to you."
My breath caught.
"It belongs to me."
"And right here, in this room," his voice dropped slightly, "Ayra is going to die."
My jaw dropped. Fear gripped me instantly. "Are you going to kill me?" I asked, my voice shaking.
A quiet chuckle left him. Slowly, he turned fully toward me. And in that moment, I knew. This was not the boy I once knew.
"Yes," he said. Then softly, "No." He stepped closer. "Because something new is about to be born."
He snapped his fingers. A guard appeared and handed me a file.
"From now on, that is who you are," Kelvin said. "Ayra is gone."
My hands trembled as I opened it. And there it was.
Name: Eve Voss
My breath caught. It felt powerful. Dangerous. Like someone who didn't beg. Didn't break.
A full profile. New identity. New history. Everything already in place. Already real.
"When was this done?" I whispered to myself.
"Study it," Kelvin said. "Because that is who you are now."
He turned to leave, then paused slightly. "Rest. Your training starts tomorrow…" A brief silence. Then, "Eve."
The name settled into me. Not soft. Not strange. But final.
He walked away. Just like that. Leaving me standing between who I was and who I had become.
A guard stepped forward. "This way."
I followed him through dim hallways. Nothing like the luxurious parts of the mansion. This side felt hidden. Forgotten.
He opened a door. I stepped in and froze.
The room was terrible. The air was thick and stale. The walls looked worn and neglected. A single weak bulb flickered above. The bed was nothing more than a thin, hard foam on a metal frame. Uncomfortable. Unwelcoming. Almost like punishment.
"This is your room," the guard said before leaving. The door shut behind me.
Silence.
I stood there, trying to process everything. This wasn't comfort. This wasn't luxury. This was breaking.
I sat slowly on the bed. The hardness forced a quiet discomfort through my body.
I looked down at the file again. Ran my fingers over the name. Eve Voss.
"Ayra is gone," I whispered.
This time, it felt real.