Shattered reflection

Chapter 4: The Name in the Shadows

The cabin creaked in the wind as Mia stared down at the name in her father's journal. Lucien. It echoed in her mind like a bell tolling a warning. There was something unnerving about it, something that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. This wasn't just another name on a list—this was someone pivotal.

Jake paced in the small room, his footsteps slow and deliberate. "Lucien," he muttered, testing the weight of the name in his mouth. "He's mentioned multiple times in the journal, right?"

Mia nodded, flipping back through the pages. "Yeah, but not much detail. My father wasn't exactly forthcoming with specifics. It's like he was intentionally cryptic." She sighed in frustration, eyes scanning the messy scrawl of her father's handwriting. "I hate that he kept so many secrets."

Jake stopped pacing and sat down, leaning forward to peer over the journal. "He must've had his reasons. Maybe he thought it would protect you."

"Protect me from what? The truth?" Mia's voice cracked as a mix of anger and grief bubbled to the surface. The image of her father—once strong and protective—was now fractured, painted with layers of deception she hadn't noticed before.

Jake didn't push further, respecting the unspoken wall she had built up between her and the truth about her father. Instead, he reached for the journal and flipped through a few more pages, stopping on a passage that looked different from the others. The handwriting was jagged and hurried, more erratic than before. It looked as if her father had been writing in desperation.

"What's this?" he asked, pointing at the page.

Mia leaned in, eyes narrowing as she read the words aloud: "Lucien is watching. He's always watching. The Raven answers to him, but even they don't fully understand his purpose."

She paused, the words sinking into her bones like ice water. Jake was silent, his expression unreadable as he absorbed the implications of her father's note.

Mia continued reading, her voice now barely a whisper. "He's not just part of The Raven—he's something more. There are whispers about him, but no one knows who he really is. Not even the Syndicate. If I can find him... maybe I can finally end this. Maybe I can keep Mia safe."

Her breath caught in her throat. Her father had been trying to protect her, even as he became consumed by whatever shadowy world The Raven had pulled him into. But who was this Lucien? Why did he seem to hold so much power over both The Raven and the Syndicate?

Jake rubbed a hand over his face, his jaw tightening as he spoke. "This Lucien guy sounds like someone we don't want to mess with."

Mia nodded slowly, her mind racing. "But if he's connected to everything—if he's the key to unraveling The Raven's entire operation—we don't have a choice. We have to find him."

Jake frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the idea. "You're right, but we've been flying blind for too long, Mia. If your father was tracking Lucien, then there's gotta be some clue in the journal—something more specific about where he is."

Mia thumbed through the journal, her heart beating faster as she scanned the pages. And then, there it was. A name—scrawled hastily in the margin of one of the pages. The Roanoke Estate.

Mia's heart skipped a beat as she traced the faded ink with her finger. Her father had written the name like it was important, circled it several times as if to emphasize its significance. The letters were messy, but there was no mistaking it.

"The Roanoke Estate," she whispered, her voice thick with disbelief.

Jake leaned over her shoulder, reading the name for himself. "An estate?" he repeated, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Out in the open like that? Seems strange for someone like Lucien."