Chasing Shadows Veil of Deception

Content Warning: This chapter contains themes of violence and sensitive content, including descriptions of crime scenes and disturbing imagery. Reader discretion is advised.

Life began anew, as it always did, with the helplessness of a newborn. Unable to speak, walk, or even move, the only thing she could do was cry—or laugh, as her parents would coax her. But this time, something was different. She wasn’t alone, left to gaze at the ceiling in solitude.

She had a twin.

The face of someone who looked just like her was always there, lying beside her in the crib. This was new. Every previous reincarnation had begun with her reflecting on past lives, piecing together fragments of memory before moving on. Her parents kept her occupied with their chatter, preventing her from dwelling too long on her own thoughts. This time, however, her twin sister introduced a new dynamic.

Even though her twin was technically older, she was the one with the mental experience of past lives. She felt a deep sense of responsibility for her twin, watching over her as she grew. Despite her own fears and nightmares, her twin sister was always there, never leaving her side. They shared everything, even the same room. But as they reached high school, something changed.

Her sister began to act strangely.

Nora Reed/FL 4th life

“I didn’t know what was wrong. I tried asking her, but she ignored me. Maybe I was being too clingy… She’s a teenager, after all. Everyone needs space during this time.”

She gave her sister space, never suspecting that something far more sinister was at play. That is, until the day she came home to a shocking scene.

Their parents were dead, their bodies found in a disturbing and violent state. Her twin sister stood amidst the scene, visibly distressed and covered in blood.

Lora Reed/FL Twin

I thought of ending this sooner so you wouldn’t discover it. I didn’t want you to find me.

Her twin’s voice was calm yet chilling.

Lora Reed/FL Twin

Now that you’ve seen my face, it will be easier for you to find me in every life. I should have resolved this sooner… but I never expected us to be born together again.

Nora stood frozen in shock, unable to process the truth. Her loving, caring sister had been behind the violence across multiple lifetimes. She had finally discovered the truth—but it came at a devastating cost.

And then, her sister took her life.

Scene: The Fifth Life Begins

Nora wakes up in a new body, her memories of the previous life clear in her mind. This time, she isn’t as hopeful as before. The answers had come, but at a heart-wrenching price. Her twin sister, her killer, had been hiding in plain sight all along.

Nora Reed/FL 4th life

“This wasn’t the answer I wanted. But now I know. In this life, I’ll find her before she finds me. She doesn’t remember her past lives until she reaches a certain age, but I do. If I can get to her first… maybe this time, I can end this cycle.”

Nora spends the first year of her fifth life contemplating her strategy. But fate has other plans. She is born to a single mother, too young to care for a child. Her mother, with no other options, leaves her at an orphanage. Though the situation is difficult, the Maya understands.

Maya Cole/FL 5th life

“She didn’t let me die on the street, and she didn’t abuse me. She made a choice, one I can understand as someone who has lived through life. It’s her life, her decision. But now, I have my own mission. I just hope I find her soon.”

And so, the fifth life begins—with a new determination to stop the killer before the cycle repeats again.