Mina Lovegood woke with the immediate certainty that something was wrong.
It wasn't panic at first. Panic came later, once her body confirmed there was nowhere familiar to anchor itself. This was quieter than that, a sharp, unsettling awareness that the air around her didn't belong to her. The smell was wrong. Too clean. Too fresh. There was no trace of damp concrete, no lingering smoke, no sour hint of other people living too close for too long.
She opened her eyes.
The ceiling above her was white and impossibly high, threaded with thin lines of gold that caught the light as if they were alive. The sunlight wasn't harsh or weak—it was evenly warm, like it had been measured and approved. Mina sat up abruptly, her heart slamming against her ribs.
This wasn't her room.
Her gaze darted around, cataloguing details the way she always did when she entered unfamiliar spaces. The bed beneath her was too wide. The sheets were soft and unwrinkled, the fabric cool against her skin. The floor was carpeted thick enough to swallow sound. A glass table stood near the wall, empty and pristine. No clutter. No cheap plastic. No damp corners.
No signs of hurried living.
No signs of poverty.
That realization made her stomach twist.
Mina slid off the bed and stood, her bare feet sinking into the carpet. The sensation alone made her tense. Nothing in her old life had ever been this gentle. Gentleness was expensive. Gentleness belonged to people who didn't have to watch their backs.
She caught sight of herself in a mirror across the room and froze.
The girl staring back at her was unmistakably her, and yet not.
Her hair was thicker, darker, falling smoothly past her shoulders instead of lying dull and brittle from malnutrition and stress. Her skin was clear, unmarked by the faint bruises and shadows she'd grown used to hiding. She looked… rested.
Younger.
Mina raised a hand slowly and touched her cheek. The reflection did the same. Solid. Warm. Real.
"This doesn't make sense," she murmured.
The last thing she remembered was running. Not from anything dramatic. Just the quiet kind of danger, the kind that followed you without footsteps, that called your name like it was entitled to you. She remembered turning a corner. The feeling of eyes on her back. A voice too close.
Then nothing.
No light. No pain. Just absence.
Now this.
A knock sounded at the door.
Mina's breath hitched.
It wasn't loud or aggressive. Just a controlled, confident tap, like whoever stood on the other side already knew the door would open. She hesitated, then stepped closer and unlocked it, opening it just enough to see who was there.
A woman stood in the hallway, dressed in a tailored black suit that fit her too well to be off-the-rack. Hair pinned back. Posture straight. Expression neutral in the way professionals perfected.
"Mina Lovegood," the woman said calmly. "You're awake."
Mina didn't answer immediately. She studied the woman instead. No visible weapon. No impatience. No false warmth either.
"Who are you?" Mina asked.
"Elowen Hart. Administrative liaison. I handle placements and onboarding for the Helix Residence."
Placements.
That word alone made Mina uneasy.
"Placements where?" she pressed.
Elowen regarded her for a moment, then gestured toward the room. "May I come in?"
Mina stepped aside reluctantly, keeping herself angled so she could reach the door if she had to.
Elowen entered and glanced around as if confirming everything was in order. "You're currently in Aurelion City," she said. "You were found unconscious earlier today and brought in for stabilization."
Mina's chest tightened. "Found where?"
"At the outer boundary," Elowen replied. "Near a displacement site."
Mina frowned. "A displacement site?"
"Yes. A rift."
Mina stared at her, waiting for the joke that never came. "You're telling me I crossed into another world."
Elowen didn't hesitate. "Correct."
Silence stretched between them.
Mina felt her pulse quicken, thoughts scrambling to keep up. "So this isn't… a city I don't recognize. This isn't a country I've never heard of."
"No," Elowen said. "This is not your world."
Mina swallowed hard. "Can I go back?"
Elowen paused.
That pause told Mina everything.
"At this time," Elowen said carefully, "return has not been documented as a viable option."
Mina exhaled slowly, forcing her breathing to stay steady. Panic didn't change outcomes. Information did.
"Where exactly is Aurelion City?" she asked. "And who runs it?"
Elowen's eyes sharpened slightly, as if assessing her. "Aurelion is an independent metropolitan state," she said. "Governed by consortium law. Power here is privately held."
"By who?"
"The same individuals who reside at Helix."
Mina's unease deepened. "And Helix Residence is… what? A company dormitory?"
Elowen allowed herself a small smile. "A secured estate. Designed for individuals whose presence attracts attention."
Mina thought of the pristine room. The controlled quiet. The gold threaded into everything like a signature.
"And me?" she asked quietly. "Why am I here?"
Elowen tapped the tablet in her hand. "You are legally recognized as an adult under Aurelion law. You have no registered guardians or sponsors. As an Unanchored individual, you are required to secure approved residency or employment within seven days."
"And if I don't?"
"You are relocated outside the city perimeter."
Mina didn't need to ask what that meant. Outside always meant fewer rules, fewer witnesses, fewer chances.
"You've been placed as live-in staff at the Helix Residence," Elowen continued. "Housing, food, medical coverage, and compensation are included."
Staff.
The word settled heavily in Mina's chest.
"What kind of work?" she asked.
"Domestic operations. Scheduling assistance. Privacy management," Elowen said. "Discretion is paramount."
Mina nodded slowly. Discretion she understood.
"Who lives there?" she asked again.
Elowen met her gaze. "Four residents. Public figures. Very powerful ones."
"And they agreed to this?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Elowen studied her for a long moment before answering. "Because you don't draw attention to yourself."
Mina almost laughed.
If only that were true.
Elowen set a folder on the table. "This includes your contract, your identification packet, and Helix's internal policy guide. Orientation begins tomorrow."
Mina opened the folder cautiously. Papers. A laminated card with her face and a name printed beneath it. A Helix logo pressed into the corner like a seal.
"This says I get paid weekly," Mina said, voice steady despite the way her stomach clenched. "How? I don't have—"
Elowen nodded as if she'd expected the question. "Helix uses a wage vault system. Part of your compensation is issued as a direct deposit into a secure account under your legal identity. The rest is optional, staff can route a percentage into savings bonds or education credits."
Mina stared at her. "Education credits?"
"Yes. Helix has an internal program. Most staff pursue certifications or university modules through it. It reduces turnover."
Mina heard the real meaning beneath the neutral tone: Helix didn't want desperate staff. Desperate staff made mistakes.
"And if I leave?" Mina asked.
Elowen's gaze didn't soften. "There are exit terms. Early termination triggers repayment of certain benefits."
"So I'm trapped."
Elowen's expression remained neutral. "You are housed. You are fed. You are compensated. You are protected. You have a path forward. That is the agreement."
Mina didn't argue. She had lived in worse cages.
An hour later, she was escorted through Helix.
The halls were wide, lined with glass and pale stone veined with gold. Indoor gardens bloomed beneath artificial suns. Water ran quietly in channels built into the floor, like the building wanted to breathe. Staff moved with purpose, not panic. Some nodded politely. Others didn't look up.
A woman in housekeeping uniform passed them, pushing a cart. She glanced at Mina once, not unkindly, then looked away. A security staffer near a stairwell checked his tablet and moved on.
Her escort, Tomas, according to the badge on his uniform, spoke only once. "Your quarters are in the staff residence wing."
Mina nodded.
Her room overlooked a private courtyard filled with silver-green trees and a softly murmuring fountain. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, allowing herself one long breath.
Then she felt it.
The unmistakable sensation of being watched.
She turned slowly toward the glass corridor outside.
A man stood on the garden path.
Tall. Black suit. Not staff. Not security. His presence was unmistakable in the way the space seemed to adjust around him. He wasn't staring openly at her window, but there was a stillness to him that told her he was aware, of the corridor, of movement, of her.
Their eyes met.
Just briefly.
Mina's heart lurched. She looked away at once, every instinct screaming at her to retreat. When she glanced back, he was gone.
But the feeling didn't leave.
Somewhere in the Helix Residence, one of its residents now knew someone new had arrived.
And Mina Lovegood, who had survived her entire life by staying unseen, had just crossed into a world where being invisible might no longer be possible.
The World That Wasn't Hers
Mina Lovegood woke with the immediate certainty that something was wrong.
It wasn't panic at first. Panic came later, once her body confirmed there was nowhere familiar to anchor itself. This was quieter than that, a sharp, unsettling awareness that the air around her didn't belong to her. The smell was wrong. Too clean. Too fresh. There was no trace of damp concrete, no lingering smoke, no sour hint of other people living too close for too long.
She opened her eyes.
The ceiling above her was white and impossibly high, threaded with thin lines of gold that caught the light as if they were alive. The sunlight wasn't harsh or weak, it was evenly warm, like it had been measured and approved. Mina sat up abruptly, her heart slamming against her ribs.
This wasn't her room.
Her gaze darted around, cataloguing details the way she always did when she entered unfamiliar spaces. The bed beneath her was too wide. The sheets were soft and unwrinkled, the fabric cool against her skin. The floor was carpeted thick enough to swallow sound. A glass table stood near the wall, empty and pristine. No clutter. No cheap plastic. No damp corners.
No signs of hurried living.
No signs of poverty.
That realization made her stomach twist.
Mina slid off the bed and stood, her bare feet sinking into the carpet. The sensation alone made her tense. Nothing in her old life had ever been this gentle. Gentleness was expensive. Gentleness belonged to people who didn't have to watch their backs.
She caught sight of herself in a mirror across the room and froze.
The girl staring back at her was unmistakably her, and yet not.
Her hair was thicker, darker, falling smoothly past her shoulders instead of lying dull and brittle from malnutrition and stress. Her skin was clear, unmarked by the faint bruises and shadows she'd grown used to hiding. She looked… rested.
Younger.
Mina raised a hand slowly and touched her cheek. The reflection did the same. Solid. Warm. Real.
"This doesn't make sense," she murmured.
The last thing she remembered was running. Not from anything dramatic. Just the quiet kind of danger—the kind that followed you without footsteps, that called your name like it was entitled to you. She remembered turning a corner. The feeling of eyes on her back. A voice too close.
Then nothing.
No light. No pain. Just absence.
Now this.
A knock sounded at the door.
Mina's breath hitched.
It wasn't loud or aggressive. Just a controlled, confident tap, like whoever stood on the other side already knew the door would open. She hesitated, then stepped closer and unlocked it, opening it just enough to see who was there.
A woman stood in the hallway, dressed in a tailored black suit that fit her too well to be off-the-rack. Hair pinned back. Posture straight. Expression neutral in the way professionals perfected.
"Mina Lovegood," the woman said calmly. "You're awake."
Mina didn't answer immediately. She studied the woman instead. No visible weapon. No impatience. No false warmth either.
"Who are you?" Mina asked.
"Elowen Hart. Administrative liaison. I handle placements and onboarding for the Helix Residence."
Placements.
That word alone made Mina uneasy.
"Placements where?" she pressed.
Elowen regarded her for a moment, then gestured toward the room. "May I come in?"
Mina stepped aside reluctantly, keeping herself angled so she could reach the door if she had to.
Elowen entered and glanced around as if confirming everything was in order. "You're currently in Aurelion City," she said. "You were found unconscious earlier today and brought in for stabilization."
Mina's chest tightened. "Found where?"
"At the outer boundary," Elowen replied. "Near a displacement site."
Mina frowned. "A displacement site?"
"Yes. A rift."
Mina stared at her, waiting for the joke that never came. "You're telling me I crossed into another world."
Elowen didn't hesitate. "Correct."
Silence stretched between them.
Mina felt her pulse quicken, thoughts scrambling to keep up. "So this isn't… a city I don't recognize. This isn't a country I've never heard of."
"No," Elowen said. "This is not your world."
Mina swallowed hard. "Can I go back?"
Elowen paused.
That pause told Mina everything.
"At this time," Elowen said carefully, "return has not been documented as a viable option."
Mina exhaled slowly, forcing her breathing to stay steady. Panic didn't change outcomes. Information did.
"Where exactly is Aurelion City?" she asked. "And who runs it?"
Elowen's eyes sharpened slightly, as if assessing her. "Aurelion is an independent metropolitan state," she said. "Governed by consortium law. Power here is privately held."
"By who?"
"The same individuals who reside at Helix."
Mina's unease deepened. "And Helix Residence is… what? A company dormitory?"
Elowen allowed herself a small smile. "A secured estate. Designed for individuals whose presence attracts attention."
Mina thought of the pristine room. The controlled quiet. The gold threaded into everything like a signature.
"And me?" she asked quietly. "Why am I here?"
Elowen tapped the tablet in her hand. "You are legally recognized as an adult under Aurelion law. You have no registered guardians or sponsors. As an Unanchored individual, you are required to secure approved residency or employment within seven days."
"And if I don't?"
"You are relocated outside the city perimeter."
Mina didn't need to ask what that meant. Outside always meant fewer rules, fewer witnesses, fewer chances.
"You've been placed as live-in staff at the Helix Residence," Elowen continued. "Housing, food, medical coverage, and compensation are included."
Staff.
The word settled heavily in Mina's chest.
"What kind of work?" she asked.
"Domestic operations. Scheduling assistance. Privacy management," Elowen said. "Discretion is paramount."
Mina nodded slowly. Discretion she understood.
"Who lives there?" she asked again.
Elowen met her gaze. "Four residents. Public figures. Very powerful ones."
"And they agreed to this?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Elowen studied her for a long moment before answering. "Because you don't draw attention to yourself."
Mina almost laughed.
If only that were true.
Elowen set a folder on the table. "This includes your contract, your identification packet, and Helix's internal policy guide. Orientation begins tomorrow."
Mina opened the folder cautiously. Papers. A laminated card with her face and a name printed beneath it. A Helix logo pressed into the corner like a seal.
"This says I get paid weekly," Mina said, voice steady despite the way her stomach clenched. "How? I don't have—"
Elowen nodded as if she'd expected the question. "Helix uses a wage vault system. Part of your compensation is issued as a direct deposit into a secure account under your legal identity. The rest is optional staff can route a percentage into savings bonds or education credits."
Mina stared at her. "Education credits?"
"Yes. Helix has an internal program. Most staff pursue certifications or university modules through it. It reduces turnover."
Mina heard the real meaning beneath the neutral tone: Helix didn't want desperate staff. Desperate staff made mistakes.
"And if I leave?" Mina asked.
Elowen's gaze didn't soften. "There are exit terms. Early termination triggers repayment of certain benefits."
"So I'm trapped."
Elowen's expression remained neutral. "You are housed. You are fed. You are compensated. You are protected. You have a path forward. That is the agreement."
Mina didn't argue. She had lived in worse cages.
An hour later, she was escorted through Helix.
The halls were wide, lined with glass and pale stone veined with gold. Indoor gardens bloomed beneath artificial suns. Water ran quietly in channels built into the floor, like the building wanted to breathe. Staff moved with purpose, not panic. Some nodded politely. Others didn't look up.
A woman in housekeeping uniform passed them, pushing a cart. She glanced at Mina once, not unkindly, then looked away. A security staffer near a stairwell checked his tablet and moved on.
Her escort, Tomas, according to the badge on his uniform, spoke only once. "Your quarters are in the staff residence wing."
Mina nodded.
Her room overlooked a private courtyard filled with silver-green trees and a softly murmuring fountain. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, allowing herself one long breath.