CHAPTER 9 — THE FATHER'S LAST RECORDING
CHAPTER 9 — THE FATHER'S LAST RECORDING
The footsteps stopped.
Everyone in the chamber froze.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then the emergency lights came back on.
Edward was staring at Eva.
Not at me.
Not at Daniel.
At her.
“You told them.”
Eva didn't answer.
Edward's jaw tightened.
“You weren't supposed to know.”
“I know everything now.”
Her voice was strangely calm.
“You made one mistake.”
Edward looked at her.
“You gave me access to the archive.”
I stared at my sister.
“You found the files?”
She nodded.
“Three months ago.”
“And you never told me?”
“I didn't know if I could trust you.”
That hurt more than I expected.
“You're my sister.”
Eva looked at me.
“I know.”
“Then why?”
“Because everyone who ever called themselves family eventually betrayed me.”
I had no answer.
She looked toward Daniel.
“I thought you would too.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“I wouldn't.”
Eva looked away.
“I know that now.”
Then the speakers crackled.
A familiar voice filled the chamber.
My father's voice.
“Lena.”
I stopped breathing.
Everyone turned toward the nearest monitor.
The screen remained black.
Then a small red light appeared.
A recording began.
My father appeared.
Older.
Tired.
His face was bruised.
There was blood on the collar of his shirt.
But his eyes were the same.
I had spent twelve years imagining his face.
Now he was looking directly at me.
“I don't know when you'll see this.”
His voice trembled slightly.
“But if you're watching, then I failed to keep you away from M-17.”
My eyes filled with tears.
He continued.
“I'm sorry.”
I covered my mouth.
“I know you hate me.”
My mother began crying.
“I know you believe I abandoned you.”
He looked down.
“I needed you to believe that.”
The recording paused.
Then he leaned closer to the camera.
“Because if you knew I was still fighting, you would have come looking for me.”
My tears fell.
“And if you came looking for me, they would have found you.”
I whispered:
“Dad.”
The recording continued.
“There are things your mother never told you.”
My mother closed her eyes.
“There are things Victor never told you.”
Edward remained silent.
“And there are things I couldn't tell you.”
My father looked directly into the camera.
“The first is this.”
He held up a photograph.
It showed three children.
Me.
Daniel.
Eva.
“You were never meant to be separated.”
My heart tightened.
“All three of you were part of the same experiment.”
My father lowered the photograph.
“But only one of you was supposed to become the heir.”
The screen changed.
A document appeared.
HEIR SELECTION — FINAL PHASE
Then a name.
ADRIAN BLACKWOOD.
My father continued.
“Adrian was the first.”
“He was intelligent enough to understand what M-17 was.”
“Brave enough to oppose it.”
“And foolish enough to believe he could destroy it alone.”
The screen showed Adrian as a young boy.
Then a teenager.
Then an adult.
My father continued.
“Adrian disappeared after exposing the first generation of records.”
“He was declared dead.”
“But he wasn't.”
I looked at Eva.
She didn't move.
“He survived.”
My father's voice became quieter.
“And he became the most dangerous person alive.”
The screen went black.
Then another image appeared.
A map of the city.
Several locations were marked in red.
The hospital.
The Blackwood estate.
The fourth basement.
The chapel.
The tower.
Then one final location.
An abandoned railway station.
My father said:
“If Adrian is alive, he will eventually return to this place.”
Edward stepped forward.
“No.”
The recording continued.
“He believes the only way to destroy M-17 is to control it.”
I felt cold.
“That's the trap.”
My father looked directly into the camera.
“Lena, if Adrian contacts you, don't trust him.”
“Don't fight him.”
“And above all...”
“Don't give him the key.”
The recording stopped.
I stared at the screen.
“What key?”
Nobody answered.
Then my mother whispered:
“The key you have.”
I looked down.
The small metal key from the chapel was still in my hand.
“What does it open?”
She looked terrified.
“Your father's final vault.”
Edward suddenly turned toward the door.
“We have to go.”
I frowned.
“Why?”
“Because Adrian knows the recording exists.”
“And?”
“He'll come for the key.”
The alarms began again.
This time, they weren't coming from the tower.
They were coming from outside.
Marcus checked the security feed.
“Vehicles approaching.”
“How many?”
“Twenty.”
Jonathan looked at Edward.
“Whose?”
Edward didn't answer.
The screen suddenly displayed a convoy entering the underground garage.
At the front was a black sedan.
No license plate.
No security markings.
The doors opened.
A man stepped out.
Tall.
Dark coat.
Gray hair.
Calm expression.
Richard Hale.
The man from the photograph.
The man my father had warned us about.
I stared at him.
“That's him.”
Edward nodded.
“Yes.”
Richard looked directly into the security camera.
Then smiled.
He raised one hand.
The entire building lost power.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Daniel grabbed my hand.
“Lena.”
“I'm here.”
A gunshot sounded.
Then another.
People screamed.
Marcus fired toward the corridor.
“MOVE!”
We ran.
Edward grabbed my mother.
Jonathan pulled Eva.
I stayed with Daniel.
The emergency lights flashed red.
Every few seconds, we saw shadows moving through the corridors.
Men.
Armed.
Professional.
They weren't after money.
They weren't after documents.
They were hunting people.
“Where do we go?”
Edward pointed toward the elevator.
“Lower level.”
Jonathan shouted:
“No!”
Edward ignored him.
“It's the only place they can't reach us.”
“Why?”
“Because it doesn't exist on the building plans.”
We reached the elevator.
Edward entered a code.
The doors opened.
We crowded inside.
Then the elevator began descending.
Past the basement.
Past the underground archive.
Past the restricted levels.
The numbers on the panel disappeared.
We kept going.
Daniel whispered:
“How far down?”
Edward answered:
“Seven levels.”
“There's only four underground.”
“Officially.”
The elevator stopped.
The doors opened.
A massive underground chamber stretched ahead.
Hundreds of locked doors lined the walls.
Each had a number.
My stomach tightened.
“The subjects.”
Edward nodded.
“Where they were kept.”
I looked at the doors.
“Are they empty?”
“Most.”
“What does most mean?”
Edward didn't answer.
Then I heard something.
A faint tapping.
Three knocks.
I turned.
One of the doors was moving.
I walked toward it.
Daniel grabbed my arm.
“Don't.”
I stopped.
The number on the door was:
000
I stared at it.
“Subject 000.”
Edward's face changed.
“Stay away.”
“Why?”
“Because that room belongs to Adrian.”
I stepped back.
Then the door opened by itself.
No one touched it.
Darkness filled the doorway.
A voice came from inside.
“You're late.”
I froze.
Adrian stepped out.
He looked nothing like the photographs.
Older.
Scarred.
Calm.
But his eyes...
His eyes were identical to mine.
He looked at Edward.
“Father.”
Edward raised his weapon.
Adrian smiled.
“You still point guns when you're afraid.”
Edward's hand trembled.
“You died.”
“I learned from you.”
Adrian looked at me.
“And you must be Elena.”
I said nothing.
He studied me.
“Alexander's daughter.”
“Yes.”
“You look like your mother.”
I felt my stomach tighten.
“You knew my father.”
“I knew him better than anyone.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
Adrian smiled.
“Which one?”
“Did you kill him?”
“No.”
“Did Crane?”
“No.”
“Did my mother?”
“No.”
I looked at my mother.
She began crying.
“Then who?”
Adrian's expression changed.
“Your father died because he trusted the wrong person.”
“Who?”
Adrian looked toward Richard Hale's security feed.
Then back at me.
“Richard.”
My blood went cold.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you stop him?”
“Because I couldn't.”
“Why?”
“Because Richard controlled the doctors.”
“The police.”
“The courts.”
“The banks.”
“The government.”
“And the Blackwoods.”
I stared.
“Then why are you fighting him?”
Adrian's answer was quiet.
“Because he killed my brother.”
I looked at Edward.
“Who?”
Adrian's eyes hardened.
“Victor.”
Edward looked away.
“Victor was your brother?”
“Yes.”
I remembered the family tree.
Victor.
Adrian.
Edward.
Three generations of secrets.
Adrian continued.
“Victor tried to destroy M-17.”
“He failed.”
“Then he tried to protect you.”
“He failed.”
“Then he left the empire to you.”
“He failed.”
I stared at him.
“You keep saying he failed.”
“Because he did.”
“Then why defend him?”
“I don't.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“I blame him.”
“For what?”
“For believing he could fix a system built by monsters.”
He looked at Edward.
“And for believing our family could ever be saved.”
Silence.
Then he looked at me.
“That's why you're here.”
“Why?”
“Because you're the only heir who isn't afraid of losing the empire.”
I frowned.
“I don't want it.”
“Exactly.”
He smiled.
“That's why you're dangerous.”
Richard's voice suddenly came through the speakers.
“Adrian.”
Everyone froze.
Adrian looked upward.
“You finally came out.”
Richard laughed.
“You always were predictable.”
Adrian stepped toward the microphone.
“Where is my brother?”
“Dead.”
Adrian's expression became cold.
“You're lying.”
“I don't need to.”
Richard's voice continued.
“Because I already have the one thing you came for.”
Adrian looked at me.
“What?”
Richard answered:
“Elena.”
The lights turned on.
Every monitor displayed my face.
Then a second image appeared.
My father.
Then Daniel.
Then Eva.
Then my mother.
Richard said:
“I don't need the key.”
He paused.
“I need the bloodline.”
Adrian's expression changed.
“What bloodline?”
Richard laughed.
“The original.”
Edward whispered:
“No.”
Richard continued.
“Subject 000 was never Adrian.”
Adrian froze.
“What?”
“The first heir wasn't the first subject.”
I looked at the screen.
A file appeared.
SUBJECT 000 — STATUS: ACTIVE
Then a name.
ELENA VALE.
My blood ran cold.
“No.”
Richard continued:
“You've spent your entire life believing you were Subject 001.”
“You weren't.”
“You were always Subject 000.”
Adrian stared at me.
Edward looked horrified.
My mother collapsed.
Daniel whispered:
“Lena...”
I couldn't breathe.
Richard laughed.
“Now you understand.”
The screen changed.
A DNA chart appeared.
Three genetic lines.
Mine.
Daniel's.
Eva's.
Then a fourth.
Adrian.
They all connected.
One bloodline.
One origin.
One heir.
Richard said:
“Your father didn't protect you because you were his daughter.”
“He protected you because you were the original.”
“The first.”
“The only successful subject.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
Richard's voice became softer.
“And that's why your father had to die.”
The screen went black.
Silence.
Then a final message appeared.
THE FIRST HEIR WAS NEVER ADRIAN.
IT WAS YOU.
I looked at Adrian.
He wasn't angry.
He looked devastated.
“What does that mean?”
I whispered.
He stared at me.
“It means everything we believed was a lie.”
Then the doors behind us locked.
Richard's voice returned one final time.
“And now, Elena...”
“It's time for you to come home.”
The lights went out.
And somewhere in the darkness, Daniel screamed.
“LENA!”
I ran toward his voice.
But something grabbed my wrist.
A hand.
Strong.
Cold.
I turned.
It was Eva.
She leaned close to my ear.
“Don't scream.”
“Why?”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Because I finally remembered who our real mother is.”
I froze.
“What?”
Eva whispered:
“She isn't Isabella.”
The darkness swallowed us.
And from somewhere beneath the tower...
a woman's voice began singing the lullaby my mother used to sing when I was a child.
The same lullaby.
The same melody.
The same voice.
But my mother was standing beside me.
I looked at her.
She was crying.
Because she recognized it too.
The voice belonged to someone who was supposed to have died thirty years ago.
Edward's wife.
The woman who gave birth to the first heir.
May you like
My grandmother.
And she was calling my name.
