CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 14
THE MAN WHO FORGOT
For several seconds, Ethan couldn't breathe.
The man standing in the doorway had his face.
His eyes.
His jaw.
His voice.
Even the small scar beneath his left eyebrow.
It was as though Ethan were staring at himself through a mirror that had learned how to smile.
But the thing that terrified him most wasn't the resemblance.
It was Sophie.
His daughter stood between them, crying.
"Daddy..."
Ethan slowly lowered his weapon.
"Sophie, come here."
She didn't move.
The other man smiled.
"That's right."
Ethan looked at him.
"Don't."
"Don't what?"
"Use her."
The man's smile disappeared.
"I don't have to."
He stepped into the lighthouse.
"My existence is proof enough."
Anna suddenly stood.
"Daniel."
The man looked at her.
"Don't call me that."
Anna's face collapsed.
"I'm sorry."
"You've said that before."
Ethan stared.
"You know him."
Anna nodded.
"Yes."
"Who is he?"
She swallowed.
"Your brother."
Ethan shook his head.
"You said he wasn't real."
"I said he wasn't your twin."
The man laughed.
"She's always been very careful with words."
Ethan looked at him.
"What's your name?"
The man stared at him for a long moment.
Then he answered.
"Ethan."
Ethan's stomach turned.
"No."
"That's what our father called me."
"You're Daniel."
"I was."
"What happened?"
The man's eyes hardened.
"You happened."
Silence.
Ethan stepped forward.
"What does that mean?"
"You were born first."
"So?"
"You became the heir."
"I never asked for that."
"You didn't have to."
His voice cracked.
"Everyone looked at you and saw the future."
He pointed at himself.
"They looked at me and saw a weapon."
Ethan said nothing.
"You got the name."
"I got the family."
"I got the training."
"You got the mother."
"I got the laboratory."
Ethan's eyes widened.
"The laboratory?"
Daniel smiled bitterly.
"That's where I learned to become you."
A memory struck Ethan.
Cold metal.
White walls.
A mirror.
A boy sitting alone.
His face looked exactly like Ethan's.
He was maybe twelve.
A man stood behind him.
"Say your name."
The boy whispered:
"Ethan Carter."
Again.
"Ethan Carter."
Again.
"Ethan Carter."
The door opened.
Young Ethan stood outside.
He looked confused.
"Who is he?"
His father answered:
"No one."
The boy looked at Ethan.
Their eyes met.
Ethan remembered feeling frightened.
Then jealous.
Then ashamed.
His father pushed Ethan away.
"Go upstairs."
The door closed.
The boy in the room continued repeating the name.
"Ethan Carter."
Ethan returned to the lighthouse.
His knees nearly gave out.
"You were there."
Daniel nodded.
"You remember."
"I remember the room."
"You should."
"Why?"
"Because that's where you betrayed me."
Ethan frowned.
"I was a child."
"You told our father about me."
"I didn't know what he was doing."
"You told him I was afraid."
Ethan stared.
"I don't remember."
"Of course you don't."
Daniel stepped closer.
"That's what they did."
"Who?"
"Everyone."
Celeste suddenly appeared behind Daniel.
She was holding a pistol.
"Enough."
Daniel turned.
Celeste aimed at his head.
"Put the gun down."
Daniel laughed.
"You still think you can control me."
"I raised you."
"No."
"You survived because of me."
"I survived despite you."
Celeste's finger tightened around the trigger.
Daniel smiled.
"Go ahead."
She hesitated.
Ethan noticed.
"You're afraid of him."
Celeste looked at Ethan.
"I'm afraid of what happens if he dies."
"Why?"
"Because he knows where the archive is."
Daniel smiled.
"No."
Celeste frowned.
"He doesn't."
"Then why are you afraid?"
Daniel looked at Ethan.
"Because he does."
Ethan froze.
"Where is it?"
Daniel nodded toward him.
"Inside your memory."
Silence.
Ethan's heart began pounding.
"What?"
"The archive isn't under the lighthouse."
Anna closed her eyes.
"Daniel..."
He continued.
"Your father knew someone would eventually find the physical records."
"So he created another archive."
"Inside the mind of one person."
Ethan whispered:
"Me."
Daniel nodded.
"You're the key."
"How?"
"Your memories."
"That's why they erased them."
"Yes."
"That's why I couldn't remember the crash."
"Yes."
"That's why I kept seeing Room 17."
"Yes."
Daniel's expression softened.
"Room 17 was never a room."
Ethan stared.
"It was a memory."
The lighthouse suddenly shook.
A distant explosion echoed from below.
Anna grabbed Sophie.
"Get down!"
Glass shattered.
Ethan covered Sophie.
Daniel looked toward the window.
"They found us."
"Who?"
"Everyone."
"Police?"
"No."
"Who?"
Daniel looked at Celeste.
"The people who own the network."
Celeste's face went pale.
"You said they were gone."
"I lied."
Richard stepped forward.
"How many?"
Daniel checked the window.
"Enough."
Another explosion.
The lights flickered.
Richard grabbed Ethan's arm.
"We need to leave."
Ethan pulled away.
"Not until I know the truth."
Richard stared at him.
"You won't have time."
"I've been lied to for three years."
"You'll get your answers."
"When?"
Richard looked toward the stairwell.
"After we survive."
The first man came through the lower door.
Then another.
Then three more.
Black clothing.
Masks.
Weapons.
Ethan pushed Sophie behind him.
"Stay with Anna."
Sophie nodded.
Daniel stepped forward.
"You wanted the archive."
One of the masked men raised his weapon.
Daniel smiled.
"Come get it."
Gunfire erupted.
The lighthouse became chaos.
Ethan fired twice.
Richard tackled one attacker.
Anna pulled Sophie behind a stone wall.
Celeste disappeared into the smoke.
Daniel moved like someone trained for war.
He was fast.
Precise.
Terrifying.
Within seconds, three attackers were down.
But more were coming.
"Ethan!"
Daniel shouted.
Ethan turned.
A man was behind him.
Daniel fired.
The attacker fell.
Ethan stared.
"You saved me."
Daniel looked at him.
"I've been doing that my entire life."
Another shot.
Daniel staggered.
Blood spread across his shirt.
"Daniel!"
Ethan caught him.
Daniel looked surprised.
"You remembered my name."
Ethan held him.
"You're my brother."
Daniel smiled faintly.
"Half-brother."
"Still my brother."
Daniel closed his eyes.
For a moment, the anger disappeared.
"I wanted to hear you say that."
Then he collapsed.
The attackers retreated.
Silence returned.
Ethan looked down at Daniel.
"He's alive."
Anna rushed over.
"We need to move."
Ethan looked at her.
"You're coming."
Anna nodded.
"Sophie too."
Richard helped Daniel stand.
Celeste was nowhere to be seen.
Ethan looked toward the empty doorway.
"Where is she?"
Anna shook her head.
"She's gone."
Ethan stared into the darkness.
"Then we find her."
They reached an underground tunnel beneath the lighthouse.
Daniel was barely conscious.
Sophie held his hand.
Ethan noticed.
"Why are you holding his hand?"
Sophie looked at him.
"He saved me."
Ethan looked at Daniel.
"How?"
Sophie hesitated.
"He told me what to say."
"What did he tell you?"
She whispered:
"That Daddy wasn't really Daddy."
Ethan froze.
Anna stepped forward.
"Sophie..."
"No."
Ethan looked at his daughter.
"Tell me."
Sophie began crying.
"He said you forgot."
"Forgot what?"
"That you weren't the man who came home after Mommy died."
Ethan felt the blood drain from his face.
"What?"
Sophie shook her head.
"He said the real Daddy disappeared."
Anna closed her eyes.
Ethan looked at her.
"What is she talking about?"
Anna didn't answer.
"Anna."
Finally, she whispered:
"He's right."
Ethan stepped backward.
"What?"
"The man who came home after the crash..."
She looked at him.
"...wasn't you."
The tunnel went silent.
Richard looked away.
Daniel opened his eyes.
Ethan stared at Anna.
"Then who am I?"
Anna's face filled with tears.
"You are Ethan."
"Then what are you saying?"
"You survived the crash."
"Yes."
"But your memory didn't."
"I know."
"No."
She shook her head.
"You didn't lose your memory."
Ethan stared.
"Then?"
"Your memory was replaced."
He couldn't breathe.
"By whom?"
Anna whispered:
"By me."
Ethan stepped backward.
"You did this?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because you asked me to."
"I would never."
"You did."
"When?"
"The night of the crash."
Ethan closed his eyes.
A memory appeared.
Rain.
Headlights.
Anna screaming.
Sophie crying.
A car spinning.
Ethan holding the steering wheel.
Then another vehicle.
A black SUV.
Celeste inside.
Richard beside her.
And Daniel driving.
Ethan remembered.
He remembered everything.
Daniel had been driving the other car.
Celeste had ordered him to ram them.
Anna had pulled Sophie from the wreckage.
Ethan had been trapped.
And then—
he saw himself.
Standing outside the vehicle.
Alive.
But something was wrong.
There were two Ethans.
One lying unconscious inside the wreck.
One standing outside.
Ethan opened his eyes.
"No."
Anna cried.
"The crash wasn't an accident."
"What happened?"
"Daniel pulled you out."
"Then why did I lose my memory?"
"Because you saw the truth."
"What truth?"
"You saw who ordered the crash."
"Celeste."
"No."
Ethan froze.
Anna whispered:
"Your father."
Silence.
"Your father ordered the crash."
Ethan shook his head.
"He's dead."
"He wasn't."
"What?"
"He survived."
Ethan stared.
"Your father survived the crash."
"Then who died?"
Anna's face broke.
"The man you thought was your father."
Ethan couldn't breathe.
"The body was Daniel's."
"What?"
Anna nodded.
"Your father staged his own death."
Ethan felt sick.
"And Celeste?"
"She knew."
"Richard?"
"He knew."
"Why?"
"Because your father wanted to disappear."
"Why?"
"To escape the network."
"And he used me?"
"Yes."
Ethan's voice became bitter.
"Everyone used me."
Anna nodded.
"Yes."
"Even you."
"Yes."
He looked at her.
"Why did you erase my memories?"
"Because your father wanted to kill you."
Ethan froze.
"What?"
"He discovered you had chosen Sophie over him."
"You refused to give him the archive."
"So he ordered Daniel to kill you."
"Daniel refused."
"Then Celeste took over."
"She caused the crash."
"Yes."
"And you saved me."
"Yes."
"But you erased my memories."
"Because you knew where the archive was."
Ethan looked at Daniel.
"So he was pretending to be me."
"Yes."
"And I was pretending to be him."
Anna nodded.
"You took Daniel's identity for three years."
Ethan's eyes widened.
"That's why everyone treated me differently."
"Yes."
"That's why Richard hated me."
"Yes."
"That's why Celeste controlled me."
"Yes."
"And that's why I couldn't remember Anna."
"Yes."
Ethan looked down.
His entire life had been built on a lie.
Then he noticed something.
A small mark on his wrist.
Three dots.
He touched it.
Anna whispered:
"That's the key."
"The archive?"
"Yes."
"How do I open it?"
"You already did."
"When?"
"The first time you remembered Daniel."
Ethan stared at her.
"What was in the archive?"
Anna hesitated.
"The truth about your father."
"What truth?"
"He's alive."
The tunnel fell silent.
Ethan stared.
"No."
Anna nodded.
"He has been watching you."
"Where?"
Anna looked toward the darkness behind them.
"He's here."
Everyone turned.
A figure stepped from the shadows.
Older.
Gray-haired.
Tall.
The face Ethan had spent years seeing in nightmares.
His father.
Alive.
He smiled.
"My son."
Ethan raised his weapon.
His father looked at him.
"You finally remembered."
Ethan's voice shook.
"You destroyed my life."
His father smiled.
"No."
He looked at Anna.
"She did."
Anna went pale.
Ethan turned.
His father continued:
"Ask her what she did after the crash."
Ethan looked at Anna.
She couldn't meet his eyes.
"What did you do?"
Anna whispered:
"I made a choice."
"What choice?"
She began crying.
"I saved Sophie."
"And?"
"I left you."
Ethan's face hardened.
"Why?"
"Because I couldn't save both of you."
His father laughed softly.
"And now you know."
Ethan looked at him.
"Know what?"
His father stepped forward.
"The most painful truth."
He pointed at Sophie.
"Your daughter wasn't the target."
Ethan froze.
"Then who was?"
His father smiled.
"You."
"Why?"
"Because you were never my son."
Ethan's blood turned cold.
His father continued:
"You were the replacement."
Daniel looked up.
Anna covered her mouth.
Richard whispered:
"No..."
Ethan stared at the man.
"Then who am I?"
His father smiled.
"Ask the woman who gave birth to you."
Ethan turned toward his mother.
But she was gone.
Only one thing remained on the ground.
A photograph.
Ethan picked it up.
It showed his mother holding a newborn baby.
Beside her stood another woman.
Anna.
And between them—
a newborn boy.
On the back of the photograph was a single sentence:
THE REAL ETHAN DIED BEFORE THE CRASH.
Ethan's hands went numb.
He looked at Anna.
She was crying.
And then she whispered:
"I'm sorry."
The tunnel lights went out.
When they came back—
May you like
Ethan's father was gone.
And Sophie was missing.
