PART 14 — THE BROTHER WHO NEVER EXISTED

The young man stood beneath the broken church doors.
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.
He looked like me.
Not similar.
Not close.
Me.
The same eyes.
The same jaw.
The same scar above the left eyebrow.
Even the same small mark on his hand that I had carried since childhood.
Gwen stared at him.
Then at me.
Then back at him.
“What is happening?”
Nobody answered.
The young man smiled.
Not an evil smile.
Almost a sad one.
He looked at me as if he had been waiting his entire life for this exact moment.
“Hello, brother.”
I stepped backward.
“No.”
He tilted his head.

“You don’t remember me.”

“I’ve never seen you.”

“Yes, you have.”

“When?”

“When we were children.”

My head began pounding.

Images flashed through my mind.

Two boys.

Running through a garden.

One of them was me.

The other—

him.

We were laughing.

A woman was watching us from a window.

Elena.

Then my grandfather appeared.

His face was angry.

He grabbed the other boy.

I shouted.

“Don’t hurt him!”

My grandfather turned toward me.

“You don’t have a brother.”

The memory disappeared.

I grabbed my head.

“Stop.”

The young man stepped closer.

“You remember.”

“No.”

“You do.”

“I don’t.”

He smiled sadly.

“That’s what they wanted.”

Mara stepped forward.

“Enough.”

She looked at the young man.

“Tell him.”

He nodded.

“My name is Alex.”

I stared at him.

“Alex what?”

He paused.

“Alex Veyra.”

My grandmother began crying.

I turned toward her.

“You know him.”

She nodded.

“I’m sorry.”

“You knew?”

“Yes.”

“Everyone knew?”

She looked at Elena.

Elena couldn’t meet my eyes.

I felt anger rising.

“You all knew I had a brother?”

Henry stepped forward.

“I didn’t.”

I looked at him.

“You’re lying.”

“No.”

“Then why do I remember him?”

Henry shook his head.

“Because the memories were buried.”

Alex smiled.

“Not buried.”

He tapped his temple.

“Removed.”

I looked at my grandfather.

He was still on the floor, bleeding.

“You erased him.”

My grandfather looked at Alex.

Then at me.

“No.”

Alex laughed.

“Still lying.”

He walked toward my grandfather.

“You erased me from him.”

My grandfather whispered:

“You were dangerous.”

Alex stopped.

“I was eight.”

“You were unstable.”

“I was a child.”

“You remembered everything.”

“So did he.”

My grandfather looked at me.

“But you were different.”

Alex’s face hardened.

“How?”

My grandfather answered:

“You remembered people.”

He looked at Alex.

“You remembered motives.”

Alex said nothing.

My grandfather continued:

“You could see what people were going to do.”

I stared.

“What?”

Alex looked at me.

“He’s telling the truth.”

I shook my head.

“No human can do that.”

Alex smiled.

“Not predict.”

He pointed at his own eyes.

“Understand.”

I didn’t know what to say.

Mara stepped forward.

“Subject 0003 was never designed to be an archive.”

“Then what was he?”

She looked at Alex.

“A detector.”

“A detector of what?”

“Lies.”

Silence.

Alex looked at me.

“He can remember everything.”

He pointed toward himself.

“But I can tell when someone is lying.”

My stomach tightened.

“That’s why my grandfather was afraid of you.”

“Yes.”

“And that’s why he erased you.”

“Yes.”

I looked at Elena.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

She began crying.

“Because you asked me not to.”

I froze.

“What?”

“You were the one who asked.”

“No.”

“You were eight.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“You knew what they were doing.”

She stepped closer.

“You knew they would come back for you.”

“You knew Alex was being taken.”

“And you told me…”

Her voice broke.

“You told me to forget him.”

I stared.

“Why?”

“Because you thought if you remembered him, they would find you.”

Alex interrupted.

“I told him to forget me.”

I turned.

“Why?”

“Because I knew what would happen.”

“What?”

“They would use you to find me.”

I looked at him.

“And they did?”

He nodded.

“Eventually.”

Mara stepped forward.

“We’ve spent twenty years keeping him alive.”

I stared.

“Who is ‘we’?”

“The Veyra Council.”

“What do you want?”

Mara looked at me.

“Nothing.”

I laughed.

“Nothing?”

“We want you to choose.”

“Choose what?”

She pointed toward the destroyed computer.

“You destroyed the archive.”

“Yes.”

“That was the correct choice.”

I frowned.

“Then why are you here?”

“Because destroying the archive didn’t destroy the information.”

I froze.

“What?”

Mara smiled.

“The information was transferred.”

“To where?”

She pointed at my head.

My blood went cold.

“To you.”

I stared at the floor.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“The transfer…”

“Completed.”

I remembered the pain.

The memories flooding into me.

Everything.

Every face.

Every name.

Every secret.

But there was something else.

Something I hadn’t noticed.

A voice.

Whispering inside my mind.

A voice that wasn’t mine.

I closed my eyes.

And heard:

“Find the door.”

I opened them.

“There’s something inside my memory.”

Alex nodded.

“I know.”

“What?”

“A message.”

“From who?”

He looked at my grandfather.

“From the first person who discovered the archive.”

I looked at my grandfather.

“Who?”

He smiled weakly.

“My father.”

My grandmother shook her head.

“Don’t.”

My grandfather continued:

“His name was Elias Veyra.”

I stared.

“Richard’s name.”

“No.”

“Then who was Richard?”

My grandfather smiled.

“Another son.”

I felt dizzy.

“How many sons did you have?”

He laughed.

“Five.”

The room went silent.

“Five?”

“Yes.”

I looked around.

“Where are they?”

My grandfather looked at Mara.

Then Alex.

Then me.

“Three are standing here.”

My heart stopped.

“And the other two?”

He smiled.

“You’ve met them.”

I stared.

“Who?”

My grandfather whispered:

“Richard.”

I froze.

“And the other?”

He looked toward the broken church doors.

“Your father.”

I turned toward Adrian.

He was standing completely still.

“You’re one of them.”

Adrian nodded.

“Yes.”

“How many brothers?”

“Five.”

“Who is the fifth?”

Adrian looked at my grandmother.

She whispered:

“Samuel.”

I frowned.

“Who is Samuel?”

Nobody answered.

Then Alex stepped forward.

“That’s the problem.”

“What?”

“Samuel was never supposed to exist.”

The church became silent.

My grandfather’s face changed.

Alex continued:

“He was born after the experiment began.”

“And?”

“He wasn’t part of the plan.”

“What happened?”

“He disappeared.”

“Where?”

Alex looked at Mara.

Mara answered:

“Into the network.”

I stared.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“It will.”

She pulled out a small device.

Pressed a button.

A projector appeared.

A photograph filled the wall.

A young boy.

Maybe six years old.

He looked at me.

Same face.

Same eyes.

Same scar.

I felt my stomach drop.

“That’s me.”

“No.”

Mara shook her head.

“That is Samuel.”

I stared.

Alex whispered:

“He is your identical twin.”

I couldn’t breathe.

“Twin?”

“Yes.”

“Then why do I remember Alex?”

“Because Alex raised you.”

I looked at Alex.

“What?”

He nodded.

“When you were very young, our grandfather separated us.”

“You and Samuel?”

“Yes.”

“But I was with you?”

“For a while.”

“Then why don’t I remember?”

“Because Samuel replaced you.”

My blood went cold.

“What?”

Alex explained:

“When the Council discovered the experiment, they tried to shut it down.”

“Your grandfather refused.”

“He hid you.”

“But he needed another child to continue the experiment.”

“So he used Samuel.”

I looked at the photograph.

The boy smiled.

“What happened to him?”

Alex’s expression changed.

“He became Subject 0004.”

I looked at Mara.

“Then why isn’t he here?”

She looked toward the church entrance.

“Because he’s already inside.”

Everyone turned.

The broken doors slowly closed.

One by one.

A figure appeared behind the glass.

A man.

Tall.

Dark coat.

Face hidden.

He stepped into the church.

I couldn’t see his eyes.

Then he removed his hood.

My heart stopped.

He looked exactly like me.

Exactly.

He stared at me.

And smiled.

“Brother.”

Gwen grabbed my hand.

“There are two of them?”

Alex stepped backward.

“No.”

I looked at him.

“What?”

“That isn’t Samuel.”

“Then who is it?”

Alex’s face went white.

“Subject 0005.”

The stranger smiled.

“You finally remembered.”

I stared.

“How many of us are there?”

He laughed.

“Enough.”

Mara raised her weapon.

“Everyone back.”

The stranger didn’t move.

He looked at me.

“You really thought destroying the archive would free you?”

I didn’t answer.

He pointed toward my head.

“The archive is inside you now.”

Then he looked at Alex.

“And so am I.”

Alex froze.

“What?”

The stranger smiled.

“You forgot one thing.”

Alex’s expression changed.

“What?”

“Subjects can be copied.”

The room went silent.

I looked at Mara.

“What does that mean?”

She whispered:

“They copied his memories.”

“Whose?”

Alex.

The stranger looked at him.

“His.”

Alex stepped forward.

“You’re not me.”

The stranger laughed.

“I remember everything you remember.”

He turned toward me.

“I remember everything he remembers.”

He pointed at my grandfather.

“And everything he knows.”

Then he pointed at Adrian.

“And everything your father knows.”

I felt cold.

“How?”

He smiled.

“Because the archive was never stored in computers.”

He touched his head.

“It was stored in us.”

Suddenly—

Alex collapsed.

I ran toward him.

“Alex!”

He grabbed my arm.

“Don’t let him touch you.”

“Why?”

“He can transfer memories.”

The stranger smiled.

“Too late.”

My hand burned.

A wave of memories hit me.

Not mine.

Alex’s.

His childhood.

His fear.

His first memory of me.

His first night in the facility.

His escape.

The day he watched me being taken away.

The day he promised to find me.

I cried.

“You remembered me.”

Alex smiled weakly.

“Every day.”

Then another memory appeared.

A secret meeting.

My grandfather.

Adrian.

Mara.

And a fifth man.

Samuel.

They were discussing me.

My grandfather said:

“He cannot know the truth.”

Samuel answered:

“Then we’ll make sure he never remembers.”

I opened my eyes.

“Samuel.”

The stranger smiled.

“Yes.”

“You were there.”

“Yes.”

“You helped erase me.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

He looked at me.

“Because I was jealous.”

“Of what?”

“You.”

I didn’t understand.

“You were chosen.”

“For what?”

“To become the final subject.”

“And you?”

“I was discarded.”

He stepped closer.

“You were given a family.”

“I was given a childhood.”

“You were allowed to forget.”

“I was allowed to live.”

He pointed at himself.

“I was forced to remember.”

His voice cracked.

“Everything.”

Every death.

Every experiment.

Every scream.

Every betrayal.

I looked at him.

“Who hurt you?”

He laughed.

“All of you.”

Then he raised his weapon.

Before he could fire—

Gwen stepped in front of me.

“Stop!”

Samuel froze.

He looked at her.

“You.”

Gwen stood her ground.

“What?”

“You’re the variable.”

“What?”

“You weren’t supposed to be here.”

I frowned.

“What does that mean?”

Samuel looked at me.

“She wasn’t part of the experiment.”

“Then why is she involved?”

“Because she was the one person your memory couldn’t erase.”

I looked at Gwen.

She was crying.

“What?”

Samuel continued:

“Every memory you lost…”

He pointed at her.

“…came back when you met her.”

I remembered.

The dreams.

The numbers.

The cemetery.

The archive.

Everything had started after meeting Gwen.

She had unlocked my memory.

Not the archive.

Me.

I looked at her.

“You knew?”

She shook her head.

“I swear.”

Samuel smiled.

“Of course she didn’t.”

Then he turned toward the door.

“Because she was never told.”

“Who is she?”

Samuel looked at Mara.

Mara slowly lowered her weapon.

“She is…”

She hesitated.

Then:

“…the last heir.”

I stared.

“Heir to what?”

Mara answered:

“The original Veyra archive.”

My heart pounded.

“Then why didn’t she know?”

“Because her father hid it.”

“Who is her father?”

Mara looked at Daniel.

Everyone turned toward him.

Daniel’s face went pale.

Gwen whispered:

“Dad?”

Daniel closed his eyes.

“I wanted you to have a normal life.”

Gwen stepped backward.

“You knew?”

“Yes.”

“You knew what I was?”

“Yes.”

She stared at him.

“What am I?”

Daniel looked at me.

Then at Gwen.

“You are the only person who can destroy the archive completely.”

Silence.

I looked at Gwen.

She looked at me.

Samuel smiled.

“Now you understand.”

He stepped backward.

“You are not the key.”

He pointed at me.

“He isn’t the key.”

Then at Alex.

“He isn’t the key.”

Then at Lily.

“She isn’t the key.”

Finally, he pointed at Gwen.

“She is.”

The church doors exploded.

Everyone ducked.

Smoke filled the room.

Gunfire erupted.

People screamed.

Mara shouted:

“MOVE!”

I grabbed Gwen.

Alex grabbed Lily.

Daniel pulled Elena behind a pillar.

My grandfather was still on the floor.

Adrian dragged him toward the tunnel.

Samuel disappeared into the smoke.

I shouted:

“Where is he?”

Nobody answered.

Then I heard Gwen scream.

I turned.

She was gone.

I ran toward the smoke.

“GWEN!”

No answer.

I pushed through the crowd.

“GWEN!”

Then I saw her.

Standing at the far end of the church.

Samuel had his arm around her.

A gun against her head.

He looked at me.

“Come alone.”

I stopped.

“Let her go.”

“Not yet.”

“What do you want?”

He smiled.

“I want the final archive.”

I shook my head.

“You destroyed it.”

“No.”

He touched his head.

“You did.”

I froze.

He smiled.

“Remember?”

I closed my eyes.

And suddenly—

I saw it.

The final archive.

Not in the church.

Not in the computer.

Not in Lily.

Not in Alex.

Not even in me.

It was inside Gwen.

A memory hidden so deeply that even she didn’t know it existed.

A memory of her father.

Daniel.

Giving her something when she was a baby.

A tiny silver key.

The same key she had worn around her neck for years.

But the key wasn’t a key.

It was a storage device.

A physical piece of the original archive.

I opened my eyes.

“Gwen.”

She looked at me.

“Your necklace.”

She touched it.

Samuel smiled.

“Exactly.”

Gwen’s eyes widened.

“What?”

Samuel pulled the pendant away.

The tiny silver shell opened.

Inside was a microscopic black chip.

He held it up.

“The original archive.”

Everyone froze.

Mara whispered:

“No…”

Samuel smiled.

“After twenty years…”

He looked at me.

“We finally have everything.”

Then he leaned toward Gwen.

“Now we find out what happens when the two final subjects are connected.”

I stared.

“What two?”

Samuel smiled.

“Gwen.”

Then he looked at me.

“And you.”

A strange sound came from the walls.

The lights flickered.

The old church began shaking.

The symbols on the floor illuminated.

A circle appeared beneath Gwen.

Another beneath me.

And a voice echoed from somewhere deep beneath the earth.

A voice I had never heard before.

But somehow—

I understood it.

“PRIMARY PAIR IDENTIFIED.”

The floor began opening.

Samuel stepped backward.

Mara shouted:

“GET THEM OUT!”

Too late.

The church floor collapsed.

Gwen screamed.

I reached for her.

Our hands touched for one second.

Then the ground disappeared beneath us.

We fell into darkness.

I could hear Gwen screaming.

I grabbed her hand.

“DON’T LET GO!”

“I’M TRYING!”

We fell deeper.

Then—

nothing.

No sound.

No light.

No ground.

Just darkness.

Until a single light appeared below us.

A massive underground chamber.

At its center stood an enormous machine.

And beside it—

a woman.

Old.

White hair.

Waiting.

I recognized her.

My grandmother.

But she couldn’t possibly be there.

Because I had just watched her fall with us.

I looked around.

Gwen was beside me.

Alive.

The machine began humming.

My grandmother smiled.

“Finally.”

I stared.

“Finally what?”

She looked at Gwen.

Then at me.

“The two halves have returned.”

I stepped forward.

“What is this place?”

She smiled.

“The first archive.”

I froze.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“But the first archive was destroyed.”

She shook her head.

“The one you released was only a copy.”

I looked at Gwen.

“What happens now?”

My grandmother placed her hand on the machine.

“Now…”

The machine came alive.

“…you remember why you were created.”

A screen appeared.

Two names.

SUBJECT 0002 — YOU

SUBJECT 0006 — GWEN

I stared.

“Subject 0006?”

Gwen stepped backward.

“No.”

My grandmother looked at her.

“Yes.”

Gwen began shaking.

“But I wasn’t part of the experiment.”

My grandmother smiled.

“You were born after it ended.”

“Then how?”

“Because your father continued it.”

Gwen looked at Daniel.

He wasn’t there.

My heart sank.

“Where is Daniel?”

My grandmother looked toward the darkness.

“Gone.”

“Gone where?”

She smiled.

“To wake the others.”

The machine began counting.

6…

5…

4…

I grabbed Gwen’s hand.

“What happens when it reaches zero?”

My grandmother looked at us.

Her expression became serious.

“You become one.”

3…

The chamber shook.

2…

Gwen looked at me.

“Whatever happens…”

She squeezed my hand.

“Don’t let go.”

1…

The machine screamed.

And every light in the underground chamber turned white.

Then a voice spoke.

“MEMORY MERGE INITIATED.”

I felt Gwen’s memories enter my mind.

Her childhood.

Her father.

Her mother.

Her first meeting with me.

Her dreams.

Her secrets.

And then—

one memory that wasn’t hers.

A memory from before she was born.

A man standing over a newborn baby.

The man was Daniel.

Beside him stood my grandfather.

And in Daniel’s arms was Gwen.

My grandfather said:

“She will be the one who ends it.”

Daniel asked:

“What if she fails?”

My grandfather answered:

“Then her brother will finish it.”

I opened my eyes.

Gwen was staring at me.

“You saw it.”

I nodded.

“What does it mean?”

I looked toward the machine.

The screen had changed.

A final message appeared.

THE ARCHIVE WAS NEVER DESIGNED TO CONTROL THE WORLD.

Then:

IT WAS DESIGNED TO CHOOSE WHO WOULD SAVE IT.

And beneath that—

a name appeared.

Not mine.

Not Gwen’s.

Not Lily’s.

Not Alex’s.

Not Samuel’s.

A name neither of us had ever heard.

SUBJECT 0007.

Gwen stared.

“Who is that?”

I shook my head.

“I don’t know.”

Then the machine answered.

“SUBJECT 0007 IS ALREADY AMONG YOU.”

A door opened behind us.

Footsteps approached.

Slowly.

A figure entered the light.

I recognized the face immediately.

And my blood froze.

Because the seventh subject—

was the one person we had trusted most.

The one person who had been beside us from the beginning.

The person who had helped us uncover every secret.

The person who had claimed to be protecting us.

Henry.

He looked at me.

Then at Gwen.

And smiled.

“I suppose it’s time you finally knew the truth.”

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 15 — THE SEVENTH SUBJECT.

Click Here to continuous Read​​​​ Full Ending Story👉PART(15): “I Came Home From Deployment and Found My Wife Bald and Starving”