The phone went silent. I looked at her.<\/p>\n \u201cI know my mother’s voice.\u201d<\/p>\n Then another cry echoed from inside.<\/p>\n I stepped forward.<\/p>\n Valeria sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n She followed me.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we stay together.\u201d<\/p>\n We entered the clinic.<\/p>\n The smell immediately brought back memories.<\/p>\n Disinfectant.<\/p>\n Cold metal.<\/p>\n Old medicine.<\/p>\n I had never actually been inside this building as an adult.<\/p>\n Yet somehow, every hallway felt familiar.<\/p>\n Like my body remembered something my mind couldn’t.<\/p>\n We passed the old reception desk.<\/p>\n There was dust everywhere.<\/p>\n But one thing was different.<\/p>\n A single lamp was on.<\/p>\n Someone had recently been here.<\/p>\n Valeria whispered:<\/p>\n \u201cLook.\u201d<\/p>\n On the floor were footprints.<\/p>\n Fresh.<\/p>\n They led deeper into the building.<\/p>\n We followed them.<\/p>\n The farther we walked, the quieter the clinic became.<\/p>\n Then we heard something.<\/p>\n A woman crying.<\/p>\n \u201cMom?\u201d<\/p>\n I ran.<\/p>\n \u201cLaura!\u201d<\/p>\n Valeria chased after me.<\/p>\n The crying came from a room at the end of the hallway.<\/p>\n I pushed the door open.<\/p>\n Empty.<\/p>\n No mother.<\/p>\n No baby.<\/p>\n Only an old tape recorder sitting on a table.<\/p>\n It clicked on by itself.<\/p>\n My mother’s voice filled the room.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you’re hearing this, Laura\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n I froze.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n Her voice continued.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to protect you.\u201d<\/p>\n A pause.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I made a terrible mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n I stepped closer to the recorder.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought if I kept the truth hidden, they would leave you alone.\u201d<\/p>\n Static.<\/p>\n \u201cThey didn’t.\u201d<\/p>\n My hands began shaking.<\/p>\n \u201cI should have told you everything before you became pregnant.\u201d<\/p>\n Valeria looked at me.<\/p>\n The recording continued.<\/p>\n \u201cThe twins were never an accident.\u201d<\/p>\n I stopped breathing.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were conceived naturally.\u201d<\/p>\n I exhaled.<\/p>\n \u201cBut someone knew they would inherit the genetic markers.\u201d<\/p>\n The recording became distorted.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have been watching you since the first ultrasound.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at Valeria.<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n My mother’s voice continued.<\/p>\n \u201cSamuel tried to protect you.\u201d<\/p>\n A pause.<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel tried to control you.\u201d<\/p>\n Another pause.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Elias\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Her voice broke.<\/p>\n \u201cElias wants to use the children.\u201d<\/p>\n I felt sick.<\/p>\n \u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n The recording answered.<\/p>\n \u201cTo complete what they started with Subject Seven.\u201d<\/p>\n The machine clicked.<\/p>\n Then silence.<\/p>\n I stared at it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n Valeria picked up the recorder.<\/p>\n \u201cThere may be another tape.\u201d<\/p>\n We searched the room.<\/p>\n Behind the table, we found a small drawer.<\/p>\n Inside was a key.<\/p>\n And a note.<\/p>\n ROOM 13.<\/strong><\/p>\n I stared at it.<\/p>\n \u201cRoom thirteen?\u201d<\/p>\n Valeria looked at the hallway.<\/p>\n \u201cThere wasn’t a room thirteen on the floor plan.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen why leave us a key?\u201d<\/p>\n We followed the corridor.<\/p>\n At the end was a blank wall.<\/p>\n No door.<\/p>\n No sign.<\/p>\n Nothing.<\/p>\n I touched the wall.<\/p>\n Then I noticed a small metal panel.<\/p>\n I inserted the key.<\/p>\n Click.<\/p>\n The wall moved.<\/p>\n A hidden door opened.<\/p>\n Beyond it was a staircase.<\/p>\n We went down.<\/p>\n One level.<\/p>\n Then another.<\/p>\n Then another.<\/p>\n The air became colder.<\/p>\n Finally, we reached a steel door.<\/p>\n Above it was a number.<\/p>\n 13.<\/strong><\/p>\n My heart began pounding.<\/p>\n Valeria whispered:<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n I opened the door.<\/p>\n Inside was a laboratory.<\/p>\n Unlike the abandoned clinic above, this room looked new.<\/p>\n Monitors.<\/p>\n Medical equipment.<\/p>\n Refrigeration units.<\/p>\n Computers.<\/p>\n And twelve large glass containers.<\/p>\n Each one was numbered.<\/p>\n But the thirteenth container stood empty.<\/p>\n I walked toward it.<\/p>\n On the glass was a name.<\/p>\n SUBJECT 13.<\/strong><\/p>\n I touched the glass.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy is it empty?\u201d<\/p>\n Valeria examined the equipment.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe it hasn’t been used.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n I pointed.<\/p>\n There was condensation inside.<\/p>\n Something had recently been stored there.<\/p>\n Then a monitor switched on.<\/p>\n A video began playing.<\/p>\n Daniel appeared.<\/p>\n He looked younger.<\/p>\n Much younger.<\/p>\n Maybe twenty years ago.<\/p>\n He was standing beside a woman.<\/p>\n My mother.<\/p>\n My heart broke.<\/p>\n The video showed my mother holding a newborn baby.<\/p>\n Me.<\/p>\n I recognized the blanket.<\/p>\n I had seen it in photographs.<\/p>\n Daniel spoke to the camera.<\/p>\n \u201cSubject Seven has survived the transfer.\u201d<\/p>\n My mother looked terrified.<\/p>\n Daniel continued:<\/p>\n \u201cShe will remain with the family until activation.\u201d<\/p>\n My mother immediately turned toward him.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel ignored her.<\/p>\n \u201cThe child must be monitored.\u201d<\/p>\n My mother’s voice shook.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel looked at her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou agreed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI agreed to treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou agreed to the program.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn’t know what it was.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cNow you do.\u201d<\/p>\n My mother hugged the baby tighter.<\/p>\n \u201cYou’re not taking her.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel stepped closer.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don’t understand what she is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe is a child.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe is the only successful subject.\u201d<\/p>\n My mother started crying.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is my baby.\u201d<\/p>\n The video stopped.<\/p>\n I couldn’t speak.<\/p>\n Valeria put her hand on my shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cLaura\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n I wiped my tears.<\/p>\n Then the monitor turned on again.<\/p>\n Another video.<\/p>\n This time, it showed my father.<\/p>\n He was sitting alone.<\/p>\n He looked exhausted.<\/p>\n He spoke directly into the camera.<\/p>\n \u201cIf my daughter ever sees this\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He paused.<\/p>\n \u201cI need her to know something.\u201d<\/p>\n He leaned closer.<\/p>\n \u201cI failed her.\u201d<\/p>\n My heart broke.<\/p>\n \u201cI believed I could protect her.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked down.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n A long silence.<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel isn’t the only person involved.\u201d<\/p>\n I froze.<\/p>\n \u201cSamuel isn’t the only doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n My father looked terrified.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is someone above them.\u201d<\/p>\n Someone above Elias?<\/p>\n The screen flickered.<\/p>\n My father’s voice became quieter.<\/p>\n \u201cThe person controlling the program is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The video cut out.<\/p>\n I stared at the blank screen.<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n Valeria checked the equipment.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone deleted the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked around.<\/p>\n \u201cThen we’ll find another copy.\u201d<\/p>\n A loud sound came from behind us.<\/p>\n The steel door slammed shut.<\/p>\n We turned.<\/p>\n Locked.<\/p>\n Valeria ran toward it.<\/p>\n \u201cLaura!\u201d<\/p>\n The lights went red.<\/p>\n An alarm began.<\/p>\n A voice came over the speaker.<\/p>\n \u201cSubject Seven has entered the chamber.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked up.<\/p>\n \u201cElias.\u201d<\/p>\n The voice continued.<\/p>\n \u201cBegin containment.\u201d<\/p>\n A hiss filled the room.<\/p>\n Gas started entering through the vents.<\/p>\n Valeria covered her mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cGas!\u201d<\/p>\n We searched desperately for another exit.<\/p>\n There!<\/p>\n A small emergency door.<\/p>\n We ran.<\/p>\n But before we reached it, the monitor came alive again.<\/p>\n A live image appeared.<\/p>\n My mother.<\/p>\n She was sitting in a chair.<\/p>\n Alive.<\/p>\n Behind her was Daniel.<\/p>\n And beside him stood Adrian.<\/p>\n My brother.<\/p>\n He was injured.<\/p>\n But alive.<\/p>\n Daniel looked into the camera.<\/p>\n \u201cLaura.\u201d<\/p>\n I shouted:<\/p>\n \u201cLet them go!\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cYou found Room Thirteen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery close.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen come here!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI already am.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked around.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cYou’re standing inside my laboratory.\u201d<\/p>\n I felt cold.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is yours?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at the camera.<\/p>\n \u201cThis belongs to your father.\u201d<\/p>\n I froze.<\/p>\n \u201cMy father?\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cYour real father.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cSamuel?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n My heart stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cThen who?\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel’s smile disappeared.<\/p>\n \u201cYou’ve been asking the wrong question your entire life.\u201d<\/p>\n He leaned toward the camera.<\/p>\n \u201cThe question isn’t who your father is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen what is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho created him?\u201d<\/p>\n Silence.<\/p>\n I didn’t understand.<\/p>\n Daniel continued:<\/p>\n \u201cSamuel wasn’t the original scientist.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen who?\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel looked at Adrian.<\/p>\n Adrian whispered:<\/p>\n \u201cElias.\u201d<\/p>\n I froze.<\/p>\n Daniel nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cElias created the genetic program.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut who created Elias?\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel’s eyes moved toward me.<\/p>\n \u201cYou.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were the first successful subject.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat doesn’t make sense.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt will.\u201d<\/p>\n The screen went black.<\/p>\n Then every monitor in the laboratory turned on simultaneously.<\/p>\n One showed my birth.<\/p>\n One showed my childhood.<\/p>\n One showed my wedding.<\/p>\n One showed my pregnancy.<\/p>\n One showed Diego.<\/p>\n One showed Paula.<\/p>\n One showed my mother.<\/p>\n One showed Samuel.<\/p>\n One showed Daniel.<\/p>\n One showed Adrian.<\/p>\n They had recorded my entire life.<\/p>\n Every major moment.<\/p>\n Every relationship.<\/p>\n Every decision.<\/p>\n I felt sick.<\/p>\n \u201cThey’ve been watching me.\u201d<\/p>\n Valeria nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cFor years.\u201d<\/p>\n Then a final screen appeared.<\/p>\n A photograph of me as a newborn.<\/p>\n Under it:<\/p>\n SUBJECT 07 \u2014 ORIGINAL SOURCE.<\/strong><\/p>\n I stared.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n Valeria’s face changed.<\/p>\n \u201cLaura\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe genetic material wasn’t taken from Samuel.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at her.<\/p>\n \u201cIt came from you.\u201d<\/p>\n My blood froze.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour cells were used.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo create the other subjects.\u201d<\/p>\n I couldn’t breathe.<\/p>\n I wasn’t one of twelve.<\/p>\n I was the beginning.<\/p>\n The original.<\/p>\n The source.<\/p>\n The other eleven children had been created from my genetic material.<\/p>\n My brother.<\/p>\n The other subjects.<\/p>\n All of them.<\/p>\n I was the experiment that created the experiment.<\/p>\n Then the door suddenly opened.<\/p>\n A man stepped inside.<\/p>\n Samuel.<\/p>\n He was bleeding.<\/p>\n \u201cLaura!\u201d<\/p>\n I ran toward him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cElias.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is he?\u201d<\/p>\n Samuel looked at the monitors.<\/p>\n \u201cHe’s coming.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does he want?\u201d<\/p>\n Samuel looked at my stomach.<\/p>\n \u201cThe twins.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause your body has changed.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou’re no longer just Subject Seven.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen what am I?\u201d<\/p>\n Samuel whispered:<\/p>\n \u201cSubject Zero.\u201d<\/p>\n The room went silent.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy zero?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you were the source.\u201d<\/p>\n I shook my head.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy didn’t you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause once Elias learned the truth, he would come for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe already came.\u201d<\/p>\n Samuel looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cHe hasn’t come yet.\u201d<\/p>\n A door opened behind him.<\/p>\n We turned.<\/p>\n Elias walked in.<\/p>\n No guards.<\/p>\n No weapon.<\/p>\n Just a calm expression.<\/p>\n He looked at me.<\/p>\n Then smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cFinally.\u201d<\/p>\n Samuel stepped between us.<\/p>\n \u201cYou won’t touch her.\u201d<\/p>\n Elias laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cSamuel.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked almost disappointed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou still don’t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t want to hurt Laura.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen what do you want?\u201d<\/p>\n Elias smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cI want her to remember.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRemember what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverything.\u201d<\/p>\n He snapped his fingers.<\/p>\n The lights went out.<\/p>\n A bright light flashed.<\/p>\n And suddenly\u2014<\/p>\n I was somewhere else.<\/p>\n A hospital room.<\/p>\n I was a child.<\/p>\n Maybe six years old.<\/p>\n My father was beside me.<\/p>\n He was crying.<\/p>\n I had never remembered this moment.<\/p>\n But now I could see it.<\/p>\n My father held my hand.<\/p>\n \u201cLaura\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Young me looked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cDaddy?\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled through tears.<\/p>\n \u201cPromise me you’ll never trust Uncle Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n The memory changed.<\/p>\n I was ten.<\/p>\n Daniel was standing in the doorway.<\/p>\n My father shouted:<\/p>\n \u201cGet out!\u201d<\/p>\n Another memory.<\/p>\n I was fifteen.<\/p>\n My father was arguing with Samuel.<\/p>\n Another.<\/p>\n I was eighteen.<\/p>\n A stranger was watching me from across the street.<\/p>\n Another.<\/p>\n I was twenty-two.<\/p>\n Daniel was secretly following me.<\/p>\n Another.<\/p>\n I was twenty-five.<\/p>\n Someone opened my medical records.<\/p>\n Another.<\/p>\n I was twenty-eight.<\/p>\n Diego received an envelope.<\/p>\n Then the final memory.<\/p>\n The day before my wedding.<\/p>\n I was asleep.<\/p>\n Daniel stood in my bedroom.<\/p>\n He placed a small device beside my bed.<\/p>\n He whispered:<\/p>\n \u201cTomorrow begins the final stage.\u201d<\/p>\n I opened my eyes.<\/p>\n But in the memory, I didn’t wake up.<\/p>\n I kept sleeping.<\/p>\n The screen went black.<\/p>\n I gasped.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you do to me?\u201d<\/p>\n Elias stood in front of me.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou altered my memories.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen why didn’t I remember?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause your brain protected you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFrom what?\u201d<\/p>\n Elias smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom me.\u201d<\/p>\n Suddenly, a loud crash came from the hallway.<\/p>\n Daniel shouted:<\/p>\n \u201cElias!\u201d<\/p>\n Elias turned.<\/p>\n The door burst open.<\/p>\n Adrian ran inside.<\/p>\n He was holding a small metal device.<\/p>\n \u201cLaura!\u201d<\/p>\n I ran toward him.<\/p>\n Daniel followed.<\/p>\n He grabbed Adrian.<\/p>\n Adrian fought back.<\/p>\n \u201cRun!\u201d<\/p>\n I couldn’t.<\/p>\n Daniel threw him to the ground.<\/p>\n I screamed:<\/p>\n \u201cStop!\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cCome with me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour mother dies.\u201d<\/p>\n I froze.<\/p>\n Elias watched silently.<\/p>\n Daniel pulled a remote from his pocket.<\/p>\n \u201cOne button.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at the screen.<\/p>\n My mother was still there.<\/p>\n Daniel raised the remote.<\/p>\n \u201cChoose.\u201d<\/p>\n My mother screamed:<\/p>\n \u201cLaura, don’t!\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cYour mother\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He pointed at Adrian.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026or your children.\u201d<\/p>\n My blood froze.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause the twins aren’t the only ones carrying your genes.\u201d<\/p>\n He pressed a button.<\/p>\n The screen changed.<\/p>\n Another woman appeared.<\/p>\n Paula.<\/p>\n She was lying on a hospital bed.<\/p>\n A doctor stood beside her.<\/p>\n Her stomach was visible.<\/p>\n She was pregnant.<\/p>\n The monitor displayed:<\/p>\n SUBJECT 14 \u2014 PREGNANCY CONFIRMED.<\/strong><\/p>\n I stared.<\/p>\n \u201cPaula\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was carrying another version.\u201d<\/p>\n Elias stepped closer.<\/p>\n \u201cThe program has continued.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at both men.<\/p>\n \u201cHow many?\u201d<\/p>\n Elias answered:<\/p>\n \u201cMore than you can imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n I felt rage rising inside me.<\/p>\n \u201cYou used innocent people.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe advanced medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou kidnapped children.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe created possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou killed them.\u201d<\/p>\n Elias became silent.<\/p>\n Then I said:<\/p>\n \u201cAnd now you want my babies.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause they’re the first successful combination.\u201d<\/p>\n I shook my head.<\/p>\n \u201cYou’ll never have them.\u201d<\/p>\n Elias smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cThat depends.\u201d<\/p>\n He pointed at the monitor.<\/p>\n A doctor entered the room where Paula was.<\/p>\n He held a syringe.<\/p>\n Paula screamed.<\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n I stepped forward.<\/p>\n \u201cStop!\u201d<\/p>\n Elias looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cThen come with me.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happens if I do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou will see your mother again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Adrian?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe walks free.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Paula?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe survives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd my babies?\u201d<\/p>\n Elias smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s the price.\u201d<\/p>\n I knew there was no good choice.<\/p>\n But then I noticed something.<\/p>\n Samuel was standing behind Elias.<\/p>\n He was holding a small device.<\/p>\n He looked at me.<\/p>\n Then at the ceiling.<\/p>\n He silently mouthed:<\/p>\n RUN.<\/strong><\/p>\n I understood.<\/p>\n I looked at Elias.<\/p>\n \u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cI’ll go.\u201d<\/p>\n Samuel pressed the device.<\/p>\n The entire laboratory exploded into darkness.<\/p>\n Sprinklers activated.<\/p>\n Alarms screamed.<\/p>\n Glass shattered.<\/p>\n Everyone panicked.<\/p>\n I grabbed Adrian.<\/p>\n Valeria grabbed Paula’s medical file.<\/p>\n Samuel shouted:<\/p>\n \u201cBACK EXIT!\u201d<\/p>\n We ran.<\/p>\n Behind us, Elias screamed:<\/p>\n \u201cSTOP THEM!\u201d<\/p>\n We reached the corridor.<\/p>\n Daniel was chasing us.<\/p>\n I looked back.<\/p>\n He was holding a gun.<\/p>\n \u201cLaura!\u201d<\/p>\n He raised it.<\/p>\n A shot rang out.<\/p>\n Adrian pushed me aside.<\/p>\n The bullet struck him.<\/p>\n \u201cADRIAN!\u201d<\/p>\n He fell.<\/p>\n I dropped beside him.<\/p>\n Blood spread across his shirt.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cDon’t stop.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStay with me.\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled weakly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou found me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou’re not dying.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI waited\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He coughed.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026twenty-nine years.\u201d<\/p>\n Tears filled my eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI just found you.\u201d<\/p>\n He grabbed my hand.<\/p>\n \u201cThen remember\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n His voice became faint.<\/p>\n \u201cYou were never the experiment.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were the escape.\u201d<\/p>\n His eyes closed.<\/p>\n \u201cAdrian!\u201d<\/p>\n Samuel pulled me away.<\/p>\n \u201cLaura, we have to go!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow!\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at my brother.<\/p>\n Then at the approaching footsteps.<\/p>\n I ran.<\/p>\n We escaped through the tunnel.<\/p>\n Outside, dawn was breaking.<\/p>\n Sirens filled the distance.<\/p>\n I collapsed against a wall.<\/p>\n Valeria was crying.<\/p>\n Samuel stood beside us.<\/p>\n I looked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cIs Adrian dead?\u201d<\/p>\n Samuel shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was breathing when we left.\u201d<\/p>\n Hope returned to my chest.<\/p>\n Then my phone buzzed.<\/p>\n One new message.<\/p>\n Unknown number.<\/p>\n I opened it.<\/p>\n A photograph.<\/p>\n Adrian was alive.<\/p>\n But the picture wasn’t from the clinic.<\/p>\n It was from somewhere else.<\/p>\n He was sitting in a hospital bed.<\/p>\n And beside him stood my mother.<\/p>\n Alive.<\/p>\n Safe.<\/p>\n But there was something strange.<\/p>\n My mother was holding a newborn baby.<\/p>\n I stared at the photograph.<\/p>\n A message appeared beneath it:<\/p>\n You thought Subject 13 was you.<\/strong><\/p>\n Another message followed.<\/p>\n You were wrong.<\/strong><\/p>\n Then:<\/p>\n Subject 13 is your mother.<\/strong><\/p>\n I looked at Samuel.<\/p>\n He had gone pale.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n He whispered:<\/p>\n \u201cIt means your mother wasn’t the first generation.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cThen who was?\u201d<\/p>\n He looked toward the rising sun.<\/p>\n And said:<\/p>\n \u201cYour grandmother.\u201d<\/p>\n My blood froze.<\/p>\n I had never known my grandmother.<\/p>\n My mother had always told me she died before I was born.<\/p>\n But Samuel was already reaching for his phone.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to find her.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cFind her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe’s dead.\u201d<\/p>\n Samuel looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe died before I was born.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat was another lie.\u201d<\/p>\n My heart pounded.<\/p>\n \u201cThen where is she?\u201d<\/p>\n Samuel looked at the photograph again.<\/p>\n \u201cI think\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He swallowed.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026she’s been watching you too.\u201d<\/p>\n Then, from somewhere behind us, a woman’s voice spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cYou finally figured it out.\u201d<\/p>\n We turned.<\/p>\n An elderly woman stood across the road.<\/p>\n She was holding a cane.<\/p>\n Her eyes were fixed on me.<\/p>\n And although I had never seen her before\u2026<\/p>\n I knew immediately who she was.<\/p>\n My grandmother.<\/p>\n She smiled.<\/p>\n Then she said:<\/p>\n \u201cLaura\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She paused.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026we need to talk about what happened before you were born.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nI stood frozen outside the abandoned clinic, staring at the screen.
\nMy mother’s number.
\nA baby’s cry.
\nAnd then that voice:
\n\u201cWelcome to the final stage, Subject Seven.\u201d
\n<\/strong>Valeria slowly lowered the phone.
\n\u201cLaura\u2026\u201d
\nI couldn’t answer.
\nAnother cry came from inside the building.
\nThis one was louder.
\nCloser.
\nA newborn baby.
\nI looked toward the entrance.
\nThe doors were open.
\nDarkness waited inside.
\nValeria grabbed my arm.
\n\u201cWe should call the police.\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cLaura\u2014\u201d
\n\u201cMy mother is in there.\u201d
\n\u201cYou don’t know that.\u201d
\n\u201cI heard her voice.\u201d
\n\u201cYou heard a recording.\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n