The countdown continued. \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cShe remembers how to become me.\u201d<\/p>\n My father raised his weapon.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone stay back.\u201d<\/p>\n The other Laura laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou still think a gun can stop this?\u201d<\/p>\n My father didn’t lower it.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t need to stop you.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cI only need to stop you from hurting my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman’s expression changed.<\/p>\n \u201cYour daughter?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cYou still don’t know what she is.\u201d<\/p>\n I stepped between them.<\/p>\n \u201cEnough.\u201d<\/p>\n The countdown continued.<\/p>\n 36:21<\/strong><\/p>\n I pointed at the chamber.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me everything.\u201d<\/p>\n The other Laura smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cYou’re not ready.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI’ve been lied to for twenty-nine years.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen you’re finally ready.\u201d<\/p>\n She walked toward me.<\/p>\n My father raised his weapon.<\/p>\n \u201cStop.\u201d<\/p>\n She stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know why Project Zero was created?\u201d<\/p>\n I shook my head.<\/p>\n \u201cTo prevent the future.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n She smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cTo create it.\u201d<\/p>\n I frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe first scientists believed the future could be predicted.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at Adriana.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen what did they discover?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat the future could be remembered.\u201d<\/p>\n I felt a chill.<\/p>\n \u201cBy Adriana?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy you.\u201d<\/p>\n My heart stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cMe?\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cYou were the first.\u201d<\/p>\n She pointed toward the chamber.<\/p>\n \u201cThe woman inside isn’t another Laura.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at the glass.<\/p>\n \u201cThen who is she?\u201d<\/p>\n The other Laura answered:<\/p>\n \u201cThe original.\u201d<\/p>\n My breathing stopped.<\/p>\n The woman inside the chamber slowly sat up.<\/p>\n She looked exactly like me.<\/p>\n Then she smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cHello, daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n Adriana froze.<\/p>\n \u201cMom?\u201d<\/p>\n I couldn’t move.<\/p>\n The woman inside the chamber looked at Adriana.<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n Adriana shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don’t remember me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n Her smile disappeared.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you’re not supposed to.\u201d<\/p>\n Adriana stepped backward.<\/p>\n \u201cYou died.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen how are you here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause your mother brought me back.\u201d<\/p>\n I turned toward Adriana.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does she mean?\u201d<\/p>\n Adriana’s eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman laughed softly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou knew enough.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou always know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStop!\u201d<\/p>\n Adriana screamed.<\/p>\n The entire room shook.<\/p>\n Every monitor flickered.<\/p>\n My father stared at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that?\u201d<\/p>\n Adriana covered her ears.<\/p>\n \u201cShe’s remembering.\u201d<\/p>\n The other Laura looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you feel it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe memories.\u201d<\/p>\n I suddenly felt dizzy.<\/p>\n Images flashed through my mind.<\/p>\n A hospital.<\/p>\n A newborn.<\/p>\n A laboratory.<\/p>\n A man in a white coat.<\/p>\n A young version of my father.<\/p>\n My mother crying.<\/p>\n And a woman who looked exactly like me holding a baby.<\/p>\n Then another image.<\/p>\n Fire.<\/p>\n Screaming.<\/p>\n A countdown.<\/p>\n And Adriana.<\/p>\n Standing alone in a room filled with dead machines.<\/p>\n I grabbed my head.<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n My father caught me.<\/p>\n \u201cLaura!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI remember.\u201d<\/p>\n Everyone froze.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at the woman in the chamber.<\/p>\n \u201cYou.\u201d<\/p>\n She smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were my mother.\u201d<\/p>\n My mother gasped.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n The other Laura shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cNot exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared.<\/p>\n \u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was you.\u201d<\/p>\n The room became silent.<\/p>\n She continued.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the first timeline, you grew old.\u201d<\/p>\n I swallowed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou became a scientist.\u201d<\/p>\n I shook my head.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou created Project Zero.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at Adriana.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I wanted to save my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n Adriana looked away.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom what?\u201d<\/p>\n The woman answered:<\/p>\n \u201cFrom death.\u201d<\/p>\n My heart tightened.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened to her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe died.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause the world was collapsing.\u201d<\/p>\n I frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe future became unstable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause too many timelines were created.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at the countdown.<\/p>\n \u201cSo Project Zero was supposed to fix them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut it didn’t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat went wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence.<\/p>\n \u201cI became obsessed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSaving Adriana.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at the little girl.<\/p>\n \u201cI kept resetting the timeline.\u201d<\/p>\n My heart sank.<\/p>\n \u201cTwenty-three times.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd every time\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI changed something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd every time\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou died.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at Adriana.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd she remembered.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n The room felt smaller.<\/p>\n \u201cThen why did she bring me back?\u201d<\/p>\n The woman smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause she finally understood something I didn’t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can’t save someone by controlling their life.\u201d<\/p>\n Adriana whispered:<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to let them choose.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at her.<\/p>\n She was crying.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s why I brought you back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEven though you knew I’d create another timeline?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I wanted one chance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne chance for what?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cFor you to choose differently.\u201d<\/p>\n The countdown continued.<\/p>\n 31:42<\/strong><\/p>\n Suddenly the lights turned red.<\/p>\n An alarm began screaming.<\/p>\n My father looked toward the ceiling.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething’s coming.\u201d<\/p>\n The other Laura shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey’re already here.\u201d<\/p>\n The laboratory doors slammed shut.<\/p>\n Heavy footsteps echoed outside.<\/p>\n My father moved toward the entrance.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone behind me.\u201d<\/p>\n Diego picked up a metal rod.<\/p>\n Valeria grabbed a fire extinguisher.<\/p>\n My mother held Adriana.<\/p>\n Then\u2014<\/p>\n BOOM.<\/p>\n The door shook.<\/p>\n Again.<\/p>\n BOOM.<\/p>\n A crack appeared.<\/p>\n The other Laura looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to decide.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDecide what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhether you want to save the world\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She pointed at Adriana.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026or save your daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n My heart broke.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy can’t I do both?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you couldn’t before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat was before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s still true.\u201d<\/p>\n The door shook again.<\/p>\n A voice came through the speakers.<\/p>\n \u201cOPEN THE FACILITY.\u201d<\/p>\n My father recognized it.<\/p>\n \u201cElias.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou’re sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n The voice continued.<\/p>\n \u201cLaura, if you can hear me, listen carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n My father shouted:<\/p>\n \u201cDon’t listen to him!\u201d<\/p>\n Elias continued.<\/p>\n \u201cThe woman you’re standing with is not your sister.\u201d<\/p>\n The other Laura smiled.<\/p>\n Elias continued.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is the architect.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at the woman.<\/p>\n She didn’t deny it.<\/p>\n \u201cShe’s the reason your daughter exists.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at Adriana.<\/p>\n \u201cIs that true?\u201d<\/p>\n Adriana nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause she needed someone who could reset the timeline.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you were chosen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Adriana looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cI volunteered.\u201d<\/p>\n My heart stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cYou volunteered?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I knew what would happen to you.\u201d<\/p>\n I shook my head.<\/p>\n \u201cYou knew I’d die?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you chose to come back?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n I began crying.<\/p>\n \u201cAdriana\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She hugged me.<\/p>\n \u201cI’ve been trying to save you for so long.\u201d<\/p>\n I held her tightly.<\/p>\n Then I heard something behind us.<\/p>\n A click.<\/p>\n I turned.<\/p>\n The other Laura was holding a weapon.<\/p>\n Pointed at Adriana.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n My father immediately raised his gun.<\/p>\n \u201cPut it down.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman looked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cI can’t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause if Adriana survives\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026the timeline collapses.\u201d<\/p>\n Adriana stepped forward.<\/p>\n \u201cShe’s right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n I grabbed her.<\/p>\n \u201cDon’t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMom.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to let me go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI won’t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI’m your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you’re the reason I kept coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n She smiled through tears.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause every time I died\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She touched my face.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026you came looking for me.\u201d<\/p>\n The countdown reached:<\/p>\n 28:00<\/strong><\/p>\n The facility shook.<\/p>\n Dust fell from the ceiling.<\/p>\n My father shouted:<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re running out of time!\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at Adriana.<\/p>\n \u201cThen we find another way.\u201d<\/p>\n She shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cThere isn’t one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere has to be.\u201d<\/p>\n The other Laura spoke quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is.\u201d<\/p>\n Everyone turned toward her.<\/p>\n She lowered the weapon.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is another way.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n She pointed at the chamber.<\/p>\n \u201cThe original machine.\u201d<\/p>\n My father frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat machine?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe one that started Project Zero.\u201d<\/p>\n She walked toward the chamber.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn’t reset timelines.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen what does it do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt merges them.\u201d<\/p>\n My heart stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cMerge?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happens if we merge all twenty-four?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEvery version of you remembers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Adriana?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe becomes one person.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWill she survive?\u201d<\/p>\n The woman hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at Adriana.<\/p>\n She smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s worth trying.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMom.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou always tell me to be brave.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI tell you to be careful.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen be brave for me.\u201d<\/p>\n I held her.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m scared.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo am I.\u201d<\/p>\n The countdown continued.<\/p>\n 25:11<\/strong><\/p>\n My father moved toward the machine.<\/p>\n \u201cShow me.\u201d<\/p>\n The other Laura nodded.<\/p>\n They opened a hidden panel.<\/p>\n Inside was a circular chamber surrounded by cables.<\/p>\n My father stared.<\/p>\n \u201cThis technology is decades ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was built decades ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cImpossible.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s the point.\u201d<\/p>\n Diego stepped closer.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happens when it’s activated?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cThe timeline becomes one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd everyone remembers?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen people will remember their deaths.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMillions of people will remember dying.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n Diego looked horrified.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that’s safe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at the machine.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happens to the people who shouldn’t exist?\u201d<\/p>\n The woman answered:<\/p>\n \u201cThey disappear.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at Adriana.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n She understood immediately.<\/p>\n \u201cSome versions of us will be erased.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich ones?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe ones that don’t belong.\u201d<\/p>\n I grabbed her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cThen how do we know you’re the one who belongs?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don’t.\u201d<\/p>\n The machine began powering up.<\/p>\n A deep hum filled the room.<\/p>\n The monitors displayed:<\/p>\n TIMELINE MERGE \u2014 60%<\/strong><\/p>\n My father shouted:<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to choose now!\u201d<\/p>\n Elias’s voice returned through the speakers.<\/p>\n \u201cLaura!\u201d<\/p>\n I looked up.<\/p>\n \u201cListen to me!\u201d<\/p>\n My father shouted:<\/p>\n \u201cDon’t!\u201d<\/p>\n Elias continued:<\/p>\n \u201cI know you don’t trust me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s because you’re a murderer!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I’m the only person who knows what happens after the merge.\u201d<\/p>\n I froze.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n Elias said:<\/p>\n \u201cYour daughter dies.\u201d<\/p>\n Adriana closed her eyes.<\/p>\n My heart broke.<\/p>\n \u201cIs that true?\u201d<\/p>\n She whispered:<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n Elias continued:<\/p>\n \u201cAnd when she dies, you become the woman you saw in the chamber.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at the other Laura.<\/p>\n She didn’t deny it.<\/p>\n Elias said:<\/p>\n \u201cYou’ll spend the rest of your life trying to bring her back.\u201d<\/p>\n My mother cried.<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Elias continued:<\/p>\n \u201cAnd eventually\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n His voice lowered.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026you will create Project Zero.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at the machine.<\/p>\n The entire cycle.<\/p>\n It wasn’t a circle.<\/p>\n It was a trap.<\/p>\n I looked at Adriana.<\/p>\n \u201cYou knew.\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou knew that if I save you, I become her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if I don’t save you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou become her anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n I felt tears running down my face.<\/p>\n \u201cSo there is no way out.\u201d<\/p>\n Adriana stepped closer.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou stop trying to save me.\u201d<\/p>\n I shook my head.<\/p>\n \u201cI can’t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI love you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can’t lose you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou already have.\u201d<\/p>\n Her words broke me.<\/p>\n \u201cTwenty-three times.\u201d<\/p>\n She smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe this time you have to let me go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMom\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n The machine reached:<\/p>\n 90%<\/strong><\/p>\n The facility began collapsing.<\/p>\n My father shouted:<\/p>\n \u201cLaura!\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cMake the choice!\u201d<\/p>\n I looked at Adriana.<\/p>\n Then the other Laura.<\/p>\n Then my mother.<\/p>\n Then Diego.<\/p>\n Then the machine.<\/p>\n I suddenly understood.<\/p>\n The machine wasn’t asking me who should live.<\/p>\n It was asking me whether I was willing to accept that I couldn’t control everything.<\/p>\n I walked toward the console.<\/p>\n Adriana followed.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n I placed my hand on the control panel.<\/p>\n A message appeared.<\/p>\n SELECT PRIMARY TIMELINE.<\/strong><\/p>\n There were two choices.<\/p>\n TIMELINE 1 \u2014 ORIGINAL<\/strong><\/p>\n TIMELINE 24 \u2014 CURRENT<\/strong><\/p>\n I stared.<\/p>\n The other Laura whispered:<\/p>\n \u201cChoose the original.\u201d<\/p>\n Adriana whispered:<\/p>\n \u201cChoose the current.\u201d<\/p>\n My father shouted:<\/p>\n \u201cLaura!\u201d<\/p>\n Elias screamed through the speakers:<\/p>\n \u201cDON’T CHOOSE EITHER!\u201d<\/p>\n Everyone froze.<\/p>\n I looked up.<\/p>\n Elias continued:<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s the trick!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat trick?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe machine doesn’t need a timeline.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen what does it need?\u201d<\/p>\n Elias answered:<\/p>\n \u201cIt needs a person.\u201d<\/p>\n The screen changed.<\/p>\n SELECT PRIMARY SUBJECT.<\/strong><\/p>\n Three names appeared.<\/p>\n LAURA<\/strong><\/p>\n ADRIANA<\/strong><\/p>\n UNKNOWN<\/strong><\/p>\n My heart stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is UNKNOWN?\u201d<\/p>\n Nobody answered.<\/p>\n Then the chamber door opened.<\/p>\n A figure stepped out.<\/p>\n A man.<\/p>\n Older.<\/p>\n Scarred.<\/p>\n Wearing a white coat.<\/p>\n I recognized him instantly.<\/p>\n My grandfather.<\/p>\n But he looked different.<\/p>\n Younger.<\/p>\n Much younger.<\/p>\n He smiled at me.<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Laura.\u201d<\/p>\n My father raised his weapon.<\/p>\n \u201cYou.\u201d<\/p>\n The man smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cI’ve been waiting for this moment.\u201d<\/p>\n I stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou created Project Zero.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at Adriana.<\/p>\n \u201cShe did.\u201d<\/p>\n Adriana’s face went pale.<\/p>\n I turned toward her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n My grandfather smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cYour daughter is the creator.\u201d<\/p>\n Adriana whispered:<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued:<\/p>\n \u201cShe just doesn’t remember yet.\u201d<\/p>\n The machine began screaming.<\/p>\n 100%<\/strong><\/p>\n The entire facility shook.<\/p>\n The screen flashed one final message:<\/p>\n PRIMARY SUBJECT FOUND.<\/strong><\/p>\n Then a name appeared.<\/p>\n Not Laura.<\/p>\n Not Adriana.<\/p>\n Not my grandfather.<\/p>\n A name I had never seen before.<\/p>\n DIEGO.<\/strong><\/p>\n Diego stared at the screen.<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n My father turned toward him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n Diego backed away.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n The machine locked onto him.<\/p>\n A bright light surrounded his body.<\/p>\n He screamed.<\/p>\n And suddenly\u2014<\/p>\n I remembered.<\/p>\n Everything.<\/p>\n The first timeline.<\/p>\n The second.<\/p>\n The third.<\/p>\n All twenty-three.<\/p>\n And the truth I had been missing was finally clear.<\/p>\n Diego wasn’t the man who killed me.<\/p>\n He wasn’t the man who betrayed me.<\/p>\n He wasn’t even the man who loved me.<\/p>\n He was the first person who remembered all the timelines.<\/p>\n And he had been waiting for me to remember too.<\/p>\n He looked at me through the light.<\/p>\n His eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n \u201cLaura\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n I stepped toward him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you?\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first Subject Zero.\u201d<\/p>\n Then the machine exploded with light.<\/p>\n And the last thing I heard before the world disappeared was Adriana screaming:<\/p>\n \u201cMOM!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n When I opened my eyes\u2026<\/p>\n I was somewhere else.<\/p>\n Somewhere I had never been.<\/p>\n A hospital room.<\/p>\n A newborn baby cried beside me.<\/p>\n A man sat next to the bed.<\/p>\n I turned toward him.<\/p>\n My heart stopped.<\/p>\n It was Diego.<\/p>\n But he was young again.<\/p>\n He smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a girl.\u201d<\/p>\n I looked down.<\/p>\n The nurse placed the baby in my arms.<\/p>\n She opened her eyes.<\/p>\n And whispered my name.<\/p>\n \u201cLaura\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n I froze.<\/p>\n The baby smiled.<\/p>\n Then she said:<\/p>\n \u201cAgain.\u201d<\/p>\n The lights went out.<\/p>\n And somewhere outside the hospital\u2026<\/p>\n a clock began counting backward.<\/p>\n 23<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n36:57
\n<\/strong>36:56
\n<\/strong>36:55
\n<\/strong>I stared at the woman standing outside the glass chamber.
\nMy face.
\nMy eyes.
\nMy voice.
\nBut she looked at me as though I were the stranger.
\nAdriana held my hand tightly.
\n\u201cMom\u2026\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m here.\u201d
\n\u201cDon\u2019t let her touch you.\u201d
\nI looked at her.
\n\u201cWhy?\u201d
\n\u201cBecause she remembers how to become you.\u201d
\nThe other Laura smiled.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s not exactly true.\u201d
\nAdriana stepped backward.
\n\u201cYou’re lying.\u201d<\/p>\n