PART 10 — The Daughter Who Was Never Supposed to Exist
Evelyn couldn't move.
Neither could I.
The girl stood in the doorway, completely still.
She looked about twelve years old.
Dark hair.
Pale skin.
The same green eyes as Evelyn.
But there was something else.
Something familiar.
She looked at me.
Then at Ethan.
Then at Noah.
“Mom?”
Evelyn's lips trembled.
“Who are you?”
The girl frowned.
“You know who I am.”
Evelyn took one step forward.
“No…”
The girl smiled sadly.
“You used to sing to me.”
Evelyn covered her mouth.
“I never…”
“You did.”
The girl's voice softened.
“Before they put me here.”
My father suddenly grabbed my arm.
“Marcus, don't go near her.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
“She isn't what you think.”
The girl looked at him.
“Hello, Richard.”
My father's face went pale.
“You remember me?”
“Of course.”
She tilted her head.
“You came to see me every night.”
Evelyn turned toward my father.
“What is she talking about?”
He looked away.
I stepped closer.
“Dad.”
He didn't answer.
“Who is she?”
My father finally whispered,
“Her name is Lily.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“That can't be.”
My father looked at her.
“Lily was the embryo Northbridge preserved.”
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
“My baby?”
“Yes.”
She stumbled backward.
“No. I lost that pregnancy.”
“You were told you did.”
Eleanor's voice came from the monitor.
“We couldn't let you know she survived.”
Evelyn stared at the screen.
“You lied to me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Lily was different.”
The girl looked toward Eleanor.
“Stop talking about me like I'm not here.”
Eleanor fell silent.
Lily walked toward us.
Ethan stared at her.
“Are you our sister?”
Lily smiled.
“Yes.”
Noah stepped forward.
“How old are you?”
“Twelve.”
“But Mom said…”
“I know what she said.”
Lily looked at Evelyn.
“She was told I died.”
Evelyn began crying.
“I never wanted to lose you.”
“I know.”
Lily reached for her hand.
Evelyn hesitated.
Then she took it.
For a moment, the entire laboratory disappeared.
There was only a mother and daughter meeting for the first time.
Then the alarms started again.
The AI spoke.
“Family reunification detected.”
Lily's expression changed.
“That's bad.”
I looked at her.
“How do you know?”
“Because every time the system says that…”
She looked toward the ceiling.
“Someone dies.”
Thomas raised his weapon.
“We need to get out.”
Lily shook her head.
“It's too late.”
The doors slammed shut.
The chamber locked.
A countdown appeared on every screen.
09:59
09:58
09:57
My father stared at the timer.
“What is it?”
Lily answered.
“The final extraction.”
I looked at her.
“Extraction of what?”
She pointed toward the twins.
“Their cells.”
Ethan stepped backward.
“No.”
I immediately pulled him behind me.
“Nobody is taking anything from my children.”
Lily shook her head.
“They won't take it from them.”
She looked at me.
“They'll take it from you.”
My blood ran cold.
“What?”
Lily pointed toward the screen displaying my medical data.
“The mutation in your body is unstable.”
My father nodded slowly.
“She's right.”
“Then why did Northbridge need the twins?”
“Because their DNA can stabilize yours.”
“And Lily?”
My father looked at her.
“She can activate it.”
Evelyn stared at Lily.
“How?”
Lily touched her own chest.
“I don't know.”
Then she looked at me.
“But they told me I was created for one purpose.”
“What purpose?”
She whispered,
“To make you immortal.”
Silence.
I shook my head.
“I don't want that.”
Lily looked surprised.
“Why?”
“Because I won't trade my children for my life.”
A strange smile appeared on her face.
“That's what I thought you'd say.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
She stepped closer.
“Because my father said you would choose us.”
My heart stopped.
“Your father?”
Lily nodded.
“He told me you'd come.”
I looked at my father.
He was crying.
“Richard?”
He couldn't speak.
Evelyn stared at him.
“Who's her father?”
My father finally answered.
“Marcus.”
Everything stopped.
I couldn't breathe.
“What?”
Lily looked at me.
“You are my father.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“They used your genetic material to create me.”
My legs almost gave way.
“But I was never…”
“You didn't know.”
Evelyn stared at Lily.
“And me?”
Lily looked at her.
“You're my mother.”
Evelyn began sobbing.
I stared at the three children.
Ethan.
Noah.
Lily.
Three children.
One family.
And suddenly the entire nightmare made sense.
Northbridge hadn't been studying my sons.
They had been studying us.
A family engineered over sixteen years.
The countdown reached:
05:00
My father looked at the control panel.
“There may be one way to stop it.”
“What?”
“We destroy the genetic database.”
Thomas frowned.
“If we destroy it, the system will activate the emergency protocol.”
“What happens then?”
My father looked at me.
“It will use the only remaining genetic source.”
I understood immediately.
“Me.”
He nodded.
The countdown continued.
04:32
Evelyn grabbed my hand.
“We'll find another way.”
I looked at Ethan.
Then Noah.
Then Lily.
And for the first time, all three children stood together.
Lily suddenly whispered,
“Wait.”
“What?”
She pointed toward the floor.
“There is someone underneath us.”
Everyone froze.
A heartbeat echoed through the chamber.
Slow.
Heavy.
Alive.
My father stepped toward the floor.
“That isn't possible.”
The heartbeat became louder.
Lily whispered:
“That's why Northbridge needed all four of us.”
The floor cracked.
And something beneath the laboratory began pushing its way upward.
TO BE CONTINUED…
