Chapter 14 - The First FatherThe room plunged into darkness.
Nobody moved.
Then Nina spoke again.
“Evan.”
He answered instinctively.
“Yes?”
“Do you remember the lake?”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember the promise?”
Evan's throat tightened.
“The ball.”
Nina nodded.
“Your father created the ball.”
Mara stared.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“He gave it to me.”
“He gave it to you because he knew you would find the truth.”
Evan looked at the ball lying on the table.
Nina approached it.
She touched the faded letters.
Then something strange happened.
The ball began vibrating.
A tiny metallic click came from inside.
The capsule opened.
A hidden compartment unfolded.
Inside was a miniature memory chip.
Nina removed it.
“This contains the original transfer.”
Evan asked:
“Transfer of what?”
Nina looked at him.
“Your father's consciousness.”
He swallowed.
“Into who?”
Nina smiled.
“Your mother.”
Silence.
Evan stared at his mother.
She looked terrified for the first time.
“You…”
The older woman stepped backward.
“No.”
Nina continued.
“He transferred part of himself into her before she betrayed him.”
Mara shook her head.
“That means…”
“Yes.”
Nina looked toward the woman.
“Your grandmother isn't just your grandmother.”
Lucas stepped forward.
“She has him inside her.”
The older woman screamed.
“Enough!”
Her composure shattered.
“You don't understand!”
Nina smiled.
“You've been fighting yourself for twenty years.”
The woman's hands began trembling.
Evan stared at her.
His father.
Inside his mother.
A war inside one body.
Nina explained.
The experiment had never been about cloning.
It was about preserving identity.
Helix wanted to create humans who could survive death by storing consciousness in genetically compatible hosts.
Evan was the first.
Lucas was the final.
Nina was the bridge.
The mother was the failed host.
Richard suddenly attacked Nina.
Evan blocked him.
They fought.
Richard grabbed Lucas.
Mara screamed.
“Let him go!”
Richard dragged the boy toward the exit.
Evan chased them.
The building shook.
A fire had started outside.
Helix agents were evacuating.
Richard pushed Lucas into a vehicle.
Evan jumped after them.
Mara climbed in.
The vehicle sped away.
Richard sat in front.
“You don't understand what will happen when he remembers everything.”
Evan grabbed him.
“What?”
Richard laughed.
“Your son will remember every memory your family has ever hidden.”
“Then we'll let him.”
“No.”
Richard looked at Lucas.
“He'll remember the murder.”
“Whose?”
Richard's expression changed.
“Your own.”
Evan froze.
“What?”
“Your mother didn't kill your father.”
Richard whispered.
“You did.”
Evan stared at him.
“That’s impossible.”
“You were twelve.”
Mara cried out.
“No.”
Richard nodded.
“Your father tried to shut the experiment down.”
“You attacked him.”
“You pushed him.”
“He fell.”
Evan's breathing became shallow.
But there was another problem.
Evan's memories didn't match.
Richard continued.
“You forgot because they made you forget.”
Then Lucas suddenly whispered:
“No.”
Everyone turned.
The boy was crying.
“He didn't push Grandpa.”
Richard looked at him.
“Then who did?”
May you like
Lucas raised his head.
“Grandma.”
