CHAPTER 13: THE MAN WHO REMEMBERED EVERYTHING
The gun was pointed directly at Emily.
Daniel moved without thinking.
He stepped in front of his daughter.
“Put it down.”
The older man didn't blink.
“You don't understand.”
“Put. It. Down.”
“You think I'm here to kill her.”
Daniel tightened his jaw.
“Aren't you?”
The man slowly lowered the gun.
“No.”
Daniel didn't move.
“Then why are you pointing it at her?”
“Because she's not Emily.”
Daniel's blood ran cold.
Behind him, the little girl whispered:
“Daddy…”
The older man looked at her.
“She has Evelyn inside her.”
Daniel shook his head.
“She is my daughter.”
“She was.”
“What does that mean?”
The older man pointed at her.
“Look into her eyes.”
Daniel turned.
Emily was staring at him.
Her expression was calm.
Too calm.
“Emily?”
She smiled.
“I'm still here.”
Daniel felt a chill.
“Who are you?”
She tilted her head.
“Your daughter.”
The older man shook his head.
“That's what she wants you to believe.”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“Don't listen to him.”
The older man laughed.
“Still lying.”
Daniel looked between them.
“You both claim to know the truth.”
“I do,” the older man said.
“Then prove it.”
The man slowly raised his free hand.
He pointed toward Daniel's chest.
“You have a scar.”
Daniel frowned.
“What?”
“Left side.”
Daniel instinctively touched his shirt.
He knew the scar.
He'd had it since childhood.
A small crescent-shaped mark beneath his ribs.
“How do you know?”
“Because I put it there.”
Daniel froze.
“When?”
“Thirty-two years ago.”
Daniel's face went pale.
“I wasn't born thirty-two years ago.”
The older man smiled.
“You were.”
Daniel stared.
The man's eyes filled with something between grief and exhaustion.
“I watched you die.”
Silence.
Daniel whispered:
“What?”
“You were three days old.”
The older man lowered the gun.
“Your mother was holding you.”
“Which mother?”
“Elena.”
Daniel's heart slammed against his ribs.
The name.
His real mother.
The man continued.
“She was trying to escape.”
“From Elias?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“Elias found her.”
Daniel swallowed.
“Then what?”
“He took you.”
“Why?”
“Because he believed your mind could contain him.”
Daniel looked toward Evelyn.
“And she?”
“She helped him.”
Evelyn's expression hardened.
“I didn't know what he intended.”
“You knew enough.”
The older man turned toward her.
“You always knew.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“I was seventeen.”
“You were old enough to understand.”
“I was afraid.”
“So was everyone.”
The man looked back at Daniel.
“Your mother fought.”
“What did Elias do?”
“He killed her.”
Daniel's fists clenched.
“And me?”
“You were next.”
The man took a breath.
“I tried to stop him.”
“Who are you?”
The man stared at Daniel.
“I'm Thomas.”
Daniel's breath stopped.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“My father died.”
“He did.”
“You're not Thomas.”
“I was.”
Daniel looked at the creature wearing Thomas's face.
Then at the older version of himself.
Two impossible men.
Both claiming pieces of his past.
The older man pointed at Elias.
“That thing stole my body.”
Daniel looked at Elias.
“You're wearing my father's body?”
Elias smiled.
“Technically.”
Thomas's face twisted with hatred.
“You stole everything.”
“I preserved what mattered.”
“You destroyed my family.”
“I saved your bloodline.”
Daniel shouted:
“ENOUGH!”
Everyone went silent.
Daniel stepped forward.
“I don't care who you were.”
He pointed at Elias.
“I don't care what you became.”
Then at Thomas.
“And I don't care how many memories you claim to have.”
He looked toward Emily.
“She is my daughter.”
Thomas's expression softened.
“That is exactly why you must protect her.”
Daniel frowned.
“From whom?”
Thomas looked at Emily.
“From herself.”
Emily suddenly smiled.
Thomas raised the gun again.
Daniel immediately stepped in front of her.
“No.”
Thomas whispered:
“Move.”
“No.”
“She is carrying Evelyn's original consciousness.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Then we'll remove it.”
Thomas laughed bitterly.
“You can't.”
“Why?”
“Because Evelyn isn't the problem anymore.”
Daniel stared.
“Then who is?”
Thomas looked at the little girl.
“She is.”
Emily's face changed.
The smile disappeared.
She looked almost frightened.
“Daddy…”
Thomas stepped closer.
“She has absorbed too much.”
“What does that mean?”
“She remembers every version of this family.”
Daniel felt his stomach tighten.
“Every version?”
“Every death.”
“Every reset.”
“Every Daniel.”
“Every Sarah.”
“Every Evelyn.”
Thomas's voice cracked.
“She remembers all of them.”
Emily whispered:
“I can hear them.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What are they saying?”
She looked toward the walls.
“They want out.”
A deep rumble passed through the room.
The walls began vibrating.
Thousands of photographs fell from their frames.
They covered the floor like snow.
Daniel looked down.
One photograph caught his attention.
A young Daniel.
Standing beside Sarah.
But Sarah looked different.
Older.
Pregnant.
Daniel stared.
“That isn't possible.”
Thomas looked at the photograph.
“It happened.”
“When?”
“Before Emily.”
Daniel's heart pounded.
“Sarah was pregnant?”
“Yes.”
Daniel looked at Sarah.
She was crying.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“You didn't remember.”
“What happened to the baby?”
Sarah closed her eyes.
“He died.”
Daniel's chest tightened.
“How?”
“Evelyn.”
Daniel looked at Evelyn.
She shook her head.
“No.”
Sarah's voice broke.
“She took him.”
Evelyn whispered:
“I didn't kill him.”
“Then what did you do?”
“I transferred him.”
Daniel froze.
“Where?”
Evelyn looked at Emily.
Daniel's blood went cold.
“No.”
Evelyn nodded.
“The baby survived.”
Sarah stumbled backward.
“You said he died.”
“I lied.”
Daniel looked at Emily.
His daughter was staring at the floor.
Then she whispered:
“That's why I know him.”
Daniel's heart stopped.
“Who?”
Emily pointed toward the wall.
A photograph slid free.
It showed a newborn baby.
On the back was a handwritten name.
Daniel picked it up.
His hands shook.
DAVID MORGAN.
Daniel stared.
“David?”
Sarah gasped.
Daniel looked toward the empty doorway.
His son.
His four-year-old son.
The boy who had been unconscious.
The boy who had been carrying his memory.
Daniel suddenly understood.
“David isn't four.”
Evelyn smiled.
“He's thirty.”
Daniel felt the room tilt.
“No.”
“He was born before Emily.”
“Then why does he look four?”
“Because his body was reset.”
Daniel stared.
“Why?”
“To keep him hidden.”
“From whom?”
Evelyn looked at Thomas.
“From Elias.”
Thomas stepped forward.
“Elias wanted David too.”
“Why?”
“Because David carried the other half.”
Daniel frowned.
“Half of what?”
Thomas looked at him.
“Your memory.”
Daniel's heart raced.
“You put my memory inside David.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you were dying.”
Daniel froze.
“What?”
Thomas swallowed.
“The first time you resisted Elias, your mind fractured.”
“And David?”
“He carried the part of you that couldn't survive.”
Daniel looked toward the door.
“That's why his heartbeat matched mine.”
Thomas nodded.
“He is your memory anchor.”
Daniel's eyes widened.
“So if David dies…”
“You lose the last part of yourself.”
Daniel turned toward Evelyn.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“You've been protecting David.”
“No.”
She looked toward Emily.
“I've been protecting what David remembers.”
Daniel felt a cold wave pass through him.
“What does he remember?”
Evelyn smiled.
“The original murder.”
“Whose murder?”
Thomas answered.
“Elena's.”
Daniel froze.
“David remembers who killed my mother?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Thomas looked at Elias.
“Ask him.”
Daniel turned.
Elias stood silently.
His black eyes seemed almost amused.
Daniel stepped toward him.
“You killed Elena.”
Elias smiled.
“No.”
“You were there.”
“Yes.”
“You killed her.”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
Elias slowly looked toward Daniel.
“You did.”
Daniel's breath stopped.
“No.”
“You were the one holding the syringe.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I was a baby.”
“You were.”
“Then how could I?”
Elias smiled.
“Because you weren't the one holding your own body.”
Daniel froze.
Elias continued:
“Your first memory wasn't yours.”
“What?”
“It belonged to me.”
Daniel stared.
“You possessed me.”
“Yes.”
“And made me kill her.”
“Yes.”
Daniel's face went pale.
Elias stepped closer.
“That is why you were so dangerous.”
Daniel whispered:
“You used me.”
“I used your body.”
“Why?”
“Because you were the only vessel strong enough.”
Daniel looked at Emily.
“And now you want her.”
“Yes.”
“Because she can hold you permanently.”
Elias nodded.
Daniel's eyes hardened.
“Then you'll never get her.”
Elias smiled.
“You already gave her to me.”
Daniel froze.
“What?”
Elias pointed toward Emily.
“She has my memory.”
Daniel looked at his daughter.
Emily's eyes slowly turned black.
Sarah screamed.
“Daniel!”
Emily smiled.
But the voice that came from her mouth wasn't hers.
It was Elias's.
“Hello, father.”
Daniel stepped backward.
Elias's body suddenly collapsed.
The black-eyed man hit the floor.
Thomas raised his gun.
Daniel stared at Emily.
“Get away from her.”
Thomas shook his head.
“It's too late.”
Emily looked at Daniel.
And smiled.
“Daddy.”
Then she whispered:
“I remember killing Elena.”
Daniel's blood ran cold.
The little girl looked at him.
“I remember everything.”
She raised her hand.
Every light in the room exploded.
May you like
And from somewhere beneath the floor...
hundreds of voices began screaming Daniel's name.
