Chapter 8: The Children Nobody Knew
The video ended.
But nobody moved.
The words remained on the screen.
Find the others before she does.
I couldn't stop thinking about them.
The others.
Other children.
Other victims.
Adrian replayed the video three times.
Each time hoping he had misunderstood.
Each time the same sentence appeared.
Lily was not the only child.
Finally, he closed the laptop.
"We need to find out who they are.""
I nodded.
"But how?""
He looked around the hidden room.
"My brother left clues.""
We spent the next several hours searching through every document.
At first, everything looked random.
Financial records.
Medical files.
School reports.
But slowly, patterns appeared.
Victoria wasn't just controlling Lily.
She had been collecting information about vulnerable families.
Families who had no power.
No money.
No one protecting them.
I picked up a file.
"Adrian.""
He looked over.
"This one.""
He took it.
Inside was a photograph of a young boy.
The label read:
"Case 14.""
My stomach turned.
"Case?""
Adrian opened another.
"Case 15.""
Another child.
Another name.
Another story.
It was horrifying.
Victoria had created a system.
She didn't see children.
She saw opportunities.
"How could someone do this?""
I whispered.
Adrian didn't answer.
Because there was no answer.
Around dawn, Lily appeared at the basement door.
We both turned.
"Lily.""
She looked nervous.
"Are you mad?""
Adrian immediately walked toward her.
"No.""
She looked at the files.
"Did you find my mom?""
The question stopped him.
Slowly, he knelt.
"Why do you ask that?""
"Because she told me she wasn't gone.""
I felt my heart stop.
Adrian looked confused.
"What do you mean?""
Lily hugged herself.
"Before she died, she said she had to hide something.""
"What?""
"A place.""
Adrian's voice softened.
"What place?""
Lily looked at the floor.
"The place where the other children were.""
Silence.
I looked at Adrian.
He looked like he couldn't breathe.
"Lily, did Victoria know about this?""
The girl nodded.
"She was angry.""
"When?""
"The last night I saw my mom.""
Adrian's expression changed.
"What happened that night?""
Lily's eyes filled with tears.
"Mom told me to run.""
The room became painfully quiet.
"She said Aunt Victoria was coming.""
Adrian closed his eyes.
I saw the pain on his face.
He had spent years believing his brother's death was an accident.
Now he was realizing someone had been hunting his family.
Then Lily reached into her pocket.
"I have something else.""
She pulled out a small folded piece of paper.
Adrian carefully opened it.
It was a child's handwriting.
Three words.
*"Blue house. Basement.""*
Adrian frowned.
"What is the blue house?""
I looked at the address list from the files.
One location appeared.
A property owned by a company connected to Victoria.
A house painted blue.
I felt a cold wave pass through me.
"That's where she kept them.""
Adrian grabbed his coat.
"No.""
I looked at him.
"No?""
"We don't rush in.""
He looked at the evidence.
"We need proof.""
"You already have proof.""
"Not enough.""
His voice was heavy.
"People like Victoria survive because everyone thinks they're untouchable.""
He looked at Lily.
"I need to make sure she can never hurt anyone again.""
Hours later, we arrived near the blue house.
It was smaller than I expected.
Old.
Almost abandoned.
The windows were covered.
The yard was overgrown.
From the outside, it looked empty.
But Adrian noticed something.
"The electricity is on.""
My heart raced.
Someone was there.
We approached the basement entrance.
The door was unlocked.
Inside, we found a room.
Empty.
Too empty.
No furniture.
No evidence.
Nothing.
Then Lily whispered.
"That's not where they were.""
I turned.
"What?""
She pointed to the wall.
"My mom told me.""
She walked closer.
"There is another room.""
Adrian examined the wall.
Behind a loose panel was a hidden space.
Inside were dozens of photographs.
Children.
Names.
Dates.
Records.
And one photograph that made Adrian stop completely.
Because it wasn't a child.
It was his brother.
Standing beside Victoria.
The date was two weeks after everyone believed his brother had died.
Adrian's face turned white.
"That's impossible.""
I looked at the photograph.
A terrifying thought entered my mind.
"Adrian...""
He didn't answer.
Because behind the photo was a note.
Written by his brother.
May you like
Three words.
*"I am alive.""*
