Chapter 9: The Woman Who Remembered Everything
The door opened.
A man stood outside.
He was wearing my father's black coat.
But this time, there was no mistake.
I knew the face.
The eyes.
The mouth.
The slight crease beside his left cheek.
It was my father.
Or something wearing his face.
He smiled.
“Hello, Evelyn.””
I couldn't move.
Jonathan stepped in front of me.
“Stay back.””
The man looked at him.
“Still protecting her?””
“You're not Thomas.””
The man smiled.
“Not entirely.””
Victor raised a metal bar.
“What did you do to him?””
The man ignored him.
His eyes stayed on me.
“You've become remarkably difficult to control.””
I felt sick.
“Where is Lily?””
“Safe.””
“Where?””
“She is remembering.””
“What?””
“Everything.””
I took a step forward.
“You're going to bring her back.””
The man smiled.
“You sound like your mother.””
My breath stopped.
“You knew her.””
“I knew her better than anyone.””
“Where is she?””
He looked almost amused.
“You're standing in front of her.””
The words didn't make sense.
Then he removed the black coat.
Underneath was a plain gray shirt.
His body looked older.
But there was a surgical scar running across his chest.
I stared.
“What is that?””
“Your father's final procedure.””
Jonathan's face went pale.
“You copied him.””
“No.””
The man touched his chest.
“I copied myself.””
Victor whispered, “What does that mean?””
The man finally looked at him.
“Thomas Hart died twelve years ago.””
I felt the room tilt.
“Then who are you?””
He smiled.
“Jonathan told you he was the first successful experiment.””
Jonathan stepped backward.
The man continued.
“He wasn't.””
I looked at Jonathan.
His face was devastated.
“You lied to me.””
Jonathan shook his head.
“I didn't know.””
“You said you were the first.””
“I believed I was.””
The man pointed at himself.
“I was.””
My stomach turned.
“You're the first experiment?””
He nodded.
“Subject 001.””
I stared at him.
“Then you're not my father.””
He smiled.
“No.””
“Who are you?””
His expression changed.
For the first time, I saw something almost human.
Pain.
“I'm what remains of your mother.””
Silence.
My entire body went cold.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“You said my mother was Clara.””
“She was.””
“She's dead.””
“She isn't.””
“Then why do you look like my father?””
“Because your father stole her memories.””
I couldn't breathe.
The man continued.
“When Clara discovered what Thomas was doing, he transferred her memory into himself.””
Jonathan whispered, “No…”
“He didn't kill her.””
He looked at me.
“He became her.””
My mind refused to accept it.
“You're saying my father became my mother?””
“Partly.””
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cassette.
“Thomas believed identity could be reconstructed from memory.””
He held up the cassette.
“He was wrong.””
“What happened?””
“He couldn't contain her.””
I looked at Jonathan.
“That's why you remember her.””
“Yes,” Jonathan said quietly.
“Because pieces of Clara were transferred into you too.””
The man nodded.
“And pieces of Thomas remained in me.””
I stared at him.
“You're both.””
“Yes.””
“A hybrid.””
“A prison.””
The word hung in the air.
Then he looked toward the hallway.
“Helena created the process. Thomas perfected it. Clara survived it.””
I whispered, “And Lily?””
His expression softened.
“Lily inherited the ability naturally.””
“Because of me.””
“Because of Clara.””
My mother's name hit me harder than anything else.
“Why did I disappear?””
He looked at me.
“Because you found out.””
“Found out what?””
“That Lily could restore Clara.””
I stared.
“What?””
“She can access the original memory.””
Jonathan suddenly stepped forward.
“That's why Helena kept her.””
The man nodded.
“Helena wants Clara's memories.””
“And you?””
“I want my mother back.””
I looked at him.
“You're calling Clara your mother?””
A strange smile crossed his face.
“Because she is.””
I heard footsteps approaching from the corridor.
More guards.
The man turned to me.
“Evelyn, you need to make a choice.””
“What choice?””
“Come with me, and I'll take you to Lily.””
“And if I don't?””
“Then Helena will finish the procedure.””
“What procedure?””
He looked toward the ceiling.
“The one that removes Clara from Lily.””
My stomach dropped.
“You'll kill her.””
“No.””
His voice became quiet.
“I'll kill the part of her that remembers you.””
I lunged toward him.
Jonathan caught me.
“You can't!””
I screamed.
“Bring my daughter back!””
The man didn't move.
Then another voice came from behind him.
A girl's voice.
“Mom?””
I froze.
Lily appeared at the end of the corridor.
Two guards stood behind her.
But she wasn't crying.
She wasn't afraid.
She was staring directly at me.
And she was holding something.
A small silver pendant.
My mother's pendant.
The same symbol.
The circle split by a line.
Lily raised it.
“I remember now.””
Helena appeared behind her.
“What do you remember?”” I asked.
Lily's eyes filled with tears.
“The night you disappeared.””
I stepped toward her.
“Tell me.””
She looked at the man wearing my father's face.
Then at Jonathan.
Then at Margaret.
Finally, she looked at me.
“You didn't ask them to erase your memory.””
I shook my head.
“What?””
Lily whispered:
“You asked them to erase *me*.””
My heart stopped.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“I would never—”
“You did.””
She lifted the pendant.
“Because I was the one who killed Thomas.””
The corridor went silent.
I stared at my daughter.
She was trembling.
“I was four years old,” she whispered.
“How could you…”
Lily's eyes met mine.
“I didn't kill him with a weapon.””
She touched her temple.
“I killed him with his own memories.””
Then the man wearing my father's face smiled.
Because he had been waiting ten years for her to remember.
And Lily suddenly pointed at him.
“He's not my grandfather.””
She looked at me.
“He's the reason you disappeared.””
Then she whispered the name I had never heard before.
“*Clara.*”
The man staggered.
For the first time, fear appeared on his face.
May you like
And somewhere deep beneath my own memories, a woman's voice began screaming:
*“Don't let her remember the last part.””*
