Amelia stared at the young man.

He couldn't have been more than twenty-nine.

Dark hair.

Blue eyes.

The same pale skin.

The same small birthmark beneath his left eye.

Her birthmark.

Elena's birthmark.

His.

For several seconds, Amelia forgot how to breathe.

The young man looked at her with an expression she couldn't understand.

Not anger.

Not hatred.

Recognition.

Samuel stood behind him.

Proud.

Almost like a father introducing his son at a family dinner.

"Amelia," Samuel said quietly.

"This is your brother."

The young man didn't smile.

He simply watched her.

Amelia's voice trembled.

"What's your name?"

Samuel answered.

"His name is Ethan."

The young man immediately corrected him.

"No."

Samuel's eyes narrowed.

Ethan looked directly at Amelia.

"My name is Noah."

Silence.

Samuel's face hardened.

"Don't."

Noah ignored him.

"That's the name my mother gave me."

Amelia looked at Sarah.

"Mom?"

Sarah was staring at the young man.

Her face had gone completely white.

"Noah..."

He looked at her.

"You remember me?"

Sarah's lips trembled.

"I remember the name."

"Do you remember my face?"

She began crying.

"No."

Noah lowered his eyes.

"Neither did I."

A gunshot had dropped Matthew.

Richard rushed toward him.

"He's bleeding."

Matthew pressed a hand against his side.

"Don't waste time."

Samuel stepped forward.

"Give me the girl."

Richard raised his weapon.

"Back up."

Samuel smiled.

"You still don't understand, Richard."

"I understand enough."

"No."

Samuel pointed toward Amelia.

"She isn't your responsibility anymore."

Richard's expression hardened.

"She's my responsibility because Thomas trusted me."

Samuel laughed.

"Thomas trusted everyone."

Then his eyes moved to Amelia.

"That's why he died."

Amelia's voice was cold.

"You killed him."

"No."

Samuel shook his head.

"Someone else did."

"Who?"

Samuel smiled.

"You'll learn."

Amelia glanced at Noah.

"Did you kill Thomas?"

Noah's eyes widened.

"No."

"Did you hurt him?"

"No."

"Then why are you here?"

Noah looked at Samuel.

"Because he found me."

Samuel interrupted.

"Because I saved him."

Noah laughed bitterly.

"You didn't save me."

Samuel's smile disappeared.

"You were dying."

"I was escaping."

"You were a child."

"I was twenty-seven."

"You were confused."

"I knew exactly what you were doing."

Samuel stepped closer.

"You don't know anything."

Noah looked at Amelia.

"I know what he did to us."

Elena moved beside Amelia.

"Our brother."

Noah looked at her.

"Elena."

She froze.

"You know my name."

"I know everything."

"When did you meet me?"

"I never did."

"Then how?"

Noah pointed toward the walls.

"Your file."

Elena's eyes narrowed.

"You've read my file?"

"I lived inside it."

She stared.

"What does that mean?"

Noah's voice became quiet.

"I was the only child they never allowed outside."

Amelia looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because I wasn't the witness."

She remembered the documents.

17-A.

17-B.

17-C.

"You were the unknown subject."

Noah nodded.

"17-C."

Richard looked toward the central console.

"Why was 17-C different?"

Noah answered:

"Because they didn't know what I was."

Amelia frowned.

"Meaning?"

"They knew Elena had the genetic marker."

He pointed at Amelia.

"They knew you had the memory response."

Then he touched his own chest.

"But I had both."

Everyone went silent.

Noah continued.

"That's why Samuel wanted me."

Alexander stepped forward.

"No."

Noah looked at him.

"You knew."

Alexander shook his head.

"I suspected."

"You knew enough."

"I thought you were dead."

Noah laughed.

"Everyone did."

He looked at Amelia.

"Thomas believed he had rescued you."

Amelia frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"He rescued you."

"Yes."

"No."

Noah shook his head.

"He rescued one version of you."

Amelia felt a chill.

"One version?"

Samuel smiled.

"Now you're finally asking the right questions."

Samuel walked toward the central console.

Richard fired.

The bullet struck the wall beside Samuel's head.

Samuel didn't flinch.

"Next time," Richard warned, "I won't miss."

Samuel smiled.

"You won't get another chance."

He pressed a button.

The entire facility began shaking.

Doors slammed shut.

Warning lights flashed.

ARCHIVE PURGE INITIATED

Amelia looked at the screen.

"No."

Richard rushed to the console.

"He's deleting everything."

"Can you stop it?"

"I can try."

Matthew struggled to stand.

"Don't."

Richard turned.

"What?"

"Let it purge."

Richard stared.

"Are you insane?"

Matthew shook his head.

"The purge isn't deleting the archive."

He pointed toward the screen.

"It's opening it."

Amelia looked.

The words changed.

PURGE MODE = PUBLIC RELEASE

Her heart raced.

Samuel's expression changed.

"Matthew."

Matthew smiled.

"You taught me the system."

"You don't know what you're doing."

"I know exactly what I'm doing."

Samuel turned toward Noah.

"Stop him."

Noah didn't move.

Samuel shouted:

"Stop him!"

Noah looked at Amelia.

Then Elena.

Then Sarah.

"I've spent twenty-nine years obeying him."

He stepped forward.

"I'm done."

Samuel's face twisted.

"You ungrateful child."

Noah's expression became cold.

"You took my childhood."

He pointed toward Amelia.

"You stole her identity."

Then toward Elena.

"You erased hers."

He looked at Sarah.

"And you convinced our mother she had lost all three of us."

Sarah covered her mouth.

"Noah..."

He whispered:

"I remember you."

Sarah began crying.

"I never forgot you."

"You forgot my face."

"I was drugged."

"I know."

"You were taken from me."

"I know."

"Forgive me."

Noah looked away.

"I don't know how."

Sarah nodded through tears.

"That's okay."

The purge reached:

42%

Matthew collapsed against the console.

Richard caught him.

"Stay with us."

Matthew smiled.

"Thomas would hate this."

"What?"

"Everyone risking their lives."

Richard laughed bitterly.

"He'd be proud."

Matthew looked at Amelia.

"Your father left one final instruction."

"What?"

"Never let Samuel reach Level Seventeen."

Amelia looked around.

"We're already here."

Matthew shook his head.

"No."

He pointed beneath them.

"This isn't Level Seventeen."

Amelia frowned.

"The elevator said seventeen."

"It lied."

Richard stared.

"Then where are we?"

Matthew looked at the floor.

"Level Zero."

A chill ran through Amelia.

"Why call it Level Zero?"

"Because it was built before Project Seventeen existed."

"Who built it?"

Matthew looked at her.

"Thomas."

Samuel suddenly laughed.

Everyone turned.

"You still believe Thomas was the hero."

Amelia glared.

"He was."

Samuel shook his head.

"He was a man who made one terrible mistake."

"What mistake?"

"Creating me."

Amelia's eyes narrowed.

"You're saying Thomas created Project Seventeen."

"No."

Samuel smiled.

"Thomas created the idea."

"What?"

"Thomas believed families could be protected by controlling information."

Samuel walked slowly toward her.

"I simply took his idea to its logical conclusion."

"Control."

"Protection."

"Manipulation."

"Security."

"Lies."

"Survival."

Amelia stepped closer.

"People died."

Samuel nodded.

"Yes."

"You killed them."

"I sacrificed them."

"There's a difference."

"Not when you're trying to save thousands."

Amelia's expression hardened.

"You don't save people by destroying their lives."

Samuel stared at her.

"That's what Thomas eventually believed."

"And that's why you killed him."

Samuel didn't answer.

The silence was enough.

The purge reached:

71%

Noah suddenly grabbed Amelia's arm.

"We have to go."

"Why?"

"Because the system has detected Samuel."

"What does that mean?"

"It means the bunker is going to lock."

Richard looked at the screen.

LOCKDOWN IN 120 SECONDS

Elena grabbed Sarah.

"Move."

Matthew shook his head.

"You can't leave through the elevator."

"Why?"

"Samuel sealed it."

Richard looked toward the walls.

"Another exit?"

Matthew pointed toward the far end.

"There's one."

They ran.

Samuel remained behind.

Amelia stopped.

"What about him?"

Noah looked at Samuel.

"Leave him."

Samuel smiled.

"You'll come back."

Amelia stared at him.

"Why?"

"Because you still don't know the truth."

"What truth?"

Samuel pointed toward Noah.

"Ask your brother."

Amelia turned.

Noah's face was pale.

"Don't listen."

Samuel laughed.

"Ask him who really ordered Thomas's murder."

Amelia froze.

Noah didn't speak.

"Who?"

Silence.

"Who ordered it?"

Noah finally whispered:

"Thomas."

Amelia stared at him.

"What?"

"He ordered his own death."

The words made no sense.

Noah continued:

"Thomas knew Samuel would eventually find him."

"So?"

"He created a final contingency."

"Which was?"

"His death."

Amelia shook her head.

"Why would my father order his own murder?"

Noah looked at her.

"Because he needed the world to believe he was dead."

"Why?"

"Because Thomas was going underground."

"Where?"

Noah looked toward the sealed door.

"To destroy Project Seventeen from inside."

Amelia's eyes widened.

"You mean he's alive."

Noah didn't answer.

"Where is he?"

"Somewhere Samuel can't reach."

"Where?"

Noah looked at the clock.

Then at Amelia.

"Seven minutes."

She frowned.

"What?"

"Thomas gave me seven minutes."

"To do what?"

"To tell you the truth."

The lights flickered.

LOCKDOWN: 00:58

Noah reached into his jacket.

He pulled out a small photograph.

Amelia took it.

Her hands shook.

It showed Thomas standing beside a grave.

But the grave wasn't his.

The name on the stone was:

COLONEL THOMAS EDWARD HAYES

And Thomas was standing alive beside it.

On the back was a handwritten message.

WHEN AMELIA FINDS THIS, I'LL ALREADY BE GONE.

Below it:

NOT DEAD.

UNDERCOVER.

Amelia's heart slammed against her ribs.

"Where is he?"

Noah pointed toward the far wall.

"Behind that door."

Richard looked.

"There's no door."

"There is."

Noah walked toward the wall.

He placed his palm against it.

Nothing happened.

Then Amelia remembered the symbol.

Three intersecting lines.

She touched the wall.

A click.

A hidden door opened.

Darkness waited beyond it.

And from somewhere inside came a sound Amelia had not heard in weeks.

A familiar voice.

Calm.

Warm.

Tired.

"Come in, kiddo."

Amelia's knees nearly gave out.

She whispered:

"Dad?"

The voice answered.

"Yeah."

A pause.

"I've been waiting for you."

Behind them, Samuel screamed:

"NO!"

The door began closing.

Amelia grabbed Elena's hand.

Sarah grabbed Noah.

Richard pulled Matthew forward.

They crossed the threshold.

The door slammed shut.

Samuel was left behind.

Then the underground room went completely silent.

Amelia stared into the darkness.

And somewhere ahead—

Thomas Hayes was waiting.

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Alive.

But whatever he was about to tell her would change everything she believed about the last thirty years.