PART 12 — THE TWENTY-FOURTH TIMELINE
The screen went black.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Nobody spoke.
I could still see those four words in my mind.
PROJECT ZERO BEGINS AGAIN.
I looked at Adriana.
She was staring at the dead monitor.
“Adriana…”
She didn’t answer.
“Look at me.”
Slowly, she turned.
Her eyes were filled with tears.
Not fear.
Something worse.
Recognition.
“You knew this would happen,” I whispered.
She nodded.
“How long?”
“Since before I was born.”
My stomach tightened.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“It doesn’t have to.”
She looked at Diego.
“He remembers now.”
Diego was still on his knees.
His hands were trembling.
“I remember everything.”
My father stepped toward him.
“You said you killed Laura.”
Diego looked up.
“I did.”
My mother screamed:
“Why?”
Diego closed his eyes.
“Because she asked me to.”
Silence.
I stared at him.
“What?”
He looked directly at me.
“In the first timeline, Laura discovered what Project Zero really was.”
“What?”
“She discovered that the program wasn’t trying to create superhuman children.”
My father frowned.
“Then what were they creating?”
Diego answered:
“A person who could remember every possible future.”
I looked at Adriana.
She lowered her eyes.
Diego continued.
“Laura discovered that Subject Zero wasn’t the beginning.”
I whispered:
“Then what was?”
Diego looked at me.
“Laura.”
My heart stopped.
“No.”
“You were the original.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“You were Subject Zero before Adriana ever existed.”
I looked at my father.
He said nothing.
That silence was enough.
My entire life suddenly felt like a lie built on another lie.
“My childhood…”
“Was real,” my father said.
“My memories?”
“Real.”
“My parents?”
“Real.”
“Then why was I Subject Zero?”
He looked at Adriana.
“Because you didn’t know.”
I stared at him.
“Know what?”
He swallowed.
“That you had already lived this life.”
The room seemed to spin.
Adriana stepped closer.
“Mom.”
I looked at her.
“You brought me back.”
She nodded.
“But why?”
“Because you died.”
“Again?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Adriana looked at Diego.
He whispered:
“Because of me.”
I stared at him.
“You killed me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you told me to.”
I shook my head.
“I would never ask you to kill me.”
“You did.”
“Why?”
“Because if I didn’t…”
He stopped.
“Then what?”
“You would’ve become her.”
I looked at Adriana.
“Become who?”
Diego’s face went pale.
“The woman on the screen.”
I remembered the image.
My older face.
Cold eyes.
The laboratory.
Adriana as a newborn.
Diego standing behind me.
I whispered:
“That was me.”
“Yes.”
“And I created Project Zero.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Diego looked down.
“Because you believed the only way to save the future was to control it.”
My mother shook her head.
“No…”
I looked at her.
“Mom?”
She stepped backward.
“I remember.”
Everyone turned toward her.
“What do you remember?”
She began crying.
“The first timeline.”
My father closed his eyes.
My mother continued.
“I remembered after Adriana brought us back.”
I stared.
“You remember?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I promised your father.”
My father looked at her.
“We had to let the timeline unfold naturally.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Naturally?”
I pointed at the monitors.
“Twenty-three deaths are natural?”
Nobody answered.
Then Adriana said:
“There were twenty-three.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
She corrected herself.
“Twenty-four.”
My blood turned cold.
“You said twenty-three.”
“I was wrong.”
“You don’t make mistakes.”
She looked at me.
“I do.”
“Then what is the twenty-fourth?”
She walked toward the main monitor.
Her fingers touched the screen.
It suddenly turned on.
A new recording appeared.
A woman was sitting in a chair.
Older.
Tired.
Scarred.
I stared at her face.
My heart stopped.
It was me.
But this version of me looked much older than the woman I had seen before.
She looked directly into the camera.
And spoke.
“If you’re watching this, then Timeline Twenty-Four has started.”
I stepped closer.
My older self continued.
“I don’t know who you are.”
I whispered:
“It’s me.”
Adriana nodded.
The recording continued.
“But if you’re Laura…”
The woman paused.
“…then listen carefully.”
I held my breath.
“Do not trust Diego.”
Diego looked at the screen.
His face went white.
My older self continued.
“Do not trust your father.”
My father froze.
“Do not trust your mother.”
My mother covered her mouth.
“And most importantly…”
The recording flickered.
My older self leaned closer to the camera.
“Do not trust Adriana.”
I turned slowly.
Adriana was standing behind me.
She looked completely calm.
The recording ended.
Silence.
I looked at her.
“Is that true?”
Adriana didn’t answer.
“Are you dangerous?”
“No.”
“Are you lying?”
“No.”
“Then why did she tell me not to trust you?”
Adriana looked at the screen.
“Because she didn’t know what I had become.”
“What did you become?”
She looked at me.
“The thing she was trying to prevent.”
My father stepped forward.
“Adriana…”
She turned toward him.
“You should have told her.”
He frowned.
“Told her what?”
“That you’re the reason the first timeline failed.”
My father went still.
I stared at him.
“Dad?”
He didn’t answer.
“Dad.”
Finally, he whispered:
“Yes.”
My chest tightened.
“What did you do?”
He looked at me with tears in his eyes.
“I tried to destroy Subject Zero.”
“Me?”
“No.”
He looked at Adriana.
“Her.”
Adriana smiled sadly.
“You tried.”
My father lowered his head.
“I thought she was dangerous.”
“And you were wrong.”
“I didn’t know.”
“You knew enough.”
I looked between them.
“What happened?”
Adriana answered.
“He killed me.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“Before the first timeline ended.”
My father looked broken.
“I didn’t know she would come back.”
Adriana looked at him.
“I always come back.”
A strange sound came from the hallway.
Three knocks.
Everyone froze.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
My father raised his weapon.
“Who’s there?”
No answer.
Another three knocks.
Adriana smiled.
“They’re early.”
“Who?”
She looked at me.
“The people from Timeline Twenty-Four.”
I felt a chill.
The door slowly opened.
Nobody was standing there.
Only darkness.
Then a small object rolled across the floor.
A red child’s toy.
Adriana stared at it.
Her face changed.
For the first time, I saw genuine fear.
“What is that?”
She whispered:
“My first memory.”
The toy began playing music.
A child’s voice came through the speaker.
“Mommy…”
I froze.
The voice sounded like Adriana.
“Mommy…”
Then another voice.
Mine.
“I’m here.”
The recording continued.
“Mommy, why are we running?”
My blood went cold.
Another voice answered.
My voice.
“Because they’re coming.”
Adriana covered her ears.
“Stop.”
The recording continued.
“Who are they?”
My voice whispered:
“Your father.”
I looked at my father.
He looked horrified.
The recording stopped.
Then the toy spoke again.
This time in a man’s voice.
My grandfather.
“Welcome back, Laura.”
The lights went out.
Someone screamed.
A gunshot exploded.
Then another.
I grabbed Adriana.
“Stay with me!”
My father shouted:
“GET DOWN!”
Glass shattered somewhere behind us.
Valeria screamed.
My mother grabbed my arm.
We dropped to the floor.
More gunshots echoed through the room.
Then silence.
I couldn’t see anything.
“Dad?”
No answer.
“Mom?”
Nothing.
“Adriana?”
A tiny hand grabbed mine.
“I’m here.”
I pulled her close.
“Where’s everyone else?”
“I don’t know.”
Then a man’s voice came from the darkness.
“Laura.”
I froze.
That voice.
I knew it.
It wasn’t my father’s.
It wasn’t Diego’s.
It wasn’t Elias’s.
It was mine.
My own voice.
“Laura…”
Adriana whispered:
“Don’t answer.”
The voice spoke again.
“You already did.”
A light flickered on.
At the far end of the room stood a woman.
She looked exactly like me.
Older.
Scarred.
And holding a photograph.
I stared.
“Who are you?”
The woman smiled.
“You know.”
“No.”
“You’ve seen me before.”
I shook my head.
She held up the photograph.
It showed me.
Adriana.
And Diego.
But behind us stood a fourth person.
A man I had never seen.
The woman pointed at him.
“This is the person you were trying to find.”
I stared at the photograph.
“Who is he?”
She smiled.
“The creator.”
My blood ran cold.
“Creator of what?”
She answered:
“Me.”
The room seemed to disappear.
“What?”
She stepped closer.
“I am Timeline Twenty-Four.”
Adriana stepped in front of me.
“No.”
The woman smiled at her.
“Hello, Subject Zero.”
Adriana’s eyes filled with tears.
“You weren’t supposed to survive.”
The older woman laughed.
“Neither were you.”
My father suddenly appeared from the darkness.
His weapon was raised.
“Step away from my daughter.”
The older woman looked at him.
“Which daughter?”
He froze.
She smiled.
“You have two.”
I looked at my father.
“What does she mean?”
The older woman pointed at Adriana.
“That’s the daughter you remember.”
Then she pointed at me.
“And that’s the daughter you forgot.”
My father lowered his weapon.
“No…”
The woman smiled.
“Tell her.”
He couldn’t.
I stepped toward him.
“Tell me.”
He looked at me.
“You had a sister.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“She was born before you.”
My mother appeared behind him.
She was crying.
“We thought she died.”
“Thought?”
My father nodded.
“She didn’t.”
I looked at the older woman.
She smiled.
“She survived.”
I whispered:
“Who are you?”
She answered:
“Your sister.”
The room went silent.
My mind couldn’t process it.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“My sister died.”
“That is what they wanted you to believe.”
“Why?”
“Because she was the first successful version.”
I looked at Adriana.
“Then what is Adriana?”
The older woman answered:
“The final version.”
Adriana stepped forward.
“No.”
The older woman smiled.
“You still don’t understand.”
“What?”
“You were never the cure.”
Adriana froze.
“You were the reset.”
I looked at her.
“What does that mean?”
The older woman looked at me.
“Every time the world reaches the wrong future…”
She pointed at Adriana.
“She resets it.”
My stomach turned.
“How?”
“She kills the timeline.”
Silence.
I stared at Adriana.
“Is that true?”
Adriana’s eyes filled with tears.
“Yes.”
My heart broke.
“You killed everyone?”
“To save you.”
“How many times?”
She whispered:
“Twenty-three.”
I stepped backward.
“No.”
“I tried to make it better.”
“You killed millions?”
“I had no choice.”
“You always have a choice!”
She began crying.
“Not when you’re the only person left who remembers them.”
I stared at her.
The child I had protected.
The child I had carried.
The child I had called my daughter.
She had been carrying twenty-three worlds inside her.
Twenty-three endings.
Twenty-three versions of me.
Twenty-three versions of everyone I loved.
Then the older woman whispered:
“And now she has one final choice.”
“What?”
“She can reset Timeline Twenty-Four.”
I looked at Adriana.
“What happens if she does?”
Adriana looked at me.
“You disappear.”
My heart stopped.
“And you?”
“I disappear too.”
“And everyone else?”
“They survive.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
Adriana cried.
“Mom…”
“No.”
“If I don’t reset it, everyone dies.”
“Then we’ll find another way.”
“There isn’t one.”
“There has to be.”
She looked at me.
“There wasn’t in the other twenty-three.”
“But this is different.”
“How?”
I looked around the room.
“At least now I know the truth.”
The older woman laughed.
“You still don’t know the truth.”
I turned.
“What else?”
She stepped closer.
“Timeline Twenty-Four wasn’t created by Adriana.”
“Then who?”
She looked directly at me.
“You.”
I froze.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“You created it the moment you decided not to die.”
I stared at her.
She continued.
“In every previous timeline, Laura dies.”
“In this one, you survive.”
“That difference created a new branch.”
“And that branch became Timeline Twenty-Four.”
I looked at Adriana.
She nodded.
“The moment you survived, everything changed.”
My father whispered:
“So this timeline was never supposed to exist.”
“No,” Adriana said.
“It was.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
She smiled through her tears.
“It was the first timeline where we had a chance.”
Suddenly the floor shook violently.
The monitors came alive.
One after another.
Hundreds of screens.
Every one displaying the same message.
TIMELINE 24 COLLAPSING.
My father shouted:
“How long?”
Adriana looked at the clock.
“Thirty-seven minutes.”
My mother cried:
“Until what?”
Adriana answered:
“Until the world resets.”
I grabbed her hand.
“Then we have thirty-seven minutes.”
“To do what?”
I looked at my father.
“Destroy Project Zero.”
He shook his head.
“We don’t know where it is.”
I looked at the older woman.
She smiled.
“I do.”
“Where?”
She pointed downward.
“Under this house.”
My blood ran cold.
“This house?”
She nodded.
“The first facility wasn’t destroyed.”
“Then what was destroyed?”
“A copy.”
My father stared at her.
“You’re lying.”
“No.”
She pointed toward the floor.
“It’s beneath us.”
Adriana suddenly whispered:
“Mom.”
“Yes?”
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
She looked frightened.
“The facility isn’t empty.”
“What is inside?”
She looked at me.
“You.”
I stared.
“What?”
“A version of you.”
The floor suddenly cracked.
A deep mechanical sound came from beneath us.
Then a voice echoed through the underground chamber.
My voice.
Older.
Colder.
Angrier.
“Laura…”
I froze.
The voice continued.
“Come home.”
Adriana grabbed my hand.
“Don’t listen.”
The floor opened.
A staircase appeared beneath us.
And at the bottom…
A light turned on.
I could see a laboratory.
A bed.
Machines.
Screens.
And someone lying beneath a glass chamber.
Someone who looked exactly like me.
I whispered:
“What is that?”
The older woman answered:
“The Laura who created Project Zero.”
I stared down at the chamber.
The woman inside slowly opened her eyes.
And smiled.
Then she spoke through the speakers:
“You finally came back.”
Adriana began crying.
My father raised his weapon.
Diego stepped backward.
My mother whispered a prayer.
And I…
I walked down the stairs.
Because for the first time in my life…
I wasn’t running from my past.
I was walking directly toward it.
Toward the woman I had once been.
Toward the truth about Adriana.
Toward the beginning of Project Zero.
And toward the one decision that could determine whether any of us survived.
As I reached the bottom of the stairs, the woman inside the chamber lifted her hand.
A screen beside her turned on.
One sentence appeared:
ONLY ONE LAURA CAN LEAVE.
Then another sentence appeared beneath it.
CHOOSE.
I looked at Adriana.
She was crying.
“Mom…”
I reached for her hand.
“I’m not leaving you.”
The chamber opened.
The other Laura stepped out.
She looked directly at me.
And whispered:
“That’s exactly what you said the first time.”
Then the countdown began.
36:59
36:58
36:57
And somewhere beneath the earth…
Project Zero began to wake up…..
PART 13 — THE OTHER LAURA
The countdown continued.
36:57
36:56
36:55
I stared at the woman standing outside the glass chamber.
My face.
My eyes.
My voice.
But she looked at me as though I were the stranger.
Adriana held my hand tightly.
“Mom…”
“I’m here.”
“Don’t let her touch you.”
I looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because she remembers how to become you.”
The other Laura smiled.
“That’s not exactly true.”
Adriana stepped backward.
“You’re lying.”
“No.”
The woman looked at me.
“She remembers how to become me.”
My father raised his weapon.
“Everyone stay back.”
The other Laura laughed.
“You still think a gun can stop this?”
My father didn’t lower it.
“I don’t need to stop you.”
She looked at him.
“I only need to stop you from hurting my daughter.”
The woman’s expression changed.
“Your daughter?”
She looked at me.
“You still don’t know what she is.”
I stepped between them.
“Enough.”
The countdown continued.
36:21
I pointed at the chamber.
“Tell me everything.”
The other Laura smiled.
“You’re not ready.”
“I’ve been lied to for twenty-nine years.”
“Then you’re finally ready.”
She walked toward me.
My father raised his weapon.
“Stop.”
She stopped.
“Do you know why Project Zero was created?”
I shook my head.
“To prevent the future.”
“No.”
She smiled.
“To create it.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“The first scientists believed the future could be predicted.”
She looked at Adriana.
“They were wrong.”
“Then what did they discover?”
“That the future could be remembered.”
I felt a chill.
“By Adriana?”
“By you.”
My heart stopped.
“Me?”
She nodded.
“You were the first.”
She pointed toward the chamber.
“The woman inside isn’t another Laura.”
I looked at the glass.
“Then who is she?”
The other Laura answered:
“The original.”
My breathing stopped.
The woman inside the chamber slowly sat up.
She looked exactly like me.
Then she smiled.
“Hello, daughter.”
Adriana froze.
“Mom?”
I couldn’t move.
The woman inside the chamber looked at Adriana.
“Yes.”
Adriana shook her head.
“No.”
The woman smiled.
“You don’t remember me?”
“I do.”
Her smile disappeared.
“But you’re not supposed to.”
Adriana stepped backward.
“You died.”
The woman nodded.
“I did.”
“Then how are you here?”
“Because your mother brought me back.”
I turned toward Adriana.
“What does she mean?”
Adriana’s eyes filled with tears.
“I didn’t know.”
The woman laughed softly.
“You knew enough.”
“No.”
“You always know.”
“Stop!”
Adriana screamed.
The entire room shook.
Every monitor flickered.
My father stared at her.
“What was that?”
Adriana covered her ears.
“She’s remembering.”
The other Laura looked at me.
“Do you feel it?”
“What?”
“The memories.”
I suddenly felt dizzy.
Images flashed through my mind.
A hospital.
A newborn.
A laboratory.
A man in a white coat.
A young version of my father.
My mother crying.
And a woman who looked exactly like me holding a baby.
Then another image.
Fire.
Screaming.
A countdown.
And Adriana.
Standing alone in a room filled with dead machines.
I grabbed my head.
“No…”
My father caught me.
“Laura!”
“I remember.”
Everyone froze.
“What do you remember?”
I looked at the woman in the chamber.
“You.”
She smiled.
“Yes.”
“You were my mother.”
My mother gasped.
“What?”
The other Laura shook her head.
“Not exactly.”
I stared.
“Then what?”
“I was you.”
The room became silent.
She continued.
“In the first timeline, you grew old.”
I swallowed.
“You became a scientist.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“You did.”
“You created Project Zero.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
She looked at Adriana.
“Because I wanted to save my daughter.”
Adriana looked away.
“From what?”
The woman answered:
“From death.”
My heart tightened.
“What happened to her?”
“She died.”
“How?”
“Because the world was collapsing.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“The future became unstable.”
“How?”
“Because too many timelines were created.”
I looked at the countdown.
“So Project Zero was supposed to fix them?”
“Yes.”
“But it didn’t.”
“No.”
“What went wrong?”
She looked at me.
“I did.”
Silence.
“I became obsessed.”
“With what?”
“Saving Adriana.”
She looked at the little girl.
“I kept resetting the timeline.”
My heart sank.
“Twenty-three times.”
“Yes.”
“And every time…”
“I changed something.”
“And every time…”
“You died.”
I looked at Adriana.
“And she remembered.”
“Yes.”
The room felt smaller.
“Then why did she bring me back?”
The woman smiled.
“Because she finally understood something I didn’t.”
“What?”
“You can’t save someone by controlling their life.”
Adriana whispered:
“You have to let them choose.”
I looked at her.
She was crying.
“That’s why I brought you back.”
“Even though you knew I’d create another timeline?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted one chance.”
“One chance for what?”
She looked at me.
“For you to choose differently.”
The countdown continued.
31:42
Suddenly the lights turned red.
An alarm began screaming.
My father looked toward the ceiling.
“Something’s coming.”
The other Laura shook her head.
“No.”
“What?”
“They’re already here.”
The laboratory doors slammed shut.
Heavy footsteps echoed outside.
My father moved toward the entrance.
“Everyone behind me.”
Diego picked up a metal rod.
Valeria grabbed a fire extinguisher.
My mother held Adriana.
Then—
BOOM.
The door shook.
Again.
BOOM.
A crack appeared.
The other Laura looked at me.
“You need to decide.”
“Decide what?”
“Whether you want to save the world…”
She pointed at Adriana.
“…or save your daughter.”
My heart broke.
“Why can’t I do both?”
“Because you couldn’t before.”
“That was before.”
“It’s still true.”
The door shook again.
A voice came through the speakers.
“OPEN THE FACILITY.”
My father recognized it.
“Elias.”
I looked at him.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
The voice continued.
“Laura, if you can hear me, listen carefully.”
My father shouted:
“Don’t listen to him!”
Elias continued.
“The woman you’re standing with is not your sister.”
The other Laura smiled.
Elias continued.
“She is the architect.”
I looked at the woman.
She didn’t deny it.
“She’s the reason your daughter exists.”
I looked at Adriana.
“Is that true?”
Adriana nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she needed someone who could reset the timeline.”
“And you were chosen?”
“No.”
Adriana looked at me.
“I volunteered.”
My heart stopped.
“You volunteered?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I knew what would happen to you.”
I shook my head.
“You knew I’d die?”
“Yes.”
“And you chose to come back?”
“Yes.”
“For me?”
“Yes.”
I began crying.
“Adriana…”
She hugged me.
“I’ve been trying to save you for so long.”
I held her tightly.
Then I heard something behind us.
A click.
I turned.
The other Laura was holding a weapon.
Pointed at Adriana.
“I’m sorry.”
My father immediately raised his gun.
“Put it down.”
The woman looked at him.
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because if Adriana survives…”
She looked at me.
“…the timeline collapses.”
Adriana stepped forward.
“She’s right.”
“No!”
I grabbed her.
“Don’t.”
“Mom.”
“No.”
“You have to let me go.”
“I won’t.”
“You have to.”
“I’m your mother.”
“And you’re the reason I kept coming back.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
She smiled through tears.
“Because every time I died…”
She touched my face.
“…you came looking for me.”
The countdown reached:
28:00
The facility shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
My father shouted:
“We’re running out of time!”
I looked at Adriana.
“Then we find another way.”
She shook her head.
“There isn’t one.”
“There is.”
“No.”
“There has to be.”
The other Laura spoke quietly.
“There is.”
Everyone turned toward her.
She lowered the weapon.
“There is another way.”
I stared.
“What?”
She pointed at the chamber.
“The original machine.”
My father frowned.
“What machine?”
“The one that started Project Zero.”
She walked toward the chamber.
“It doesn’t reset timelines.”
“Then what does it do?”
“It merges them.”
My heart stopped.
“Merge?”
“Yes.”
“What happens if we merge all twenty-four?”
“Every version of you remembers.”
“And Adriana?”
“She becomes one person.”
“Will she survive?”
The woman hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
I looked at Adriana.
She smiled.
“It’s worth trying.”
“No.”
“Mom.”
“No.”
“You always tell me to be brave.”
“I tell you to be careful.”
“Then be brave for me.”
I held her.
“I’m scared.”
“So am I.”
The countdown continued.
25:11
My father moved toward the machine.
“Show me.”
The other Laura nodded.
They opened a hidden panel.
Inside was a circular chamber surrounded by cables.
My father stared.
“This technology is decades ahead.”
“It was built decades ago.”
“Impossible.”
The woman smiled.
“That’s the point.”
Diego stepped closer.
“What happens when it’s activated?”
She looked at him.
“The timeline becomes one.”
“And everyone remembers?”
“Yes.”
“Then people will remember their deaths.”
“Yes.”
“Millions of people will remember dying.”
“Yes.”
Diego looked horrified.
“And that’s safe?”
“No.”
I stared at the machine.
“What happens to the people who shouldn’t exist?”
The woman answered:
“They disappear.”
I looked at Adriana.
“What does that mean?”
She understood immediately.
“Some versions of us will be erased.”
“Which ones?”
“The ones that don’t belong.”
I grabbed her hand.
“Then how do we know you’re the one who belongs?”
She looked at me.
“We don’t.”
The machine began powering up.
A deep hum filled the room.
The monitors displayed:
TIMELINE MERGE — 60%
My father shouted:
“We have to choose now!”
Elias’s voice returned through the speakers.
“Laura!”
I looked up.
“Listen to me!”
My father shouted:
“Don’t!”
Elias continued:
“I know you don’t trust me.”
“That’s because you’re a murderer!”
“Yes.”
Silence.
“But I’m the only person who knows what happens after the merge.”
I froze.
“What?”
Elias said:
“Your daughter dies.”
Adriana closed her eyes.
My heart broke.
“Is that true?”
She whispered:
“Yes.”
Elias continued:
“And when she dies, you become the woman you saw in the chamber.”
I looked at the other Laura.
She didn’t deny it.
Elias said:
“You’ll spend the rest of your life trying to bring her back.”
My mother cried.
“No…”
Elias continued:
“And eventually…”
His voice lowered.
“…you will create Project Zero.”
I stared at the machine.
The entire cycle.
It wasn’t a circle.
It was a trap.
I looked at Adriana.
“You knew.”
She nodded.
“I knew.”
“You knew that if I save you, I become her.”
“Yes.”
“And if I don’t save you?”
“You become her anyway.”
I felt tears running down my face.
“So there is no way out.”
Adriana stepped closer.
“There is.”
“What?”
“You stop trying to save me.”
I shook my head.
“I can’t.”
“You can.”
“I love you.”
“I know.”
“I can’t lose you.”
“You already have.”
Her words broke me.
“Twenty-three times.”
She smiled.
“Maybe this time you have to let me go.”
“No.”
“Mom…”
“No!”
The machine reached:
90%
The facility began collapsing.
My father shouted:
“Laura!”
I looked at him.
“Make the choice!”
I looked at Adriana.
Then the other Laura.
Then my mother.
Then Diego.
Then the machine.
I suddenly understood.
The machine wasn’t asking me who should live.
It was asking me whether I was willing to accept that I couldn’t control everything.
I walked toward the console.
Adriana followed.
“What are you doing?”
“I don’t know.”
I placed my hand on the control panel.
A message appeared.
SELECT PRIMARY TIMELINE.
There were two choices.
TIMELINE 1 — ORIGINAL
TIMELINE 24 — CURRENT
I stared.
The other Laura whispered:
“Choose the original.”
Adriana whispered:
“Choose the current.”
My father shouted:
“Laura!”
Elias screamed through the speakers:
“DON’T CHOOSE EITHER!”
Everyone froze.
I looked up.
Elias continued:
“That’s the trick!”
“What trick?”
“The machine doesn’t need a timeline.”
“Then what does it need?”
Elias answered:
“It needs a person.”
The screen changed.
SELECT PRIMARY SUBJECT.
Three names appeared.
LAURA
ADRIANA
UNKNOWN
My heart stopped.
“What is UNKNOWN?”
Nobody answered.
Then the chamber door opened.
A figure stepped out.
A man.
Older.
Scarred.
Wearing a white coat.
I recognized him instantly.
My grandfather.
But he looked different.
Younger.
Much younger.
He smiled at me.
“Hello, Laura.”
My father raised his weapon.
“You.”
The man smiled.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment.”
I stared at him.
“You created Project Zero.”
“No.”
He looked at Adriana.
“She did.”
Adriana’s face went pale.
I turned toward her.
“What?”
My grandfather smiled.
“Your daughter is the creator.”
Adriana whispered:
“No.”
He continued:
“She just doesn’t remember yet.”
The machine began screaming.
100%
The entire facility shook.
The screen flashed one final message:
PRIMARY SUBJECT FOUND.
Then a name appeared.
Not Laura.
Not Adriana.
Not my grandfather.
A name I had never seen before.
DIEGO.
Diego stared at the screen.
“No…”
My father turned toward him.
“What did you do?”
Diego backed away.
“I didn’t know.”
The machine locked onto him.
A bright light surrounded his body.
He screamed.
And suddenly—
I remembered.
Everything.
The first timeline.
The second.
The third.
All twenty-three.
And the truth I had been missing was finally clear.
Diego wasn’t the man who killed me.
He wasn’t the man who betrayed me.
He wasn’t even the man who loved me.
He was the first person who remembered all the timelines.
And he had been waiting for me to remember too.
He looked at me through the light.
His eyes filled with tears.
“Laura…”
I stepped toward him.
“What are you?”
He smiled.
“The first Subject Zero.”
Then the machine exploded with light.
And the last thing I heard before the world disappeared was Adriana screaming:
“MOM!”
When I opened my eyes…
I was somewhere else.
Somewhere I had never been.
A hospital room.
A newborn baby cried beside me.
A man sat next to the bed.
I turned toward him.
My heart stopped.
It was Diego.
But he was young again.
He smiled.
“It’s a girl.”
I looked down.
The nurse placed the baby in my arms.
She opened her eyes.
And whispered my name.
“Laura…”
I froze.
The baby smiled.
Then she said:
“Again.”
The lights went out.
And somewhere outside the hospital…
a clock began counting backward.
23
22
21
And I realized with horror—
We hadn’t escaped the timeline.
We had gone back to the beginning.
But this time…
PART 14 — THE CHILD WHO WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO EXIST
The hospital room was silent.
Too silent.
I stared at the newborn in my arms.
She was tiny.
Warm.
Perfect.
And somehow…
she had just spoken my name.
“Again.”
The word echoed inside my head.
Again.
I looked at Diego.
He was sitting beside me, frozen.
“You heard that.”
He nodded.
“What did she mean?”
“I don’t know.”
I looked at the baby.
She opened her eyes.
Those eyes were familiar.
Far too familiar.
Adriana’s eyes.
I felt my heart begin pounding.
“Diego…”
“Yes?”
“What year is it?”
He frowned.
“Laura, what are you talking about?”
“What year?”
He told me.
My blood turned cold.
It was the year everything had started.
The year before the first tragedy.
The year before my life had fallen apart.
The year before Project Zero was supposed to exist.
I looked toward the clock.
The numbers were moving backward.
19
18
17
Diego stood.
“What is happening?”
“I don’t know.”
The baby suddenly began crying.
I held her closer.
“It’s okay.”
The crying stopped.
Instantly.
Then she whispered:
“Twenty-four.”
I froze.
“What did you say?”
Diego stared at the baby.
“What did she say?”
I looked down.
Her eyes were open.
She was staring directly at me.
“Twenty-four.”
The clock stopped.
00:00
Every light in the hospital went out.
Then—
A voice came through the speaker.
My voice.
But older.
Terrified.
“Laura…”
I stepped backward.
Diego grabbed my arm.
“Don’t answer.”
The voice continued.
“Don’t let them take the baby.”
I stared at the ceiling.
“Who are you?”
Silence.
Then:
“I’m you.”
My heart stopped.
The baby began crying again.
The hospital lights returned.
But something was different.
The room was empty.
The nurses were gone.
The doctor was gone.
The hallway outside was empty.
Even the hospital machines had stopped.
I looked at Diego.
“Where is everyone?”
He didn’t answer.
“Diego?”
He slowly walked toward the door.
“Don’t.”
He opened it.
The hallway was completely dark.
“There’s nobody here.”
I held the baby tighter.
Then I noticed something.
A red number had appeared above the door.
SUBJECT 24
I stared.
“No.”
Diego looked at it.
“That’s impossible.”
I whispered:
“She’s not supposed to exist.”
The baby opened her eyes.
And smiled.
We left the hospital through the emergency staircase.
Nobody stopped us.
Nobody followed us.
It was as though the entire building had been abandoned in a single second.
Outside, the city looked normal.
Cars moved.
People walked.
Lights were on.
But something felt wrong.
Everyone was looking at us.
Not at me.
Not at Diego.
At the baby.
A woman walking past stopped suddenly.
She stared at the child.
Then whispered:
“That’s her.”
Another man turned.
“Subject Twenty-Four.”
I grabbed Diego’s hand.
“Run.”
We ran.
We didn’t stop until we reached the parking lot.
Diego unlocked the car.
I climbed inside.
The baby was still quiet.
Too quiet.
Diego started the engine.
“Where are we going?”
I looked at him.
“My mother’s house.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s the only person who might remember.”
He stared at me.
“Remember what?”
I looked down at the baby.
“Everything.”
My mother’s house looked exactly as I remembered.
Same front porch.
Same curtains.
Same flowerpot beside the door.
I knocked.
Nothing.
I knocked again.
“Mom?”
No answer.
Diego checked the windows.
“She’s not here.”
I tried the door.
It opened.
The house was dark.
“Mom?”
We stepped inside.
Everything was untouched.
Her handbag sat on the table.
Her keys were beside it.
A cup of tea was still warm.
Diego looked around.
“She was here.”
I nodded.
Then I heard a noise upstairs.
A drawer opening.
I held the baby close.
“Stay behind me.”
Diego shook his head.
“No.”
“I’ll go.”
“We go together.”
We climbed the stairs.
The noise stopped.
At the end of the hallway was my mother’s bedroom.
The door was open.
Inside, everything had been turned upside down.
Drawers emptied.
Clothes scattered.
Pictures smashed.
I walked toward the bed.
There was a note.
My name was written on it.
LAURA.
I opened it.
Only one sentence.
YOU SHOULD HAVE LET THE TIMELINE END.
My blood ran cold.
Diego looked over my shoulder.
“Who wrote it?”
I didn’t answer.
Because I already knew.
A second piece of paper was beneath it.
I picked it up.
This one contained a photograph.
My mother.
Standing beside a man.
A man I recognized.
My grandfather.
But they weren’t old.
The photograph had been taken decades earlier.
And between them was a baby.
I looked at the baby.
It was me.
My hands started shaking.
“No…”
Diego took the photograph.
“What?”
I pointed.
“That’s me.”
He looked confused.
“Yes.”
“No.”
I looked closer.
“Look at the date.”
He did.
His expression changed.
“That’s before you were born.”
“Exactly.”
Silence.
Then I heard a voice behind us.
“You finally noticed.”
I turned.
My mother stood in the doorway.
Alive.
But crying.
“Mom?”
She looked at the baby in my arms.
Then immediately locked the bedroom door.
“Close the curtains.”
“Why?”
“Now!”
Diego ran to the window.
He pulled the curtains shut.
My mother rushed toward me.
“Give me the baby.”
I stepped backward.
“No.”
“Laura.”
“Who is she?”
My mother stared at the child.
Her face collapsed.
“She’s the one we lost.”
“What?”
“The baby from the second pregnancy.”
My heart stopped.
“You told me that pregnancy ended in miscarriage.”
My mother shook her head.
“I lied.”
“Why?”
“Because your father told me to.”
I felt sick.
“You had another child?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
My mother looked at the baby.
“Your sister.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“But she was a miscarriage.”
“No.”
“Then what happened?”
My mother whispered:
“They took her.”
I looked down.
The baby was sleeping.
“They took her?”
“After she was born.”
“Who?”
“The clinic.”
My mother sat down.
“They said she was stillborn.”
“And you believed them?”
“I was young.”
“You’re my mother!”
“I know!”
She began crying.
“I knew something was wrong.”
“What did you do?”
“I searched.”
“For how long?”
“Twenty years.”
My heart broke.
“Then you found her?”
My mother nodded.
“Not exactly.”
She looked at me.
“We found her genetic record.”
“What did it say?”
She whispered:
“Subject Twenty-Four.”
The baby opened her eyes.
My mother stepped backward.
“Oh God.”
“What?”
“She remembers.”
“Remembers what?”
My mother looked terrified.
“The first time she died.”
I stared.
“She hasn’t died.”
My mother shook her head.
“Not this time.”
The room went cold.
“Then what do you mean?”
My mother looked at me.
“That’s why they are coming.”
A car stopped outside.
Then another.
Then another.
My mother looked through the curtain.
Her face went white.
“They found us.”
Diego stepped toward the window.
“How many?”
“Six.”
“No.”
“Eight.”
My mother whispered:
“More.”
I looked at the baby.
She was awake now.
Looking toward the door.
Then she smiled.
“They’re here.”
I froze.
“You know them?”
The baby didn’t answer.
Instead, she pointed toward the bedroom wall.
There was nothing there.
Then the wall began vibrating.
My mother screamed.
“Back!”
The plaster cracked.
A hidden door appeared.
I stared.
“What is that?”
My mother grabbed my arm.
“The old room.”
“What old room?”
“The room your grandfather built.”
The door opened.
Inside was a narrow staircase.
My mother looked at me.
“Take the baby.”
I did.
“Where are we going?”
“Underground.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s where Project Zero began.”
The staircase seemed endless.
We descended for several minutes.
Finally, we reached a massive steel door.
My mother entered a code.
The door opened.
I stopped breathing.
The room beyond was enormous.
Machines covered the walls.
Old computers.
Medical equipment.
Hundreds of files.
And dozens of photographs.
My photographs.
Adriana’s photographs.
My father’s.
Diego’s.
Samuel’s.
Elias’s.
And people I had never seen.
My mother walked toward the center.
“This is the original facility.”
I looked around.
“But it was destroyed.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“The public facility was destroyed.”
“What about this one?”
“It was never found.”
Diego stared at the equipment.
“Who built this?”
My mother looked at him.
“Your grandfather.”
I turned toward her.
“Why?”
“Because he wasn’t trying to create a cure.”
“Then what was he creating?”
My mother pointed toward the baby.
“A replacement.”
I felt a chill.
“For what?”
“For humanity.”
Silence.
I looked at the baby.
“What does that mean?”
My mother whispered:
“He believed human beings were too unpredictable.”
“So he wanted to replace us?”
“Yes.”
“With genetically controlled people?”
“Yes.”
“And I was part of it?”
“You were the first successful carrier.”
“And the baby?”
“The final version.”
I looked down.
The baby’s eyes were open.
She was watching the machines.
Then she whispered:
“Not final.”
My mother froze.
“What did she say?”
The baby pointed toward the far end of the room.
“There.”
I looked.
There was a glass chamber.
Inside was a little girl.
Maybe seven years old.
She looked exactly like Adriana.
My blood froze.
“No…”
The girl opened her eyes.
She looked at me.
And smiled.
“Mom.”
I dropped the baby.
Diego caught her before she hit the floor.
I ran toward the glass chamber.
“Adriana?”
The girl smiled.
“Yes.”
My entire body shook.
“No.”
She placed her hand against the glass.
“You left me.”
I touched the glass.
“I didn’t.”
“You did.”
“I came back.”
“Too late.”
Tears filled my eyes.
“Where is my daughter?”
The girl smiled.
“She is your daughter.”
I looked at the baby in Diego’s arms.
“Then who are you?”
The girl answered:
“I’m the one you abandoned.”
I stepped backward.
My mother whispered:
“Oh God.”
“What?”
She pointed toward another monitor.
A file appeared.
SUBJECT ZERO — ORIGINAL
Then:
SUBJECT ZERO — REPLACEMENT
Then:
SUBJECT ZERO — CURRENT
Three versions.
Three girls.
Three timelines.
I stared at them.
My mother said:
“Your grandfather never created one Subject Zero.”
“How many?”
She looked at the screen.
“Three.”
My heart stopped.
“Where is the third?”
A voice answered from behind me.
“Right here.”
I turned.
A woman stood in the doorway.
Older.
Beautiful.
Terrifyingly familiar.
She looked at me.
Then at the baby.
Then at the little girl inside the chamber.
Finally, she smiled.
“I’ve been waiting for all of you.”
My mother whispered:
“Evelyn.”
The woman smiled.
“Yes.”
I stared.
“Who are you?”
She answered:
“Your grandmother.”
I froze.
“But my grandmother died.”
“No.”
She smiled.
“Your grandmother in this timeline died.”
She stepped closer.
“I am from the timeline before this one.”
Diego whispered:
“Another timeline…”
Evelyn nodded.
“Twenty-three of them.”
I stared at her.
“Why are you here?”
“To finish what your grandfather started.”
“What did he start?”
She looked at the baby.
“Creating a world without human choice.”
I held my breath.
“And what does she have to do with it?”
Evelyn smiled.
“She is the key.”
“To what?”
“To the final reset.”
The lights suddenly turned red.
A siren began.
The screen displayed:
SUBJECT 24 ACTIVATED.
Then:
SUBJECT ZERO LOCATED.
Then:
ALL TIMELINES CONNECTED.
My mother grabbed my hand.
“Laura.”
“What?”
“We have to destroy this place.”
Evelyn laughed.
“You can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s already too late.”
The doors above us slammed shut.
One by one, the monitors came alive.
Every screen showed a different version of my life.
Me as a child.
Me as a teenager.
Me marrying Diego.
Me pregnant.
Me running from the clinic.
Me holding Adriana.
Me losing my father.
Me discovering the program.
Me standing in this room.
Twenty-three versions.
Then a twenty-fourth screen appeared.
It showed something I had never seen before.
The future.
A city burning.
People running.
Machines covering the streets.
And millions of children standing in perfect rows.
At the center stood the baby.
Older.
Maybe eighteen.
And beside her…
stood me.
But I wasn’t protecting her.
I was kneeling before her.
She was holding a crown.
The words appeared:
THE AGE OF SUBJECT ZERO
I stared in horror.
“No.”
The baby in Diego’s arms began crying.
The older girl inside the chamber smiled.
Evelyn whispered:
“Now you understand.”
I looked at her.
“Understand what?”
“You aren’t trying to stop Project Zero.”
She pointed at me.
“You are Project Zero.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
She smiled.
“And your daughter…”
She pointed toward the baby.
“…is the one who will decide whether humanity survives.”
The room shook.
The steel doors began opening.
Voices echoed from the staircase.
People were coming.
Armed.
Dozens of them.
My mother grabbed my hand.
“Laura, we have to go.”
I looked at the baby.
Then at the girl in the chamber.
Then at the screens.
And finally at Evelyn.
“Who is the father?”
Everyone went silent.
Evelyn smiled.
“You still don’t know?”
My heart stopped.
She looked at Diego.
He stepped backward.
“No.”
I stared at him.
“Diego…”
He shook his head.
“Laura, I swear—”
Evelyn interrupted.
“He isn’t the father.”
My blood froze.
“Then who is?”
She pointed toward the chamber.
The little girl inside smiled.
And whispered:
“Grandpa.”
I turned toward my mother.
She was crying.
My father had lied.
Diego had lied.
My entire family had lied.
Then the chamber opened.
The seven-year-old girl stepped out.
She walked toward me.
And when she reached me…
she looked into my eyes and whispered:
“Mom, we don’t have much time.”
I grabbed her shoulders.
“Who are you?”
She smiled.
“I already told you.”
“Tell me again.”
She leaned closer.
“I am the daughter you haven’t had yet.”
My heart stopped.
The baby began crying.
The lights went out.
And somewhere deep beneath the facility…
a machine started counting down.
10
9
8
My mother screamed:
“RUN!”
7
6
The girl grabbed my hand.
5
The baby reached toward me.
4
I grabbed both children.
3
The doors exploded open.
2
Evelyn smiled.
1
And the entire facility disappeared in a flash of white light.
When I opened my eyes…
I was standing in my childhood home.
But everything was different.
The walls.
The furniture.
The photographs.
Even the people.
A young woman was standing in the kitchen.
She looked at me.
Then at the two children in my arms.
And screamed.
Because the woman was me.
Twenty-nine years younger.
And she whispered:
“Who are you?”
I couldn’t answer.
Because behind her stood my grandfather.
Alive.
Young.
Smiling.
And beside him…
was the man I had been told was dead.
The creator of Project Zero.
He looked at me.
Then at the children.
And said:
“Finally.”
I stared at him.
“Finally what?”
He smiled.
“Both of my daughters have returned.”
My blood turned cold.
Then he looked at the baby.
“And now…”
His smile disappeared.
“…we can finally begin.”
PART 15 — THE TWO DAUGHTERS
The man smiled.
“Finally.”
I couldn’t move.
My arms were still wrapped around the two children.
The baby was crying against my chest.
The older girl was gripping my hand.
And standing in front of me was the man who was supposed to have died before I was born.
The man who had supposedly disappeared from every record.
The man who had created Project Zero.
The man who had been behind everything.
I stared at him.
“Who are you?”
He smiled.
“You know who I am.”
“No.”
“You’ve spent your entire life looking for me.”
“I’ve never seen you before.”
“That is because I made sure you wouldn’t remember.”
My blood ran cold.
I looked toward the younger version of myself standing in the kitchen.
She was staring at me in complete confusion.
“Who are you?” she asked again.
I couldn’t answer.
Because I knew.
She was me.
Before the lies.
Before Diego.
Before the program.
Before the deaths.
Before Adriana.
Before everything.
The man stepped closer.
“Do you know what happens when two versions of the same person meet?”
I tightened my grip on the children.
“Nothing good.”
He laughed.
“Correct.”
My younger self stepped backward.
“Dad?”
The word hit me.
I looked at him.
“Dad?”
He turned toward her.
“Yes.”
My stomach dropped.
My younger self looked terrified.
“What’s happening?”
He smiled.
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
I stepped between them.
“Don’t go near her.”
He looked at me.
“You still think you’re protecting her.”
“I am.”
“No.”
He pointed at the older girl beside me.
“You’re protecting the wrong daughter.”
The girl squeezed my hand.
“Don’t listen to him.”
He smiled.
“You’ve already heard the truth.”
I looked down at her.
“What truth?”
She whispered:
“He needs both of us.”
“Why?”
“Because one remembers the past.”
She pointed at the baby.
“And one remembers the future.”
I stared at the infant.
The baby had stopped crying.
She was looking directly at the man.
Then she smiled.
He stopped smiling.
For the first time, I saw fear in his eyes.
“What is she doing?”
The older girl answered:
“She remembers you.”
The man stepped backward.
“No.”
The baby raised one tiny hand.
The lights above us flickered.
The younger version of me screamed.
“What is happening?”
My father rushed toward her.
But the older girl shouted:
“DON’T!”
He stopped.
The baby began laughing.
Then every clock in the house stopped.
I looked at the nearest one.
12:24
Another.
12:24
Another.
12:24
The same number.
My grandfather whispered:
“She shouldn’t be able to do that yet.”
I stared at him.
“Do what?”
“Remember.”
“Remember what?”
He looked at the baby.
“Everything.”
The lights went out.
A voice came from the darkness.
My voice.
But older.
Calmer.
More frightening.
“Dad.”
Everyone froze.
The voice continued.
“You should have killed me when you had the chance.”
The man looked around.
“Where are you?”
The voice laughed.
“You know where.”
A screen suddenly turned on.
It showed the laboratory.
The original laboratory.
But empty.
Then the camera moved.
Slowly.
Toward a chair.
Someone was sitting there.
A woman.
Older.
Scarred.
And holding a photograph.
It was me.
The woman looked into the camera.
Then she said:
“Hello, Father.”
My grandfather’s face went pale.
“No.”
The woman smiled.
“You thought you destroyed me.”
He whispered:
“I did.”
“No.”
She leaned closer.
“You destroyed one version.”
The screen went black.
Then another appeared.
Another woman.
Another Laura.
Then another.
Then another.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
Every version of me.
Every possible life.
Every possible ending.
My grandfather stepped backward.
“That’s impossible.”
I looked at him.
“You created this.”
“No.”
“You did.”
“I created the first system.”
“And then?”
He looked at me.
“You continued it.”
My stomach tightened.
“What?”
“You were the one who refused to let it end.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You’re lying.”
He smiled.
“Ask your mother.”
I turned.
My mother was standing in the hallway.
Crying.
“Mom?”
She couldn’t look at me.
“Tell me.”
She remained silent.
“Tell me!”
Finally she whispered:
“He’s telling the truth.”
My heart broke.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Since before you were born.”
I couldn’t breathe.
“What did you know?”
“That you would come back.”
“From where?”
“From every timeline.”
I looked at the older girl.
She was crying now.
My mother continued:
“Your grandfather discovered that your consciousness could survive the collapse of a timeline.”
“And he used me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he wanted to create someone who could exist outside time.”
I looked at the baby.
“And he succeeded?”
My mother shook her head.
“No.”
“Then what is she?”
“The consequence.”
The baby suddenly stopped smiling.
She looked directly at my mother.
Then whispered:
“Grandma.”
My mother froze.
“Did she just…”
“Yes.”
The baby spoke again.
“Don’t be afraid.”
My mother began crying harder.
“You remember me.”
The baby nodded.
“How?”
The older girl answered:
“She remembers everyone.”
I stared at the children.
“What are their names?”
The older girl looked at me.
“You already know.”
“No.”
“You’ve called me by my name a thousand times.”
I swallowed.
“Adriana?”
She smiled.
“Yes.”
I looked at the baby.
“And you?”
The baby smiled.
“Eva.”
My heart stopped.
Eva.
The name I had seen in the records.
The name that appeared in one of the oldest files.
The child who was supposed to be the final Subject Zero.
I whispered:
“Eva…”
She reached toward me.
I held her closer.
My grandfather suddenly shouted:
“Take the children!”
Several armed men entered the room.
My mother screamed.
“NO!”
My younger self ran toward me.
“Wait!”
I grabbed her hand too.
Now I was holding three versions of my family.
My younger self.
Adriana.
Eva.
And I suddenly understood.
This wasn’t a rescue.
It was a test.
My grandfather wanted to see which one I’d choose.
I looked at him.
“You’re not taking any of them.”
He smiled.
“Then you will have to choose.”
“Choose what?”
“Which Laura survives.”
I froze.
He pointed toward my younger self.
“She is the original.”
Then toward me.
“You are the anomaly.”
Then toward Adriana.
“She is the reset.”
Then toward Eva.
“She is the future.”
He smiled.
“Only one can remain.”
My younger self started crying.
“Why is he saying this?”
I looked at her.
“Because he’s afraid.”
My grandfather’s smile disappeared.
“Afraid?”
“Yes.”
I stepped forward.
“You created all of this because you were afraid of the future.”
He said nothing.
“You couldn’t control what would happen.”
Silence.
“So you tried to control everyone.”
His jaw tightened.
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand perfectly.”
I looked at the children.
“You thought if you could predict every possible future, you’d never lose anyone.”
My grandfather whispered:
“Exactly.”
“And you were wrong.”
“No.”
“You were.”
He raised his weapon.
“Enough.”
My mother stepped in front of me.
“Don’t.”
He looked at her.
“You were always weak.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
She looked at me.
“I was afraid.”
Then she looked at him.
“But I’m not anymore.”
He fired.
The shot exploded through the room.
My mother fell.
“Mom!”
I screamed.
Everything happened at once.
Adriana ran toward her.
My younger self screamed.
Eva began crying.
Diego appeared from the hallway.
He tackled one of the armed men.
My father rushed in.
The room erupted into chaos.
I dropped to my knees beside my mother.
Blood covered her shirt.
“Mom!”
She grabbed my hand.
“Listen.”
“No.”
“Laura.”
“No!”
“You have to listen.”
I held her tighter.
“Please don’t leave me.”
She smiled weakly.
“I already did.”
“What?”
“In another timeline.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“And I came back.”
I shook my head.
“You can’t leave again.”
She touched my face.
“You have to stop trying to save everyone.”
I stared at her.
“Why?”
“Because that’s how it started.”
Her eyes closed.
“Mom?”
Nothing.
“Mom!”
I shook her.
“Mom!”
Adriana appeared beside me.
She placed her hand on my mother’s chest.
Her eyes closed.
A strange light appeared beneath her palm.
My mother suddenly gasped.
She opened her eyes.
I froze.
“Mom?”
She breathed.
Adriana smiled.
“I remembered where she was.”
My mother stared at her.
“Where?”
“Between.”
My father looked terrified.
“What does that mean?”
Adriana stood.
“She wasn’t dead.”
My mother sat up.
The wound was gone.
Everyone froze.
My grandfather whispered:
“No.”
Adriana turned toward him.
“You taught me how to do it.”
He stepped backward.
“I taught you nothing.”
“You taught my mother.”
He looked at me.
I suddenly remembered.
A memory.
A laboratory.
Me as an older woman.
Standing beside my grandfather.
Holding a baby.
He was teaching me how to transfer memories.
I whispered:
“I created Adriana.”
My grandfather nodded.
“Yes.”
“But you created me.”
“Yes.”
“So who created Eva?”
He didn’t answer.
I looked at the baby.
She was staring at him.
Then she said:
“You did.”
My grandfather’s face went white.
“No.”
Eva smiled.
“You remember.”
He stepped backward.
“You’re not supposed to speak.”
Eva laughed.
“I’m not supposed to exist.”
The room became silent.
She continued:
“But I do.”
My grandfather looked at the machines.
“No…”
Eva pointed toward him.
“You created me to replace them.”
“Stop.”
“You wanted a world where nobody could make a choice you couldn’t predict.”
“Stop!”
“So you created someone who could predict every choice.”
He covered his ears.
“Stop!”
“And then…”
Eva smiled.
“…I chose you.”
The machines suddenly exploded.
Sparks filled the room.
The armed men ran.
My father grabbed my arm.
“WE HAVE TO GO!”
I picked up Eva.
Adriana grabbed my other hand.
My younger self followed.
Diego shouted:
“Laura!”
I turned.
He was standing in front of my grandfather.
My grandfather was on his knees.
Diego held a gun.
“Don’t!”
I ran toward him.
“Diego, no!”
He looked at me.
“He killed millions.”
“I know.”
“He’ll do it again.”
“I know.”
“Then why stop me?”
“Because killing him is what he wants.”
Diego froze.
“What?”
My grandfather looked up.
And smiled.
“You finally understand.”
I stared at him.
“What does he want?”
My grandfather laughed.
“To die.”
Silence.
“Why?”
“Because death is the only timeline I haven’t controlled.”
I felt a chill.
“He wants us to kill him.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“So the system activates.”
I looked at the machines.
The screens were lighting up again.
PRIMARY SUBJECT DEATH DETECTED.
I understood.
“If he dies…”
Adriana whispered:
“The reset begins.”
My grandfather smiled.
“And all of you disappear.”
I pointed the weapon at him.
“You planned this.”
“Yes.”
“You knew we’d come here.”
“Yes.”
“You knew we’d find the children.”
“Yes.”
“You knew we’d try to stop you.”
“Yes.”
I lowered the weapon.
“Then you’re going to be disappointed.”
He frowned.
“What?”
“I’m not killing you.”
His face changed.
“No.”
I stepped backward.
“Everyone out.”
My father looked confused.
“What are you doing?”
“Ending this.”
“How?”
I looked at the machines.
“Without giving him what he wants.”
My grandfather suddenly screamed:
“YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!”
I smiled.
“I understand now.”
I walked toward the central console.
The machine displayed:
PRIMARY SUBJECT: UNKNOWN
I looked at it.
Then I typed one word.
NONE.
The machine rejected it.
INVALID SUBJECT.
I typed again.
NONE.
Again.
INVALID.
Adriana stepped beside me.
“What are you doing?”
“Changing the rules.”
She smiled.
“That’s what you did before.”
“No.”
I looked at her.
“This time I’m not changing the future.”
“Then what?”
“I’m removing the person who controls it.”
I looked toward my grandfather.
His face turned white.
“No.”
I pressed the final command.
DELETE CREATOR.
The entire facility shook.
My grandfather screamed.
The screens went black.
One by one.
His body began disappearing.
Not dying.
Disappearing.
Like a photograph being erased.
“No!”
He reached toward me.
“Laura!”
I didn’t move.
“You can’t erase me!”
I whispered:
“You already erased yourself.”
His body vanished.
The machines stopped.
Silence.
Then—
A single screen turned on.
It displayed:
PROJECT ZERO TERMINATED.
I breathed for the first time in what felt like years.
Adriana smiled.
“It’s over.”
I looked at her.
“Is it?”
She didn’t answer.
Because another message appeared.
PROJECT ZERO: BACKUP ACTIVE.
My heart stopped.
The screen changed again.
BACKUP LOCATION: UNKNOWN.
Then:
BACKUP SUBJECT: EVA.
I looked down.
Eva was awake.
She smiled.
And whispered:
“Mom…”
“Yes?”
Her tiny fingers touched my face.
“Run.”
I froze.
“Why?”
She looked toward the ceiling.
“Because they found us.”
A sound came from above.
Hundreds of footsteps.
Then a voice over the speakers.
Not Elias.
Not my grandfather.
Not Diego.
Not mine.
A completely unfamiliar voice.
“Laura.”
I stared at the ceiling.
“Who are you?”
The answer came immediately.
“The government.”
My father looked at me.
“We have to move.”
The voice continued.
“You have thirty seconds to surrender Subject Zero.”
Adriana stepped forward.
“Which one?”
Silence.
Then the voice answered:
“All of them.”
The lights turned red.
30
29
28
I looked at my younger self.
At Adriana.
At Eva.
At my parents.
At Diego.
And for the first time, I understood something terrifying.
Project Zero hadn’t ended.
We had only destroyed its creator.
The system itself had survived.
And now…
the world knew exactly where we were.
20
19
Adriana grabbed my hand.
“Mom.”
“What?”
“Whatever happens…”
She looked at Eva.
“…don’t let them separate us.”
I nodded.
“I won’t.”
10
9
The doors began opening.
8
My father raised his weapon.
7
My mother stood beside me.
6
Diego moved behind us.
5
Adriana took Eva’s hand.
4
My younger self stepped closer.
3
The doors opened.
2
Hundreds of soldiers flooded the facility.
1
And the woman leading them walked into the room.
I recognized her.
She was the woman from the first photograph.
The one standing beside my grandfather.
The one everyone had said was dead.
She smiled at me.
Then looked at the three girls.
Finally, she said:
“Hello, Laura.”
I stared.
“Who are you?”
She smiled.
“The woman who started Project Zero before your grandfather ever knew it existed.”
My heart stopped.
She pointed at Eva.
“And that child…”
Her smile disappeared.
“…was never created to save humanity.”
She looked directly into my eyes.
“She was created to destroy it.”
Eva smiled.
And whispered:
“That’s not why I’m here.”
The woman frowned.
“Then why are you here?”
Eva looked at me.
And answered:
“Because I’m here to save my mother.”
The soldiers raised their weapons.
Adriana stepped in front of Eva.
I stepped in front of both of them.
And somewhere far beneath the facility, something enormous began waking up.
The woman smiled.
“Then let’s see which future wins.”
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