Chapter eleven

Morning came quietly.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Emily woke up without the sound of alarms.

No shouting.

No running footsteps.

No breaking glass.

No masked men.

Just sunlight.

Soft golden light slipped through the hospital curtains, spreading across the room and warming the pale walls.

Emily blinked slowly.

For a few seconds, she didn’t remember where she was.

Then she felt the hospital blanket covering her.

She heard the faint beeping of the monitor beside the bed.

And suddenly, everything came rushing back.

The orphanage.

The fire.

Lily.

The attack.

The strange blue symbol on her wrist.

Helix.

Subject Zero.

Her father.

Or fathers.

Whatever the truth was.

Emily groaned and pulled the blanket over her face.

“Too early.”

A small voice came from beside her.

“It’s almost nine.”

Emily froze.

She slowly lowered the blanket.

Lily was sitting on the other bed, staring at her.

Emily frowned.

“You’re awake?”

Lily nodded.

“I’ve been awake.”

“How long?”

“Since seven.”

Emily stared at her.

“Why didn’t you wake me?”

Lily shrugged.

“You looked tired.”

Emily smiled.

“That was actually very nice of you.”

“I know.”

Emily laughed softly.

Then she noticed something.

Lily was holding a banana.

Emily stared at it.

“Where did you get that?”

Lily looked at the banana.

“Someone gave it to me.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know.”

Emily narrowed her eyes.

“You don’t know?”

Lily shook her head.

“He had glasses.”

Emily immediately sat up.

“Glasses?”

“Yes.”

“What did he look like?”

Lily thought for a moment.

“Like a man.”

Emily stared at her.

“That wasn’t very helpful.”

Lily shrugged.

“You asked.”

Emily laughed.

Before she could say anything else, the door opened.

Dante walked in.

He was holding two cups of coffee and a paper bag.

He stopped when he saw Emily sitting upright.

“You’re awake.”

Emily looked at him.

“Good morning to you too.”

Dante handed one cup to himself and placed the other on the table.

“You slept well?”

“Not really.”

He nodded.

“Nightmares?”

Emily hesitated.

“A little.”

Dante’s expression softened.

“About the orphanage?”

She nodded.

He didn’t ask anything else.

Instead, he opened the paper bag.

The smell of food immediately filled the room.

Emily’s stomach growled.

Lily’s eyes widened.

Dante looked between them.

“I heard that.”

Emily quickly folded her arms.

“That wasn’t me.”

Lily pointed at Emily.

“It was her.”

“Traitor.”

Lily giggled.

Dante shook his head.

“I brought breakfast.”

Emily leaned forward.

“What is it?”

“Pancakes.”

Her eyes brightened.

“With syrup?”

“Yes.”

“And eggs?”

“Yes.”

“And—”

“Emily.”

She stopped.

“What?”

“You’ve asked for half the menu.”

She smiled.

“I’ve had a difficult night.”

Dante sighed.

“I know.”

He placed the food on the small table between the beds.

Emily immediately reached for a pancake.

Dante stopped her.

“Wait.”

She stared at his hand.

“What?”

“Your wrist.”

Emily looked down.

The blue symbol was faintly visible.

She had almost forgotten about it.

“It’s fine.”

“You don’t know that.”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s fine.”

Emily rolled her eyes.

“You’re starting to sound like a doctor.”

“Good.”

“That’s not a compliment.”

“I know.”

She pulled her hand back.

Dante looked at the mark for a moment longer before letting her go.

Emily picked up the pancake.

She took a bite.

Her eyes widened.

“This is good.”

Dante nodded.

“I know.”

“You didn’t make it.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you acting proud?”

“Because I brought it.”

Emily laughed.

Lily immediately reached for a pancake.

Dante gave her one.

Lily smiled.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

She took one bite.

Then looked at Emily.

“Can I have yours?”

Emily pulled her plate closer.

“No.”

Lily frowned.

“Why?”

“Because you already have one.”

“But yours looks better.”

“They’re exactly the same.”

“No.”

Emily looked at the two pancakes.

“They are literally identical.”

Lily shook her head.

“Yours has more syrup.”

Emily looked down.

It did.

She quickly covered the pancake with her hand.

“You’re not getting it.”

Lily gasped.

“You’re selfish.”

Emily stared at her.

“I survived an attack yesterday.”

“So?”

Emily opened her mouth.

Then closed it.

Dante started laughing.

Emily looked at him.

“Whose side are you on?”

“No one’s.”

“You’re laughing at me.”

“A little.”

Emily shook her head.

“Everyone in this hospital is against me.”

Dante sat down.

“Eat your pancake.”

She did.

And for a few minutes, the room was peaceful.

Almost normal.

But Emily couldn’t completely forget the conversation from the night before.

She looked at Dante.

“Did you find anything else?”

He knew immediately what she meant.

“The prisoner?”

She nodded.

Dante’s expression became more serious.

“He’s still alive.”

Emily relaxed slightly.

“Can he talk?”

“Not properly.”

“What happened to him?”

“Someone poisoned him.”

Emily’s hand stopped halfway to her mouth.

“Someone tried to kill him?”

“Yes.”

“Because he talked to us?”

“We don’t know.”

Emily looked down.

“So whoever sent him doesn’t want him telling us anything.”

Dante nodded.

“That’s what it looks like.”

Emily was quiet.

“Helix.”

The name felt strange leaving her mouth.

Dante watched her carefully.

“Don’t let that name consume you.”

Emily looked at him.

“How can I not?”

“You’re still recovering.”

“But they know me.”

“They think they know you.”

Emily frowned.

“What does that mean?”

Dante leaned back.

“It means we don’t know everything yet.”

Emily sighed.

“That sentence again.”

“What sentence?”

“We don’t know.”

Dante gave her a small smile.

“Because sometimes we don’t.”

Emily stared at him.

“You’re all terrible at answering questions.”

“Probably.”

She smiled.

Then the door opened again.

Adrian walked in.

He looked exhausted.

His shirt was slightly wrinkled, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes.

Emily immediately noticed.

“You didn’t sleep.”

Adrian shook his head.

“Neither did you.”

“I slept.”

“You were unconscious.”

“That counts.”

Dante laughed.

Adrian looked at him.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Emily smiled.

“Dante thinks I’m funny.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You laughed.”

“I laugh sometimes.”

“You’re doing it again.”

Adrian looked between them.

“What did I miss?”

“Nothing,” Dante said.

“Everything,” Emily said at the same time.

Adrian smiled.

“Okay.”

He walked over to Emily.

“How are you feeling?”

“Hungry.”

Adrian looked at the food.

“I can see that.”

Emily smiled.

“Do you want some?”

“No.”

She nodded.

“Good.”

Adrian laughed.

Lily raised her hand.

“I want more.”

Dante looked at her.

“You just ate.”

“I know.”

“Then why do you want more?”

“Because I’m still hungry.”

Emily looked at Dante.

“She has a point.”

Dante sighed.

“You’re both impossible.”

Adrian smiled.

“I think that’s becoming the official description of this room.”

Emily laughed.

For a few minutes, the four of them talked about completely ordinary things.

Food.

Sleep.

The hospital.

Lily’s obsession with pancakes.

Emily’s refusal to admit that she was tired.

It felt strange.

After everything that had happened, she hadn’t expected to laugh again so quickly.

But she did.

And maybe that was exactly what she needed.

A reminder that her life wasn’t only made of secrets.

Not everything had to be frightening.

Not every conversation had to end in a revelation.

Sometimes she could simply sit in a hospital room and argue over pancakes.

And for the first time since the attack, Emily allowed herself to enjoy it.

⸻

Later that morning, a nurse came in to check Lily’s injuries.

Emily sat quietly beside the bed.

She watched as the nurse changed the bandage around Lily’s arm.

“You’re healing nicely,” the nurse said.

Lily smiled.

“When can I leave?”

“Soon.”

“How soon?”

The nurse laughed.

“Very soon.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Maybe.”

“Tonight?”

“Probably not.”

Lily sighed dramatically.

“This hospital is taking too long.”

Emily laughed.

“You’ve been here one day.”

“Exactly.”

“You’re impatient.”

“I don’t like hospitals.”

“You just said you liked them.”

“I changed my mind again.”

Emily smiled.

“You change your mind a lot.”

Lily shrugged.

“I’m allowed.”

The nurse finished and left.

Emily looked toward the window.

Outside, the city was beginning to wake up.

Cars moved along the road.

People walked on the pavement.

Everything looked normal.

But Emily knew better now.

Her life had changed.

There were questions she couldn’t ignore anymore.

Who were her real parents?

What was Helix?

Why did they call her Subject Zero?

Why did she have the strange symbol?

And why did so many people seem to know something about her past?

She looked down at her wrist.

The mark was barely visible.

She touched it gently.

Nothing happened.

No glow.

No voice.

Nothing.

She sighed in relief.

Maybe it was finally gone.

Then—

A tiny pulse of blue light appeared beneath her skin.

Emily froze.

The light disappeared almost immediately.

She looked around.

Nobody seemed to notice.

Nobody except Lily.

Lily stared at her wrist.

“Emily?”

Emily quickly pulled her sleeve over it.

“What?”

“Your hand.”

“What about it?”

“It was glowing.”

Emily swallowed.

“No, it wasn’t.”

Lily frowned.

“Yes, it was.”

“Maybe you imagined it.”

Lily stared at her.

“I don’t imagine things.”

Emily forced a smile.

“Of course you don’t.”

But her heart was beating faster.

She looked toward the door.

Adrian and Dante were outside talking quietly.

Emily couldn’t hear what they were saying.

She looked back at her wrist.

The mark was still there.

Faint.

Waiting.

And somewhere deep inside her mind, she heard the smallest whisper.

Not a word.

Not a warning.

Just a voice.

Calling her name.

Emily.

She held her breath.

Then it was gone.

Emily stared at the floor.

She didn’t tell anyone.

Not yet.

For once, she wanted to keep one secret to herself.

But outside the hospital, across the street, a black car remained parked.

Inside it, someone watched the hospital windows.

A phone rang.

The man answered.

“She’s awake.”

A pause.

His eyes remained fixed on the building.

“Yes.”

Another pause.

“No.”

His expression darkened.

“They haven’t taken her anywhere.”

He listened.

Then slowly smiled.

“Then we wait.”

The call ended.

The car remained where it was.

Inside the hospital, Emily laughed at something Lily had said.

She had no idea someone was watching.

She had no idea Helix was closer than she thought.

And she certainly didn’t know that her peaceful morning was only the beginning.