CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT: THE FIRST DAUGHTER

The baby cried again.

Elena couldn't move.

The sound came from somewhere beyond the steel walls of the vault, soft but unmistakable.

A child's cry.

Her child's cry.

The image on the monitor remained frozen.

Elena stared at the photograph.

Seven years younger.

A newborn in her arms.

And the woman standing beside her.

The founder.

The woman who had just asked one question.

Do you remember your first daughter?

Elena's hand flew to her mouth.

“No.”

Her father looked at her.

“Elena.”

“I don't remember.”

“You don't have to.”

“Yes, I do.”

She turned toward him.

“Who is she?”

Her father's expression broke.

“I don't know where she is now.”

“That isn't what I asked.”

Her voice shook.

“Who is my daughter?”

He lowered his eyes.

“Her name was never recorded.”

Elena stared at him.

“Never?”

“The Foundation called her Subject Zero.”

A chill ran through her.

“Subject Zero.”

Mason stepped closer.

“She was the first child.”

Elena looked at Lily.

“But Lily was the first successful child.”

“She was the first successful carrier,” Mason corrected.

Elena's eyes narrowed.

“And my daughter?”

Mason hesitated.

“She was the first child born with the complete sequence.”

The room went silent.

Elena looked back at the photograph.

The baby had tiny fingers curled around hers.

She could almost feel them.

Then another memory surfaced.

A hospital room.

Rain against the windows.

Her body exhausted.

A newborn sleeping against her chest.

A woman standing beside the bed.

The same woman from the monitor.

The founder.

She was younger then.

Elena remembered her voice.

“Give her to me, and I'll make sure she survives.”

Elena's younger self had been crying.

“You swear?”

The woman had nodded.

“I swear.”

Then Elena had kissed the baby's forehead.

And handed her over.

The memory shattered.

Elena stumbled backward.

“She didn't take my daughter.”

Everyone looked at her.

“I gave her to her.”

Her father closed his eyes.

“Yes.”

Elena's voice broke.

“Why?”

“Because you believed the baby was dying.”

She stared at him.

“What happened to her?”

“The Foundation said she had a condition.”

“What condition?”

“They told you she wouldn't survive without treatment.”

“And I believed them?”

“You had no reason not to.”

Elena shook her head.

“I should have known.”

“You were exhausted. Frightened. You had just given birth.”

“But she was my daughter.”

Her father looked at her.

“And you wanted her to live.”

Elena wiped her tears.

“Did she?”

He didn't answer.

That silence was worse than anything.

“Dad.”

He finally looked at her.

“She survived.”

Elena's heart stopped.

“She survived?”

“Yes.”

“Where is she?”

“We don't know.”

The monitor suddenly flickered.

The founder's face returned.

“You're wasting time, Elena.”

Elena stepped toward the screen.

“Where is my daughter?”

The woman smiled.

“You still remember enough.”

“Where is she?”

“Alive.”

Elena's breath caught.

“Let me see her.”

“Not yet.”

“What do you want?”

The woman looked at the children.

“Bring me Alexander.”

Elena's expression hardened.

“No.”

“Then you will never see your daughter again.”

“You've already taken enough from me.”

The woman smiled.

“I didn't take her.”

She paused.

“You gave her to me.”

Elena's heart sank.

“You lied to me.”

“I gave you exactly what you asked for.”

“I asked you to save my baby.”

“And I did.”

“Then why did you hide her?”

“Because your family would have destroyed her.”

Elena stared at the screen.

“My family?”

The founder laughed softly.

“Your grandfather wanted to use her.”

“My father tried to hide her.”

“And your husband’s family wanted to control her.”

Damien's expression changed.

“My family?”

“Yes.”

The founder looked directly at him.

“Your father knew about Subject Zero long before you did.”

Damien turned toward his father.

“Is that true?”

His father didn't answer.

“Dad.”

Still nothing.

Damien stepped closer.

“You knew Elena had another child.”

“Yes.”

His answer was barely audible.

Elena's face went pale.

“You knew?”

“I knew there was another child.”

“And you never told Damien?”

“I was ordered not to.”

“By whom?”

His father looked at the monitor.

“Her.”

The founder smiled.

“Smart man.”

Damien's jaw tightened.

“You've been working for her.”

“No.”

His father shook his head.

“I've been trying to stop her.”

“By keeping secrets?”

“I made mistakes.”

“You made all of us suffer.”

His father looked at Elena.

“I know.”

---

A loud metallic bang shook the vault.

Everyone turned.

The steel door behind them trembled.

Gabriel rushed toward it.

“They're breaking through.”

Mason checked the security panel.

“We have minutes.”

Elena looked at the children.

Alexander stood beside Lily.

Ethan held Caleb's hand.

Daniel was staring at the monitor.

His face had changed.

“What is it?” Elena asked.

Daniel pointed at the woman on the screen.

“I remember her too.”

The founder's smile disappeared.

“What did you remember?”

Daniel's eyes narrowed.

“She was in the room.”

“What room?”

“The room with the babies.”

Elena's pulse quickened.

“What did she do?”

Daniel swallowed.

“She wasn't alone.”

“Who was with her?”

Daniel looked at Damien.

“Your father.”

Damien's father closed his eyes.

Elena turned toward him.

“You were there?”

He nodded.

“The night my daughter was born?”

“Yes.”

“You watched them take her.”

“I watched Elena give her away.”

“Because they told me she was dying.”

“Yes.”

“And you knew they were lying.”

He couldn't answer.

Elena stepped closer.

“You knew.”

His eyes filled with regret.

“Yes.”

She slapped him.

The sound echoed through the vault.

No one moved.

“You watched me hand over my baby.”

“I was trying to protect you.”

“You watched me.”

Her voice cracked.

“You watched me lose my daughter.”

He lowered his head.

“I've regretted it every day.”

Elena turned away.

She couldn't look at him.

Then Lily tugged at her sleeve.

“Mommy.”

Elena looked down.

“What?”

Lily pointed toward the floor.

“There's someone underneath us.”

Everyone froze.

“What?”

Lily's eyes widened.

“She isn't in the hospital.”

“Who?”

“My sister.”

Elena's heart stopped.

“How do you know?”

Lily touched the floor.

“I can hear her.”

A faint cry came again.

This time, everyone heard it.

Damien looked at Mason.

“There's another level.”

Mason nodded slowly.

“There shouldn't be.”

“Then we're going down.”

Her father grabbed Elena's arm.

“No.”

She pulled away.

“My daughter is down there.”

“You don't know what's waiting.”

“I don't care.”

“Elena—”

“She waited seven years.”

Elena's voice shook.

“I waited seven years.”

She looked at all five children.

“I am not losing another one.”

---

Gabriel found the hidden staircase beneath the archive.

The steps descended farther than anyone expected.

The deeper they went, the colder it became.

No one spoke.

Then Elena heard something.

A lullaby.

Soft.

Broken.

The same lullaby her mother had once sung to her.

She stopped.

“That's it.”

Damien turned.

“What?”

“I remember.”

She pressed a hand against her chest.

“My mother sang that song.”

Her father looked at her.

“She sang it to your daughter.”

Elena's breath caught.

“Before they took her?”

“No.”

“Then when?”

He looked toward the darkness below.

“After.”

Elena frowned.

“What does that mean?”

Her father didn't answer.

They reached the bottom.

A single glass door stood ahead.

Behind it was a small room.

A bed.

A chair.

A table.

And a little girl sitting beside the window.

She was drawing.

Elena stopped breathing.

The girl slowly looked up.

Their eyes met.

The crayon fell from her hand.

“Mommy?”

Elena's knees weakened.

Damien caught her.

The little girl stood.

She was perhaps seven.

Dark hair.

Elena's eyes.

A familiar birthmark near her cheek.

The girl walked toward the glass.

Elena pressed her hand against it.

The child placed her tiny palm against the other side.

For a moment, neither moved.

Then the girl whispered:

“I knew you'd come.”

Elena's tears fell.

“What is your name?”

The girl smiled.

“You gave me one.”

Elena's mind flashed.

A newborn.

Her arms.

Her lips against the baby's forehead.

And her whisper:

“You're my little Nora.”

Elena gasped.

“Nora.”

The girl's smile widened.

“You remembered.”

Elena covered her mouth.

“My baby.”

Nora looked past her.

Her eyes moved to Alexander.

Then Lily.

Then Daniel.

Then Caleb.

Then Ethan.

Her expression changed.

“They're all here.”

Elena frowned.

“What do you mean?”

Nora stepped closer to the glass.

“They told me my brothers and sisters would come one day.”

Elena's blood ran cold.

“Who told you?”

Nora pointed behind herself.

At the wall.

A hidden screen illuminated.

The founder appeared.

“Hello, Elena.”

Elena stared at her.

“You kept my daughter here.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

The founder's expression softened.

“Because Nora is the only one who knows how to open the archive.”

Elena shook her head.

“She is a child.”

“She is your child.”

The founder smiled.

“And that is precisely why you will do anything to save her.”

The vault doors above suddenly began to slam open.

Mason looked upward.

“They're inside.”

Damien moved toward Elena.

“We need to go.”

Elena refused to move.

“Not without Nora.”

The founder's voice came through the speakers.

“You have two choices.”

The room fell silent.

“Take Nora and leave the others.”

Elena stared at the screen.

“Or?”

The founder smiled.

“Stay together.”

A pause.

“And watch every one of your children disappear.”

The lights turned red.

Nora screamed.

And behind the glass, a hidden door opened.

Someone stepped into the room.

Elena's blood turned cold.

It was Damien's father.

But he was holding a newborn baby.

A baby who looked exactly like Nora.

And he whispered:

“She's not the only daughter you forgot.”