Miller looked directly at him.
"I expect you to understand that I know where he's hiding."
Silence.
Then Ethan asked:
"Where?"
Miller answered:
"The original Blackwood courthouse."
Victoria's voice came through the communication system.
"Don't go there."
Ethan looked at the speaker.
"Victoria?"
"He's expecting you."
Miller shook his head.
"That's exactly why we need to go."
Victoria continued.
"My father has already taken control of the original archive. He knows every access code, every identity, every hidden passage."
"Then how do we stop him?" Ethan asked.
A pause followed.
Then Victoria answered.
"There's one person he never managed to control."
Ethan looked at Adrian.
His brother understood immediately.
"Me."
Victoria nodded.
"Your father created the system. Your grandfather controlled it. But Adrian was the one who discovered its weakness."
Adrian looked toward the floor.
"Because I was the only subject who refused to follow their rules."
He turned toward Ethan.
"And because I memorized the original access sequence before they erased my records."
Ethan approached him.
"Then we go together."
Adrian hesitated.
"Why?"
"Because you're my brother."
For the first time, Adrian looked uncertain.
Then he nodded.
They left the hospital through a maintenance entrance.
Miller led them toward the courthouse, while Ethan and Adrian followed closely behind.
Victoria was waiting outside the building.
Her face was pale.
"Where's my father?" Ethan asked.
"Inside."
"How many men?"
"At least twenty."
Adrian looked toward the entrance.
"Then we don't go through the front."
He pointed toward a narrow alley.
"There used to be an underground passage connecting the courthouse to the old detention facility."
Victoria looked surprised.
"How do you know that?"
Adrian smiled faintly.
"Because I helped build it."
They entered the passage.
The tunnel was dark and narrow, with water dripping from the ceiling.
After several minutes, they reached a metal door.
Adrian examined the lock.
"Still using the old system."
He entered a sequence of numbers.
The door opened.
Inside was a control room.
Dozens of monitors displayed live footage from different parts of the city.
Ethan recognized several locations.
The police station.
The hospital.
The detention facility.
And a small house near the river.
His childhood home.
He moved closer to the screen.
"What is that?"
Victoria looked.
"Your old house."
Ethan stared at the image.
A man was standing outside.
Robert.
His father.
He was holding a small bag and looking toward the front door.
Ethan immediately grabbed the communication device.
"Dad!"
There was no response.
He tried again.
"Robert! Can you hear me?"
A voice finally answered.
"Ethan?"
"Where are you?"
"At home."
"Get out of there!"
Robert laughed softly.
"Too late, son."
Ethan felt his chest tighten.
"What do you mean?"
Robert looked toward the camera.
Then he said:
"Your grandfather is here."
The screen suddenly changed.
A second figure appeared behind Robert.
Victoria's father.
The old man smiled.
"Hello, Ethan."
He looked directly into the camera.
"You've become quite difficult to find."
Ethan clenched his fists.
"Leave him alone."
The old man shook his head.
"I would love to. But your father has something I need."
"What?"
"The original access code."
Ethan looked toward Adrian.
His brother went pale.
The old man continued.
"Bring Adrian to the courthouse. Bring the badge. And bring the original file."
He paused.
"Or Robert Cole dies."
The transmission ended.
Ethan turned toward Adrian.
"Can you access the system?"
Adrian nodded.
"Yes."
"Then let's go."
Victoria grabbed his arm.
"Wait."
She looked at Ethan.
"There's something you need to understand. Your grandfather doesn't want the evidence."
"Then what does he want?"
Victoria's voice became almost a whisper.
"He wants the two of you."
Ethan frowned.
"Why?"
Victoria looked toward Adrian.
"Because Project Genesis was never designed to create seventeen perfect identities."
She paused.
"It was designed to create two perfect successors."
One was trained to remember everything.
The other was trained to forget everything.
Ethan and Adrian.
Together, they were the final experiment.
And now their grandfather intended to complete it.
The old courthouse stood at the center of Blackwood City.
For decades, it had been the place where criminals were sentenced, witnesses were questioned, and justice was supposedly delivered.
Tonight, it was the headquarters of the organization that had secretly controlled all three.
Ethan entered through the main doors.
Adrian walked beside him.
Victoria followed closely behind, holding the golden badge.
Miller remained outside with a small group of officers he still trusted.
The courtroom was illuminated by a single chandelier.
At the far end stood an elderly man.
Victoria's father.
Beside him was Robert.
His hands were tied.
"Welcome," the old man said.
Ethan stepped forward.
"Let him go."
The man smiled.
"Of course."
He signaled to one of his guards.
Robert was pushed forward.
Ethan rushed toward him.
But the guard raised his weapon.
"Slowly."
Robert looked at his son.
"Don't do anything stupid."
Ethan stopped.
The old man approached.
"My name is Arthur Morgan."
Victoria raised her gun.
"I know who you are."
Arthur looked at her.
"Then you know why we're here."
"To destroy the evidence."
"No."
He smiled.
"To preserve it."
Victoria laughed.
"You built an organization that destroyed innocent lives."
Arthur sighed.
"Every powerful institution has a cost."
"Children were kidnapped!"
"Children were protected."
"People were murdered!"
"People were sacrificed."
Victoria's eyes filled with anger.
"You don't get to call murder a sacrifice."
Arthur turned toward Ethan and Adrian.
"Now, my grandsons. Come closer."
Ethan froze.
"Grandsons?"
Arthur nodded.
"Your biological mother was my daughter. Your biological father was Elias Voss. And I was the man who financed the entire program."
Adrian looked at him.
"You destroyed our family."
Arthur shook his head.
"I gave you a purpose."
"You gave me nightmares."
Arthur ignored him.
He pointed toward a large screen behind the judge's chair.
"Everything you need to understand is inside that archive."
He inserted a small key.
The screen activated.
A series of photographs appeared.
Ethan saw himself as a child.
Adrian.
His mother.
Robert.
Victoria.
And finally, a photograph of Elias Voss.
Arthur explained.
"Project Genesis was designed to create a new intelligence system. One capable of remembering everything and controlling information without relying on ordinary institutions."