Chapter 12: The First Family
The old house stood at the edge of the woods.
Burned.
Empty.
Forgotten.
But somehow, it looked familiar.
Like my own house had been copying it.
The same shape.
The same windows.
The same feeling that something terrible had happened inside.
I stepped out of the car.
Officer Ramirez grabbed my arm.
“David.””
I looked at her.
“You can’t go in there alone.””
“I have to.””
“No.””
I looked back at the house.
“My son is inside.””
She understood.
But she didn’t like it.
“Then we stay close.””
I nodded.
Ethan came with us.
Noah stayed behind.
I noticed.
“You’re not coming?””
He looked at the house.
Fear crossed his face.
“I’ve already been inside once.””
“And?””
“I lost everything.””
The front door opened before we touched it.
A voice came from inside.
“David.””
Daniel.
I stepped forward.
“I’m here.””
“Alone?””
I looked back.
Then at Ethan.
“Yes.””
It was a lie.
But I knew he was listening.
“Come in.””
The inside was worse than I imagined.
The walls were covered with photographs.
Not random ones.
A timeline.
Children growing up.
Children disappearing.
Families being changed.
I felt sick.
Then I saw him.
Leo.
Sitting on the floor.
Safe.
Alive.
My entire body relaxed.
“Leo!””
He looked up.
“Daddy!””
I ran toward him.
But Daniel stepped between us.
“Not yet.””
I stopped.
“Move.””
Daniel looked younger than I expected.
Maybe late twenties.
But his eyes looked older.
Tired.
Broken.
“You don’t understand.””
“No.””
I stared at him.
“I don’t.””
He looked at Leo.
“He was supposed to have a different life.””
“He has a life.””
“With you?””
“Yes.””
Daniel shook his head.
“You don’t know the truth.””
I stepped closer.
“The truth is you kidnapped my son.””
His expression tightened.
“I brought him home.””
“No.””
I pointed at Leo.
“You scared him.””
Daniel looked hurt.
“I never wanted to scare him.””
“Then why take him?””
He looked toward the photographs.
“Because nobody came for me.””
Silence.
For a moment, I saw something beneath the anger.
A child who had been abandoned.
A child who grew into someone dangerous.
“I waited,” Daniel whispered.
“For what?””
“For someone to choose me.””
The words were quiet.
Almost impossible to hear.
Then Leo spoke.
“Are you the sad boy?””
Daniel looked at him.
“What?””
Leo pointed at a photograph.
“You’re the boy who cried under the floor.””
Daniel froze.
Everyone froze.
Because Leo had seen something nobody else knew.
Daniel walked toward the photograph.
His hands began shaking.
“That’s not possible.””
“What?”” I asked.
He stared at the picture.
A picture of two children.
One was Daniel.
The other…
Was Leo.
Not the same age.
Not the same time.
But the same bracelet.
The same eyes.
Daniel whispered:
“No.””
He turned toward me.
“Who is he?””
I didn’t understand.
“What?””
He pointed at Leo.
“Who is your son?””
My heart stopped.
Because Daniel looked terrified.
Not angry.
Not threatening.
Terrified.
Then he said something that changed everything.
“David…”
His voice cracked.
“Leo isn’t my brother.””
May you like
He looked at the photograph.
“He’s my father’s first experiment.””
