Chapter 13 - The Man In The Mirror
Chapter 13 - The Man In The Mirror
The room went silent.
Nobody understood what they were seeing.
Nobody could explain how it was possible.
The billionaire father stared at the figure standing in the doorway.
The same face.
The same voice.
The same eyes.
It was him.
Or someone who looked exactly like him.
Daniel grabbed his father's hand.
"Dad..."
The father looked at his son.
For the first time that night, he looked afraid.
Not of another person.
But of himself.
The stranger stepped into the room.
He looked around calmly.
"You finally remembered."
The father shook his head.
"No."
His voice trembled.
"This isn't possible."
The stranger smiled.
"You said the same thing seven years ago."
Everyone stood frozen.
Claire covered her mouth.
Michael looked away.
Even Victor looked uncomfortable.
The father noticed.
"You all knew."
Nobody answered.
His anger returned.
"You all knew."
Claire stepped forward.
"Please..."
The father turned toward her.
"Don't."
His voice broke.
"Not another explanation."
"Not another secret."
"I have spent seven years believing my son was dead."
"I spent seven years believing you were dead."
"And now you are telling me I don't even know my own memories?"
The stranger looked at him.
"That's exactly what happened."
The father stared.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled sadly.
"I am the part of you they tried to erase."
The father stepped backward.
The stranger continued.
"Seven years ago, you discovered the truth about the company."
"You discovered people close to you were stealing from you."
"You discovered Daniel was the target."
The father looked confused.
"Then why don't I remember?"
The stranger answered.
"Because you were never supposed to remember."
Thomas stepped forward.
"What did you do to him?"
The stranger looked at Michael.
"Ask them."
The father turned.
Michael finally looked defeated.
The man who had controlled everyone now looked small.
The father stared at him.
"Tell me."
Michael remained silent.
"Tell me what you did."
Michael slowly spoke.
"We couldn't control you."
The father felt a chill.
"So you changed me."
Michael nodded.
"We made you forget."
The room became silent.
Daniel looked terrified.
The father looked at Claire.
"You knew?"
Claire cried.
"I knew something was wrong."
"But I didn't know how far they went."
The father looked at himself.
The stranger.
The man who carried his missing memories.
"What are you?"
The stranger answered.
"Your memory."
Everyone froze.
The father stared.
"What?"
The stranger pointed toward the camcorder.
"After the treatment, your mind created a way to protect itself."
"You buried the memories."
"But they didn't disappear."
"They were waiting."
The father looked at Daniel.
The boy whispered:
"That's why you always drew the same picture."
The father looked confused.
"What picture?"
Daniel opened his backpack.
Inside was a drawing.
A wall.
A door.
And a man standing behind it.
The father stared.
Because the man in the drawing was him.
The stranger continued.
"Your mind knew the truth."
"But your conscious memory rejected it."
The father touched his face.
Everything started connecting.
The strange dreams.
The missing pieces.
The feeling that someone was lying.
The reason he never stopped searching.
His own mind had been trying to tell him.
The truth was buried.
Not gone.
The stranger stepped closer.
"The night Daniel disappeared, you were not unconscious."
"You saw everything."
The father looked shocked.
"What did I see?"
The stranger looked toward Michael.
"You saw your own brother working with the people who wanted Daniel gone."
Michael closed his eyes.
The father turned.
"And Claire?"
The stranger looked at her.
"She tried to save him."
Claire nodded.
"I found Daniel before they could move him."
The father looked confused.
"Then why was he hidden behind the wall?"
Claire cried.
"Because it was the only place they wouldn't search."
The father felt his heart break.
She had not abandoned their son.
She had hidden him to protect him.
Then the stranger spoke again.
"But there is one thing you still don't know."
The father looked up.
"What?"
The stranger pointed toward the final recording.
"The person who ordered everything..."
A pause.
"...was not Michael."
Everyone froze.
Michael looked angry.
"Don't."
The stranger continued.
"It was someone with more power."
The father felt cold.
"Who?"
The stranger looked toward the hallway.
The lights flickered.
A shadow appeared.
A familiar voice spoke.
"You always were too difficult to control."
The father turned.
The person standing there made everyone speechless.
Because they thought that person had been gone forever.
The stranger whispered:
"Now you know who the real enemy is."
The father stared into the darkness.
May you like
And realized the final secret was not about the past.
It was standing in front of him.
