CHAPTER 8: The Clone's Final Warning
The elevator doors slid open with a metallic hiss.
The little girl stepped forward barefoot, wearing a plain white uniform with the black Phoenix emblem stitched over her heart.
She couldn't have been older than ten.
Yet every armed guard in the arena immediately lowered their weapons.
No one dared move.
Emma couldn't take her eyes off the child.
"You... you're my clone?"
The girl smiled softly.
"No."
"I'm what they wanted you to become."
Emma felt a chill run down her spine.
"What does that mean?"
The girl slowly reached into her pocket and pulled out a worn photograph.
Emma's hands began to shake.
It showed two little girls playing together beside a lake.
One was Emma.
The other was the child standing in front of her.
"We grew up together," the girl whispered.
"You just don't remember."
Emma looked at Richard.
"You erased my memories."
Richard nodded without denying it.
"Because I had to."
Victoria stepped between them.
"Don't believe another word he says!"
But before anyone could speak again—
The AI interrupted.
Warning. Unauthorized access detected.
Project Phoenix Main Server has been activated.
Every monitor switched to a live satellite image.
Dozens of military helicopters were flying toward the compound.
Emma frowned.
"Who's coming?"
Richard's face turned pale.
"They found us."
Victoria whispered in horror,
"No..."
"It's Directorate Zero."
The little girl grabbed Emma's hand.
"We only have five minutes."
"Five minutes until they erase everything."
Emma looked around in confusion.
"Who are they?"
The child's smile disappeared.
"They created Project Phoenix."
"They ordered your kidnapping."
"They ordered the hospital fire."
"They ordered every lie you've ever been told."
Emma felt as though the ground had vanished beneath her feet.
"So Richard worked for them?"
Richard answered quietly.
"I used to."
"But twenty years ago..."
"I betrayed them."
He reached into his jacket and handed Emma a small encrypted drive.
"I've spent twenty years stealing their secrets."
"It's all here."
"The experiments."
"The murders."
"The politicians they control."
"The names of every child they took."
Emma stared at the tiny drive.
"This could destroy them."
Richard nodded.
"That's why they're coming."
Suddenly...
A deafening explosion ripped through the ceiling.
The entire arena shook violently.
A heavily armored squad descended on steel cables.
Black helmets.
No insignias.
No faces.
Their commander removed his visor.
Emma's heart nearly stopped.
The man looked exactly like Richard Carter.
Only twenty years younger.
The clone beside Emma whispered,
"I told you..."
"They never made just one."
The commander smiled coldly.
"Target acquired."
"Terminate every Phoenix subject."
Dozens of rifles locked onto Emma...
Her clone...
Victoria...
Richard...
And Noah—who had just been dragged into the arena alive.
The commander raised one hand.
May you like
"Fire."
END OF CHAPTER 8
