Chapter 132: Right There
David didn’t move.
The man on the platform was still looking at him.
His face was familiar.
That was the problem.
David couldn’t remember where he’d seen him.
But some part of his mind recognized him immediately.
The sensation wasn’t like remembering a face from a photograph.
It was deeper.
Like recognizing someone he’d known for years.
David took another step forward.
The man on the platform watched him.
"You came back."
David stopped.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled weakly.
"You really don’t remember."
David’s jaw tightened.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
"Because it’s true."
"Then tell me."
The man looked toward the seven pillars surrounding him.
"They didn’t erase everything."
David glanced at the symbols.
"What did they leave?"
"Enough."
Elaine stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
The man turned his head toward her.
His expression changed.
Recognition.
Then something closer to disappointment.
"You."
Elaine froze.
"You know me?"
"Not you."
He looked at David again.
"The woman you became."
Elaine’s face hardened.
"I don’t understand."
"You wouldn’t."
David looked between them.
"Can we stop talking like everyone has a secret manual except me?"
The man laughed softly.
The sound quickly became a cough.
His body shook against the restraints.
Elaine immediately moved toward him.
"He’s injured."
David followed.
"Can you remove those?"
Elaine examined the restraints.
"They’re not restraints."
David frowned.
"What?"
"Look."
She pointed.
The metal bands around his wrists weren’t connected to the platform.
They were connected to the machines.
Thin lines of energy moved through them.
David stared.
"They’re feeding something."
"Or taking something."
The man on the platform smiled.
"Both."
Elaine looked at him.
"How long have you been here?"
He closed his eyes.
"I don’t know."
"Thirty-two years?"
His eyes opened.
"No."
Elaine frowned.
"Then how long?"
The man looked at David.
"Longer."
David felt cold.
"How much longer?"
The man didn’t answer.
Elaine stepped closer.
"What’s your name?"
The man stared at her.
Then said,
"Samuel."
David repeated it quietly.
"Samuel."
Something clicked.
A memory flashed.
A hallway.
A younger Elaine.
A group of people standing around a table.
Samuel laughing.
Then David.
Much younger.
Standing beside him.
David stumbled.
Elaine caught his shoulder.
"What did you see?"
David breathed slowly.
"I know him."
Samuel smiled.
"You always did."
David looked at him.
"We worked together."
"No."
Samuel shook his head.
"You came here with me."
David’s expression changed.
"What?"
"You weren’t part of the research team."
Elaine looked sharply at Samuel.
"What are you saying?"
Samuel ignored her.
"You were the subject."
David’s chest tightened.
"No."
Samuel’s eyes remained on him.
"You were the reason the facility was built."
Elaine’s face went pale.
David looked at her.
"You knew?"
"No."
"Elaine."
"I knew there was a connection."
"But not this."
Samuel laughed softly.
"She knew more than she admits."
Elaine stepped toward him.
"Don’t."
Samuel’s expression became serious.
"Why?"
"Because you’re confused."
"No."
Samuel looked at her.
"I’m remembering."
That silenced her.
David noticed.
"Elaine."
She didn’t respond.
"What did you know?"
She lowered her weapon.
"Not enough."
"That’s becoming your favorite answer."
"I found records."
"What records?"
"Fragments."
"About me?"
"About someone with your abilities."
David’s eyes narrowed.
"Abilities?"
Elaine hesitated.
"Energy manipulation."
David looked down at his hands.
"I can’t manipulate energy."
Samuel smiled.
"You can."
"I’ve never done it."
"You have."
"When?"
Samuel looked toward the ceiling.
"Every time you survived."
David felt a strange pressure behind his eyes.
"That’s not an explanation."
"No."
Samuel’s expression softened.
"It’s a warning."
The machines suddenly began making noise.
A low mechanical hum spread through the chamber.
Elaine looked at the readings.
"Something’s changing."
David turned.
"What?"
"The energy output."
The seven pillars began glowing.
One after another.
The first.
Then the second.
Then the third.
David felt his chest respond.
The warmth returned.
Stronger than before.
Samuel’s expression changed.
"Don’t let it synchronize."
David frowned.
"Synchronize with what?"
"Everything."
The fourth pillar illuminated.
The fifth.
The sixth.
Elaine stared at the seventh.
It remained dark.
"Why isn’t that one activating?"
Samuel looked at David.
"Because he’s not ready."
David stepped forward.
"Ready for what?"
The seventh pillar suddenly flickered.
Samuel’s eyes widened.
"No."
The pillar illuminated.
The entire chamber shook.
David dropped to one knee.
A violent pressure slammed into his chest.
He couldn’t breathe.
Images flooded his mind.
A laboratory.
A child.
A younger version of himself.
People standing behind glass.
A machine.
Seven circles.
Someone shouting.
"Stop the procedure!"
Another voice.
"He’s already connected!"
Then Samuel.
"You need to shut it down!"
A younger Elaine.
"No!"
David gasped.
The memory changed.
He saw himself standing inside the seven circles.
Not as a child.
Older.
Maybe seventeen.
Maybe eighteen.
Energy surrounded him.
Someone was holding a weapon.
Someone else was crying.
And Samuel was standing in front of him.
"You can’t stay here."
David heard his younger voice.
"I have to."
"No."
"I already started it."
Then another voice.
A voice David knew.
His own.
"We don’t have much time."
The memory shattered.
David fell forward.
Elaine caught him before he hit the floor.
"David!"
He struggled to breathe.
"I saw..."
"What?"
"Me."
Elaine stared at him.
"Doing what?"
David looked toward the platform.
"Starting something."
Samuel closed his eyes.
"Then it’s beginning again."
David pushed himself upright.
"What is?"
Samuel didn’t answer.
The chamber doors began to move.
David turned.
There were no doors before.
Now there were.
Huge stone slabs were sliding apart at the far end of the chamber.
Something was behind them.
Something large.
Elaine raised her weapon.
"What is that?"
Samuel whispered,
"The reason they built the facility."
The stone doors opened another few inches.
A cold wind swept through the chamber.
David’s chest burned.
Then he heard it.
A heartbeat.
Deep.
Slow.
Not his.
Something behind the doors was alive.
David stood.
"How do we stop it?"
Samuel looked at him.
"We don’t."
"That’s not helpful."
"You don’t stop it."
Samuel’s voice became quieter.
"You remember."
David stared at him.
"Remember what?"
"Why you came here."
The doors opened completely.
Darkness filled the entrance.
Then two enormous eyes opened inside it.
David’s body went rigid.
The creature didn’t move.
It simply stared at him.
And David knew it.
Not from memory.
From instinct.
It knew him.
The creature lowered its head.
A voice filled the chamber.
Not through sound.
Through thought.
’Host.’
David’s chest pulsed.
Samuel looked terrified.
"Don’t answer."
David swallowed.
"Why?"
"Because it will know you’re awake."
David stared at the creature.
"It already knows."
Samuel shook his head.
"No."
The creature’s eyes brightened.
’Host.’
David felt the pressure in his chest intensify.
The seven pillars began pulsing together.
Elaine grabbed his arm.
"David, look at me."
He turned.
"Stay with me."
Her voice was firm.
"Whatever it’s doing, don’t respond."
David nodded.
Then something happened.
The creature looked past him.
At Elaine.
Its eyes narrowed.
The voice returned.
But this time, it wasn’t calling David.
’Intruder.’
Elaine froze.
David stepped in front of her.
"Leave her alone."
The chamber went silent.
Samuel’s eyes widened.
Elaine stared at David.
"David..."
The creature’s gaze returned to him.
Then the voice came again.
’Protection.’
David frowned.
"What?"
’You remember.’
The pressure disappeared.
The warmth in his chest vanished.
The seven pillars went dark.
Everything stopped.
David stood completely still.
Then the creature slowly lowered its head.
And bowed.
Elaine stared.
Samuel whispered,
"No."
David looked at him.
"What?"
Samuel’s face had lost all color.
"It bowed."
"So?"
"It never bowed."
David looked toward the creature.
"Then why did it?"
Samuel looked at him.
"Because you’re not its host."
David’s stomach tightened.
"Then what am I?"
Samuel swallowed.
For the first time since David had met him, he looked genuinely afraid.
"You’re the one who gave it a name."
David stared at him.
"What name?"
Samuel didn’t answer.
The creature did.
A single word entered David’s mind.
A word he had never heard before.
Yet somehow understood.
And the moment he understood it, every light in the chamber turned on.
The walls began displaying images.
Hundreds of them.
David.
David as a child.
David as a teenager.
David inside the laboratory.
David standing beside Samuel.
David standing beside Elaine.
David standing in the center of the seven circles.
Then one final image appeared.
David standing in front of the creature.
Not frightened.
Not restrained.
Not being experimented on.
Standing freely.
And beside him stood Version Zero.
The man who had claimed to be him.
David stared at the image.
Version Zero was holding out his hand.
David was holding his.
The memory lasted only a second.
Then disappeared.
David’s breathing became unsteady.
"He lied."
Samuel looked at him.
"Who?"
"Version Zero."
"What did he tell you?"
David looked toward the darkness where the man had been.
He was gone.
Completely.
No footsteps.
No movement.
Nothing.
"He said he was me."
Samuel’s expression darkened.
"He’s not."
David looked at him.
"Then who is he?"
Samuel slowly looked toward the place where the man had disappeared.
"The part of you they couldn’t erase."
David felt the words settle inside him.
Before he could respond, something moved behind the creature.
A second presence.
Then a third.
Then dozens.
Dozens of eyes opened in the darkness.
Elaine raised her weapon.
"David."
He stared into the darkness.
The creatures weren’t moving toward them.
They were kneeling.
Every single one.
Facing him.
David’s heart began pounding.
He took one slow step backward.
"Why are they doing that?"
Samuel’s voice trembled.
"Because they recognize their creator."
David shook his head.
"No."
He looked at his hands.
"I’m not their creator."
The voice returned.
This time, it came from everywhere.
’You were.’
David closed his eyes.
Another memory surfaced.
A door.
Seven circles.
His own hand pressed against the center.
And his own voice saying:
’If I ever forget...’
The memory ended.
David opened his eyes.
The chamber was still.
But the words remained.
He had said them before.
And somehow, he knew what came next.
’Don’t let me open the seventh door.’
David slowly looked toward the far end of the chamber.
There was only one door left.
And it was beginning to open.