Three days had passed since the vault collapsed.
Above ground, the world carried on, oblivious to what had almost occurred beneath their feet. The city shimmered under the morning sun, its towers stretching skyward as if begging the heavens for answers.
Alina stood at the edge of the balcony, the soft breeze brushing her hair as she watched Lily play in the garden below with Rafe's golden retriever, Baxter. Laughter echoed upward—real, joyful, pure. It was a sound she hadn't heard from her daughter in weeks.
She exhaled deeply, letting the moment sink in.
"You look like you haven't slept," came Leonard's voice behind her.
Alina turned slightly. He stood in the doorway, sleeves rolled up, a tablet in hand. His jaw was dusted with stubble, eyes sharp, but tired.
"I haven't," she admitted. "I keep thinking about what Elara said… that Lily's still changing."
Leonard approached, tapping the tablet. "She is. But not dangerously. Rafe ran a full scan—her DNA's stabilized. Whatever psychic trigger Elara built into the serum, you interrupted it in time."
"But what if it was too late?" Alina murmured. "What if it's just dormant?"
Leonard gently touched her arm. "Then we'll deal with it—together. Like we always do."
She gave him a faint smile, then turned back to the garden. "She's happy. That's all that matters right now."
Down below, Lily spun with outstretched arms, laughing as Baxter chased her. Her golden hair caught the sunlight like a halo.
Alina's heart ached.
But peace, as always, was fleeting.
Her comm unit buzzed.
Selena's voice filtered through, clipped and urgent. "Alina, you need to see this. Now. Channel 9."
Leonard tapped the wall panel, bringing the holoscreen to life.
The news anchor appeared mid-sentence:
"—shocking footage leaked from an undisclosed location late last night shows what appears to be genetically engineered children suspended in cryo-stasis. Sources claim the facility was linked to Helix International and may involve off-grid experimentation on minors. We warn viewers: the images you're about to see may be disturbing."
A grainy clip played. One of the vault's capsules. A young girl inside, her features eerily identical to Lily's.
Alina's blood froze.
Leonard whispered, "Someone leaked the footage. But how?"
"They didn't find Elara's body," Alina said. "That's how."
Her mind raced. If the world saw the clones—if someone traced Lily's DNA to those files…
She rushed for her comm. "Selena. Damage control. How far has the story spread?"
Selena's voice returned, laced with tension. "It's global. Every major outlet's picked it up. And it's not just the media. Government agencies are digging in. Interpol. UN Biotech Ethics Council. Even Sentinel Corps."
Alina cursed under her breath. "Then it's only a matter of time before someone comes looking for her."
"Too late," Selena said. "They already are."
That afternoon, two black sedans pulled up outside the estate.
Rafe intercepted them at the gate, earpiece crackling.
"Who are they?" Alina asked from the balcony, watching from above.
"UNBIO," he replied. "Special division. Carrying diplomatic immunity."
Leonard joined her. "We can't refuse them entry."
"No," Alina said, her voice hardening. "But we don't have to hand Lily over either."
She turned to Rafe. "Let them in. I'll talk to them."
Minutes later, a tall man in a dark blue suit stepped into the sunlit foyer. His face was thin, elegant, his hair silver despite a youthful frame.
He extended a hand. "Ms. Vale. I'm Director Adrian Voss. United Nations Biogenetic Oversight Division."
Alina didn't shake it.
"I know who you are."
Voss gave a small smile. "Then you also know I'm not here to threaten you. I only want to ensure that what happened beneath that cathedral doesn't happen again."
Leonard stepped in. "Cut the diplomacy. What do you want?"
"Protection," Voss replied. "Of the child. Of you. Of the world."
He pulled out a data pad, projecting files mid-air. "Your daughter's biometrics match 98% with the cloned subject seen in the leaked footage. If that gets confirmed in the public eye, you'll be hunted. By governments. Corporations. Fanatics. Even believers."
Alina frowned. "Believers?"
Voss nodded. "There are already forums online calling her 'The New Dawn'. Some think she's a messiah. Others want her dead."
Leonard tensed. "So what's your solution? Lock her in a lab?"
"No. We offer sanctuary. A place where she can be monitored… and safe."
"You mean controlled," Alina snapped.
Voss sighed. "Then consider this a courtesy visit. But if the world learns the truth about her and we're not involved… someone else will be. Someone worse."
He paused, then added, "I suggest you take Lily somewhere remote. Off-grid. We'll delay the media for seventy-two hours. After that—I can't make promises."
With a nod, he left.
That night, Alina stood over Lily's bed, watching her daughter sleep.
So small. So peaceful.
She sat beside her, brushing golden strands from her forehead.
Leonard entered quietly. "We need to decide soon."
"I know."
"She deserves to live free."
"She deserves better than being hunted," Alina whispered. "We can't protect her here anymore."
Leonard sat on the edge of the bed. "Then we run."
She looked at him.
"You'd give up everything?"
"I already did," he said. "The moment I chose you."
She nodded, the decision sinking in.
They would vanish. Leave the city. Find a place where the noise of the world couldn't reach them.
But deep down, Alina knew…
It was only the beginning.