THE MEMORIES HE SHOULDN'T HAVE FORGOTTEN

Chapter 9: The Memories He Shouldn't Have Forgotten

Adrian staggered back as Evelyn's words cut through him.

"You were part of it too. You just don't remember."

Sophie watched as his golden eyes flickered with something unfamiliar. A crack in his usually controlled demeanor. A fear he had never shown before.

"I would remember something like that." His voice was sharp, but Sophie could hear the doubt creeping in.

Evelyn's expression softened. "Would you?"

Adrian clenched his fists. "You're lying."

Evelyn sighed. "Adrian… Do you ever wonder why you heal so fast? Why you can push your body beyond its limits and never break?"

Sophie's breath caught.

Because Evelyn was right.

Adrian had always been inhumanly strong. Faster than most. Able to take hits that should have crippled him.

Adrian's jaw tightened. "That's different."

Evelyn took a step closer. "Is it?"

Lucas, who had been quiet until now, let out a low curse. "Wait, wait. Are you saying Adrian was—what, experimented on? Like you?"

Evelyn hesitated. "I don't know if they ever took you the way they took me. But I know they marked you."

Adrian's hands shook. "That's impossible."

Evelyn met his gaze. "Then prove it."

Silence.

Then, slowly, Evelyn pulled something from her pocket.

A small, rusted key.

Sophie's pulse spiked. "What's that?"

Evelyn exhaled. "The location of one of their old sites. If you don't believe me, go there yourself. But if you do…" Her green eyes darkened. "Then you'll finally see what they did to you."

Adrian's breath hitched.

Sophie could see it—the war in his eyes.

Because for the first time in his life…

He was terrified of the truth.

---

The tension in the room was suffocating.

Sophie stepped forward. "Adrian, we don't have to go."

Adrian's head snapped toward her, his expression unreadable.

But he didn't say no.

Evelyn sighed. "You don't have a choice, Adrian. The people who did this to us—they're still out there. And if you wait too long…"

Her voice turned cold.

"They'll make sure you never remember at all."

Sophie's stomach twisted. "What does that mean?"

Evelyn's grip on the key tightened. "They don't just erase files. They erase people."

Lucas muttered a curse. "They're coming for him."

Sophie grabbed Adrian's arm. "Then we need to leave. Now."

Adrian's golden eyes darkened.

Then, finally—he took the key from Evelyn's hand.

And whispered: "Let's go find the truth."

---

The car ride was silent, the only sound being the hum of the engine and the occasional whisper of the wind against the windows. Sophie sat beside Adrian, her hand resting lightly on his. His fingers were stiff, his jaw set.

She could feel the weight of his thoughts, but Adrian wasn't one to share.

Evelyn sat across from them, her gaze distant, her expression tight with anticipation—or was it fear?

Finally, Lucas broke the silence. "We're getting close."

Adrian's eyes flickered toward him, but he didn't speak.

The landscape around them was desolate—abandoned buildings, crumbling roads, and an oppressive stillness in the air.

As they approached their destination, the old facility came into view. A cold, concrete structure loomed in the distance, surrounded by a chain-link fence, its gates rusted shut. The once sterile, efficient facility now felt more like a graveyard.

Sophie's breath caught in her throat. "This is it?"

Evelyn nodded. "This is where it all started. Project Revenant."

Adrian's knuckles turned white as he gripped the seat. "Let's go."

The group climbed out of the car and approached the entrance. The rusted gate was barely hanging on its hinges, but it didn't stop Adrian from pushing it open with one swift motion.

Inside, the facility was eerily quiet, the floors coated with dust and debris. Metal doors stood ajar, empty rooms lined with scattered paperwork, long-forgotten equipment, and broken glass.

Sophie's pulse quickened. This place felt wrong. Dangerous.

Evelyn led them through the halls, her steps quick but cautious. The further they went, the more the weight of the air pressed down on them.

Finally, they reached a door at the end of a long corridor—unmarked, unlike the others. Evelyn pulled out the rusted key. With a slow, deliberate motion, she slid it into the lock and turned.

The door creaked open, revealing a small, dimly lit room.

Inside, there were rows of old equipment, monitors long dead, and what looked like… surgical tools.

Evelyn's voice dropped to a whisper. "This was the heart of it."

Sophie couldn't breathe. "What… happened here?"

Evelyn took a step forward, her eyes scanning the walls. "This is where they created the Revenants—people like me… and like you, Adrian."

Adrian's eyes were wide now, the shock clear on his face. "I— I don't remember any of this."

Sophie could feel the tension rising, like something was about to snap.

But as Adrian reached for a nearby monitor, the screen flickered to life.

Sophie froze.

On the screen, a face appeared.

A young Adrian.

His eyes were familiar—but something was wrong.

And as the video played, a voice—cold and mechanical—echoed from the speakers.

"Subject 457—Adrian King. Enhanced with the Revenant serum. A perfect specimen."

Sophie's blood ran cold.

Evelyn turned to Adrian, her voice low. "I told you. You were part of this."

Adrian's world shattered.

He had been the experiment all along.

---

Adrian stood frozen, staring at the screen as the video continued to play. His own voice, distorted and mechanical, echoed in the dim room.

"Subject 457... failure rate: minimal. Enhancement complete. Subject shows signs of extreme resilience. No signs of neurological damage."

Sophie's heart pounded. Adrian had been a subject.

He wasn't just involved. He was the final experiment.

Adrian's breath grew shallow as he stepped closer to the screen, his fingers hovering over the controls. "This isn't real. This can't be real."

Evelyn's eyes softened as she watched him struggle with the truth. "It's real, Adrian. This was your life. They erased your memories, manipulated your body, made you a weapon…" She stopped, her voice faltering. "And then they let you go."

Sophie's heart twisted. Let him go?

Evelyn continued, "You were never meant to have a life. They wanted you to be their perfect soldier."

Adrian's gaze flickered toward Sophie, and Sophie could see the pain in his eyes. His voice was barely a whisper. "I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't want to be this—this… monster."

Sophie took a step forward, her hand reaching out to him. "You're not a monster, Adrian. You're not."

But even as the words left her lips, she couldn't shake the feeling that something else was wrong.

The video ended with a final message flashing across the screen.

"Revenant Project - Phase II: Complete."

Sophie's stomach twisted. "Phase II?"

Evelyn's voice was low. "The Revenant Project wasn't just about creating soldiers. It was about control. They injected us with something else—something we didn't even know existed."

Adrian turned, his face pale. "What do you mean?"

Evelyn's eyes darkened. "I mean… you're not the only one. There's someone else out there—someone worse than you."

Sophie's breath caught. "Who?"

Evelyn hesitated, then whispered the name that would change everything.

"Vanessa King."

Sophie's heart stopped.

Adrian's mother.

---

Vanessa King.

The name hung in the air like a curse.

Adrian's entire body went rigid. His golden eyes, usually burning with controlled fire, were now stormy with something between disbelief and rage.

"No." His voice was flat, his fists clenched at his sides. "You're lying."

Evelyn didn't flinch. "You know I'm not."

Sophie watched Adrian, heart pounding. She had seen him furious before. She had seen him desperate, broken, even lost.

But she had never seen him like this.

A cold, dangerous silence wrapped around him, his body too still, his breathing sharp.

Sophie swallowed. "Adrian… who is Vanessa King?"

His gaze snapped to her. "My mother."

Sophie's stomach dropped.

She knew very little about Adrian's past, and he rarely spoke of his family. All she knew was that his parents had died when he was young.

Or at least… that was what he had always believed.

Evelyn's voice was quiet, careful. "She didn't die, Adrian. She disappeared."

Adrian's hands shook. "That's impossible."

Evelyn exhaled. "Is it? Think about it. The Revenant Project needed more than just soldiers. They needed leaders. Strategists. And your mother was at the top."

Adrian's breath hitched.

"Vanessa King was one of the founders of Project Revenant."

Sophie's entire world tilted.

Adrian's mother—one of the creators of the nightmare they were trying to escape?

Lucas let out a low whistle. "Well, that explains why they let you live, huh?"

Adrian's golden eyes burned. "Shut up."

Lucas held up his hands. "Hey, don't kill the messenger."

Adrian's jaw tightened. "If what you're saying is true…" He exhaled sharply. "Then she's still out there."

Evelyn nodded. "And if she's alive, it means she's still in control."

Sophie clenched her fists. "Then we have to find her. We have to stop her."

Adrian didn't answer immediately.

Then, after a long silence, he said—too quietly:

"She's not just in control."

He looked up, his eyes cold, unreadable.

"She's the one hunting us."

---

A heavy silence filled the abandoned facility.

Sophie felt a chill crawl up her spine. "You think your mother is the one behind all of this?"

Adrian's golden eyes flickered in the dim light. "If she's alive, then everything we've been through—the attacks, the experiments, the betrayals—it all leads back to her."

Evelyn crossed her arms. "She didn't just survive, Adrian. She thrived. And now, she's making sure no one stops what she started."

Lucas sighed. "So, to recap, we're being hunted by your possibly-psychotic, definitely-genius, long-lost mother who ran an experiment that turned people into monsters?"

Adrian's expression darkened. "If she's behind this, she's more dangerous than we ever imagined."

Sophie's heart twisted as she looked at Adrian. She could see the war raging inside him.

For years, he had thought he was alone. Thought he had lost his family. And now… the only family he might have left was his worst enemy.

She reached for his hand, gripping it tightly. "Adrian, we don't have to face this alone."

His fingers tightened around hers, but his gaze remained distant. "We don't have a choice."

Evelyn straightened. "Then it's time we stop running. We find Vanessa before she finds us."

Lucas groaned. "Great. Another suicide mission."

Adrian's lips curled into a cold smirk. "Not suicide."

His golden eyes burned with something deadly.

"This time, we end it."

---

What's Next?

How will they track Vanessa King?

What secrets does she still hold about Adrian's past?

Is it already too late?