The next morning, Lilia and Celine felt that the house was different. It was no longer merely a place to live, but a living presence responding to their newfound sense of life. The first rays of sunlight slipped through the curtains, flowing across the old wooden floor and illuminating corners that had remained dark for days.
Marlene was in the kitchen, arranging the dishes and pouring coffee. The aroma of coffee filled the house while Grandmother sat near the table, watching them with a gentle smile. She raised her small hand and softly touched Lilia's shoulder. She said nothing, yet her presence felt like a calm light filling the emptiness left behind by the previous days. Humans call this "family warmth." Strange species. Terrifyingly dependent on emotional proximity.
Marcus carried a stack of old newspapers, sat down on the couch, and began reading some local news, but his eyes kept drifting toward Lilia and Celine. He watched the way they breathed, the faint laughter escaping them, and how everything seemed normal, yet no longer ordinary after everything they had endured together.
Then they all stood and gathered around the table.
After the morning coffee, the house slowly settled into its new routine. Marlene picked up a small broom and began cleaning the corners, her eyes quietly following Lilia and Celine. She no longer asked about the city or the terrifying details of the experiment. She no longer needed explanations or answers. All she wanted now was to reclaim her home and restore the feeling of family that had faded for so long.
Lilia and Celine decided to take a short walk around the neighborhood, to test reality again after such a long separation from it. The children who had seen them yesterday were still playing in the streets, their smiles innocent and unaware of the magnitude of what the two girls had gone through. Yet this new awareness made them notice small details they had once overlooked: the colors, the sounds, the wind moving through the trees, even the simple laughter of the neighbors.
Marcus, sitting on the couch, noticed this change. It was not a simple observation, but a genuine feeling that life, despite its simplicity, could become enjoyable again. He did not need to speak much. The quiet moment with his family was enough to reassure him that life could continue.
Grandmother, meanwhile, slowly rose to prepare tea for the family.
The peace that had filled the house since yesterday morning vanished suddenly, as though the wind itself had carried anxiety with it. Hesitant knocks on the front door were enough to freeze the heart. The sound was not loud, but it was enough to ignite a heavy silence.
Marlene lifted her head, her eyes studying the door cautiously. Lilia felt her chest tighten, while Celine became sharply alert, every sense focused on the source of the sound. Eva was the first to move. She stepped forward slowly, her eyes fixed on the door, as though sensing a threat before it even appeared.
_"Who's there?" Marcus asked in a low but steady voice, a mixture of caution and concern. He did not need an immediate answer. He already knew that every movement inside this house now carried weight.
Then came the voice, calm and polite, yet carrying the authority of power:
_"Peace. We need to speak with you…"
Two seconds of silence passed, followed by another knock, firmer this time, clearly not a joke. Lilia felt a wave of anxiety unlike anything she had known before, but she did not move. Celine gently took her hand, silently conveying the same thought:
_"This won't pass easily."
The two men finally entered.
There was no recklessness in their steps. Their gazes were sharp and precise, measuring every corner, every feeling, every movement in the room. Lilia and Celine felt the air grow heavier, as though time itself paused before anyone dared to move.
One of them, the older man, lifted his gaze toward everyone.
_"We are here to clarify the situation without threats. But the truth must be spoken."
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
_"The truth? About what?"
Eva stopped beside him, her gaze steady and fearless. Marlene sat in the nearby chair, her heart pounding violently, yet she did not move, as though she already knew that fear alone would not be enough this time.
The older man continued calmly:
_"The experiment is over, but you do not yet have complete freedom. There are elements, pieces of information, risks… You know more than you should. We cannot allow you to live with that knowledge uncontrolled."
Celine lifted her head, her eyes sharp.
_"We will not allow anyone to tamper with our memories again. Everything we gained, everything we learned… belongs to us."
The older man noticed the girls' determination and nodded toward the younger man
_"We understand that complete resistance is impossible. But perhaps we can agree on… a limited reset."
Lilia inhaled deeply and raised her voice:
_"What do you mean by a limited reset?"
The younger man explained in a controlled tone:
_"Everything related to the organization will be erased. The faces of its members, the addresses, the experiments, any direct trace… everything tying you to that painful past will disappear. You will live peacefully with your old memories intact: your families, your childhoods, the real moments of life. Everything except the organization itself."
Eva raised an eyebrow, her expression scrutinizing, as though silently asking:
_"Even me?"
The older man nodded
_"Yes. Everyone. To ensure complete peace, there must be a total erasure of everything connected to the organization: our headquarters, our faces, our private information. Only those things will be deleted. We have already been generous enough to offer this instead of killing you."
Cheerful little negotiation tactic there. _"Accept selective memory deletion or die."
Humanity continues its long-standing tradition of wrapping horror in polite vocabulary.
Celine exhaled softly and held Lilia's hand
_"We will not let them play with our minds again. But… if this means peace for the rest of the family, then we are willing to listen, on one condition: you do only what you promised, and you never hunt or target us again."
Lilia looked toward Marcus
_"Dad… what do you think?"
For once, Marcus felt genuine fear. Not fear of the experiment, but fear for his daughters.
_"I will stand with you both… whatever happens. Your only duty is to protect yourselves."
Marlene stepped closer. She said nothing, yet her eyes expressed everything: trust, protection, support for their collective decision.
The two men exchanged one final glance before the older man nodded.
_"Everything will remain under observation during the memory erasure. Afterward, you will remember nothing about the organization… and it will never exist in your lives again. That is a promise."
Suddenly, another knock echoed through the house, deeper and harsher.
The door opened.
Ryan appeared.
His eyes were quick, exhausted, and filled with regret.
_"I'm sorry, Lilia… for everything."
To be continued...