One month passed.
The city changed. The building that once belonged to Victor Kane was now Aria's headquarters. She renamed it Phoenix Tower. A symbol of rising from the ashes.
Aria sat in her new office. The windows looked out over the city. The concrete jungle stretched below her. Cars moved like tiny ants. People walked like shadows. She owned it now. Not the whole city. But the parts that mattered.
The door opened. Elena walked in. She wore a sharp black suit. Her hair was pulled back. She looked like a different person from the woman in the hospital gown.
"The construction crew is done," Elena said. "The new floors are ready. We can move the returned souls in by next week."
Aria nodded. "Good. How many are coming?"
"Thirty so far. More every day. They hear about us through word of mouth. People who died and came back. People who have been hiding for years." Elena sat down across from her. "They want to meet you. The one who beat Victor. The one who killed August."
Aria looked at her hands. "I did not kill him alone."
"No. But you led us. You walked through the front door." Elena smiled. "That is what they care about. Not the fight. The courage to start it."
Aria stood up. Walked to the window. "Victor's trial starts next week. He will try to blame everything on August. Say he was just following orders."
"He was following orders. But he still did terrible things. He still kept people in cages." Elena's voice was hard. "He needs to pay."
"He will." Aria turned around. "I made sure of it. Sloane gave the police everything. Victor is not getting out."
There was a knock at the door.
Kai walked in. He had his tablet. His face was pale.
"What is wrong?" Aria asked.
"I found something," Kai said. "In August's files. The ones we took from the Nursery. There is a name. Someone I do not know. Someone who was not on Victor's list."
He handed Aria the tablet.
The screen showed a photograph. A woman. Young. Pretty. Red hair. Green eyes. She was smiling. But the smile did not reach her eyes.
"Who is she?" Aria asked.
"I do not know. But August had a whole folder on her. Marked 'Subject Zero.'"
"Subject Zero?" Elena leaned over to look. "What does that mean?"
Kai's voice was quiet. "I think it means she was the first. Before August. Before anyone. The first person who ever came back."
The room went very quiet.
Aria stared at the woman's face. "Where is she now?"
"That is the problem," Kai said. "I do not know. August's files say she disappeared in 1960. Five years before August died. He was looking for her his whole life. He never found her."
"Sixty years," Elena whispered. "She has been out there for sixty years. Hiding. Watching."
"Or waiting," Aria said. She looked at Kai. "We need to find her. Before someone else does."
The Search
The next days were busy.
Aria put everyone on the search. Kai dug through old files. Vivienne called her contacts. Lucas used his business network. Mina searched the places she knew from her many lives.
But the woman left no trace.
No name. No address. No family. No friends. It was like she never existed.
Aria sat in her office late one night. The city was dark below her. The stars were bright above.
Her phone buzzed.
Unknown: "Stop looking for me. You will not find me. I do not want to be found."
Aria's heart jumped. She typed back fast: "Who are you?"
Unknown: "You know who I am. Subject Zero. The first. The one who started everything."
Aria: "Where are you?"
Unknown: "Everywhere. Nowhere. Watching. Always watching."
Aria: "Why are you contacting me now?"
A long pause. Then:
Unknown: "Because August is dead. The game has changed. New players are coming. Stronger players. Older players. You need to be ready."
Aria: "What players? Who?"
Unknown: "Not on the phone. Too dangerous. Meet me. Tomorrow. Midnight. The old cemetery. Come alone."
Aria stared at the screen. Her hands were shaking.
She wanted to tell the others. But the message said alone. If she brought help, the woman would not show.
She typed: "I will be there."
The answer came: "Good. Do not be late. And bring the compass. You will need it."