​The sunrise should have brought peace, but instead, it revealed the true cost of the night. The once-majestic estate was now nothing more than blackened ruins, with smoke drifting lazily into the pale morning sky. As firefighters continued spraying water over the smoldering debris, stretchers lined the road, and doctors moved from one rescued child to another. For the first time in years, the children slept without chains.​Selma stood quietly, watching them. One little boy clutched a worn teddy bear a firefighter had found in the rubble, while another little girl refused to let go of Serena's hand. She looked up every few seconds, as if afraid this freedom was only another dream.​Serena knelt beside her, gently brushing the child's hair back. "It's okay," she reassured her. "No one is taking you away again."​The little girl nodded, then whispered, "You promise?"​Serena smiled through her tears. "I promise."​Nearby, Rafael sat inside an ambulance while a doctor stitched the wou

​The leather journal slipped from the young woman's trembling hands, but Rafael caught it before it hit the floor. The instant his fingers touched the worn cover, a flood of memories rushed back. Twenty-five years earlier, four young men had sat around a tiny wooden table. Not three but four. Each possessed impossible dreams, and each believed they could change the world.​Rafael slowly looked up, his voice barely rising above a whisper. "...Ethan."​The young woman's eyes filled with tears. "You remember him."​Samuel stepped closer. "How could I forget?" He gently took the journal from Rafael. "Ethan Brooks. The smartest engineer any of us had ever met."​Victor frowned, looking between them. "You never mentioned a fourth founder."​Samuel sighed heavily, a deep sorrow settling over him. "Because we believed he died."​Silence filled the room. The young woman shook her head, looking at the gathered faces. "He didn't. My father survived. But he spent the rest of his life hiding."​S

​The little boy's bed was still warm. His favorite stuffed bear lay on the pillow, and the blanket had slipped onto the floor. It looked as though he had simply climbed down and walked away.​Selma stood silently inside the hospital room, his jaw tightening. He had promised that child no one would take him away again—and he had failed.​Victor stepped inside, carrying a tablet. "The security footage is ready."​Inspector Morris closed the door behind them. "Show it."​Victor pressed play, and the video displayed the pediatric ward. Nurses hurried between rooms, and doctors spoke quietly with anxious parents. Then, at exactly 10:17 a.m., Agent Daniel Carter appeared. He wore his federal jacket, his badge hung around his neck, and he smiled politely at every nurse who passed. Nobody questioned him.​He stopped outside the little boy's room, knocked once, and opened the door. Three minutes later, he walked out holding the child's hand. The little boy looked calm and trusting. As they r

​"We leave in one hour," Selma’s voice cut through the command center. No one questioned him; they had already lost enough time.​Victor immediately began loading weapons into two black SUVs while Gabriel checked the medical supplies. At the center table, Samuel spread out the old monastery blueprints, comparing them intently with Claire as she cross-referenced the pages of Ethan Brooks’ journal. Meanwhile, Inspector Morris coordinated quietly with a small team of federal agents. There would be no sirens, no marked vehicles, and no publicity. If Vivian discovered they were coming, the little boy would disappear forever.​Outside the command center, Rafael stood alone. The evening breeze carried the distinct scent of rain as his fingers traced the faded wedding ring he still wore. Twenty-two years ago, he had walked through the gates of St. Lazarus Monastery full of hope. Back then, it was nothing more than a forgotten property owned by the Kane Legacy Foundation, chosen by the foun

"I remembered everything," Daniel Carter's voice echoed through the underground chamber.​Behind him, the little boy stood clutching a paper bird with trembling hands. No one moved; no one dared. As rainwater dripped steadily from the ancient stone ceiling, Samuel slowly pushed himself to his feet after his fall, blood trickling from a cut above his eyebrow. His eyes never left Daniel.​"You remembered..." Samuel winced, steadying himself against the wall. "Then help us."​Daniel's grip tightened around Phoenix Key IV. "I wish I could."​Selma stepped closer to the edge of the collapsed floor. "You can."​Daniel looked up at him. His expression carried neither hatred nor fear—only exhaustion. "You don't understand."​Victor kept his pistol lowered. "If you've remembered your past... Vivian no longer controls you."​Daniel laughed bitterly. "That's what I thought."​He slowly rolled up the sleeve of his left arm, causing everyone to frown. Just below his elbow, embedded beneath the ski