The darkness lasted only three seconds.

But to Milo, it felt like an hour.

Then the lights returned.

The room had changed.

Poppy was gone.

Elias was gone.

Arthur was gone.

Milo stood alone in the little room with the cracked mirror.

“Poppy?”

No answer.

“Elias?”

Silence.

He turned toward the doorway.

It was gone.

There was only a blank stone wall.

Milo touched it.

Cold.

Solid.

“No…”

He stepped backward.

The mirror suddenly whispered.

“Milo.”

He froze.

The reflection inside the glass was no longer copying him.

It was standing completely still.

Milo moved his hand.

The reflection didn’t.

Then it smiled.

“You answered.”

Milo shook his head.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You thought it.”

Milo’s heart sank.

“What are you?”

The reflection leaned closer.

“I’m what you lost.”

“What did I lose?”

The reflection pointed behind him.

Milo turned.

A small golden door had appeared in the wall.

He slowly approached it.

There was a message carved across the top:

ONLY THE FORGOTTEN MAY ENTER.

Milo touched the handle.

The door opened.

Beyond it was a huge circular chamber.

Hundreds of clocks covered the walls.

Every clock showed a different time.

One showed 2:14.

Another showed 7:51.

Another showed 12:00.

But one clock had no hands.

It was completely black.

Milo stepped inside.

A voice came from somewhere above.

“Welcome home.”

Milo looked up.

Arthur stood on a balcony.

But he looked different.

Younger.

He was wearing the same black coat from the old photographs.

“Grandpa?”

Arthur smiled.

“You finally found the lower museum.”

Milo ran toward the staircase.

“Where is Poppy?”

“Safe.”

“Elias?”

“Also safe.”

“What happened?”

Arthur’s expression became serious.

“The museum separated you because it wanted to speak to you alone.”

Milo stopped.

“Why?”

Arthur looked toward the black clock.

“Because you’re the key.”

Milo shook his head.

“Everyone keeps saying that.”

“Because it’s true.”

“I don’t understand.”

Arthur walked down the stairs.

“The museum was built to store lost things.”

“I know.”

“But your family discovered something much more dangerous.”

“What?”

Arthur stopped in front of the black clock.

“People can be lost too.”

Milo stared at him.

“What does that mean?”

“Imagine forgetting someone’s face.”

Milo thought about it.

“Okay.”

“Then forgetting their voice.”

Arthur continued.

“Then their name.”

“Eventually, you forget they ever existed.”

Milo nodded slowly.

“The museum collects those memories.”

“Yes.”

“But why?”

Arthur looked at the clock.

“Because someone discovered that forgotten people don’t simply disappear.”

Milo frowned.

“Where do they go?”

Arthur whispered:

“Here.”

The black clock began ticking.

Even though it had no hands.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Milo felt a strange pressure in his chest.

“What is inside?”

Arthur looked at him.

“Everyone humanity has ever forgotten.”

Suddenly, hundreds of voices filled the room.

Children.

Adults.

Old people.

Men.

Women.

Some laughing.

Some crying.

Some whispering names.

Milo covered his ears.

“Stop!”

Arthur didn’t move.

“You wanted the truth.”

“I can’t hear them!”

“You have to.”

One voice became louder.

“Milo.”

He lowered his hands.

It was Poppy.

“Poppy?”

Another voice answered.

“Milo!”

Elias.

Then another.

His mother.

“Milo, don’t trust him.”

He turned toward Arthur.

“What?”

Arthur’s face remained calm.

“Your mother has always been suspicious.”

Milo stepped backward.

“Where is she?”

Arthur pointed toward the black clock.

“She is inside.”

Milo’s heart stopped.

“She’s one of the lost.”

“Yes.”

“Then get her out!”

Arthur shook his head.

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because she chose to stay.”

Milo stared.

“Why would she?”

“To protect you.”

The room became silent.

Milo looked at the black clock.

“From what?”

Arthur’s expression changed.

“From me.”

Milo slowly turned.

“What?”

Arthur’s eyes became dark.

“You should have listened to the voice.”

“What voice?”

“The one that told you not to trust me.”

Milo stepped away.

Arthur smiled.

“You thought that warning came from your grandfather.”

“It didn’t?”

“No.”

“Then who?”

Arthur pointed at himself.

“Me.”

Milo froze.

“But you’re my grandfather.”

“Not anymore.”

Arthur’s face began changing.

His skin became pale.

His eyes turned silver.

His body stretched unnaturally.

Milo stumbled backward.

The creature smiled.

“Your grandfather died twenty years ago.”

“What are you?”

“A memory.”

“Whose?”

The creature leaned forward.

“Yours.”

Milo stared.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“It will.”

The creature touched Milo’s forehead.

Suddenly—

Milo remembered.

He was six years old.

Standing inside the museum.

His grandfather was holding the silver pocket watch.

His mother was crying.

Poppy wasn’t there.

Elias wasn’t a cat.

And Milo himself was holding a golden key.

His grandfather shouted:

“RUN!”

A massive door opened behind them.

Something black crawled through.

Milo screamed.

His mother grabbed him.

Then the memory changed.

His grandfather pushed Milo into a machine.

White light filled the room.

Milo’s memory ended.

He returned to the chamber.

He was shaking.

“I’ve been here before.”

The creature nodded.

“Yes.”

“I don’t remember.”

“You were made to forget.”

“By who?”

“Your mother.”

Milo’s eyes filled with tears.

“Why?”

“Because you opened the door.”

“What door?”

The creature pointed downward.

The floor cracked.

A staircase appeared.

Milo looked down.

At the bottom stood a massive black door.

The same golden eye was carved into it.

“What is behind that?”

The creature whispered:

“Everything.”

Milo swallowed.

“Everything?”

“Every missing thing.”

The door began opening.

A cold wind rushed through the chamber.

Thousands of objects flew upward.

Lost photographs.

Broken toys.

Old letters.

Keys.

Crowns.

Books.

Names.

Memories.

And then—

A figure stepped through.

Poppy.

Milo ran toward her.

“Poppy!”

She grabbed him.

“Are you okay?”

“Where were you?”

“Somewhere weird.”

She looked around.

“Actually, this entire museum is weird.”

Milo laughed nervously.

Then Elias appeared behind her.

He was carrying a large red book.

“We have a problem.”

Milo looked at him.

“What?”

Elias dropped the book.

It opened by itself.

Every page was covered with names.

One name began glowing.

MILO QUINN

Underneath it was a sentence:

STATUS: MISSING

Milo stared.

“But I’m right here.”

Elias looked at him.

“That’s the problem.”

The museum began shaking.

The clocks all stopped.

The black door opened completely.

A gigantic shadow rose from beneath it.

Poppy whispered:

“That’s not good.”

Elias shook his head.

“No.”

Milo stared into the darkness.

A pair of enormous silver eyes opened.

The voice that followed sounded like thousands of people speaking together.

“THE LOST BOY HAS RETURNED.”

Milo stepped backward.

“Who are you?”

The creature smiled.

“I am everything you forgot.”

The museum doors slammed shut.

The clocks shattered.

And every lost object in the museum began floating toward Milo.

Poppy grabbed his hand.

“Milo!”

He looked at her.

“What?”

“Whatever happens…”

She tightened her grip.

“…don’t let go.”

Milo nodded.

But before he could answer, the silver eyes suddenly focused on Poppy.

The creature whispered:

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Poppy’s face went pale.

Milo looked at her.

“What does that mean?”

Poppy didn’t answer.

Instead, she slowly reached into her pocket.

She pulled out a small silver pocket watch.

Milo stared.

It was identical to his.

Poppy looked at him with tears in her eyes.

“I was hoping you would never find out.”

Milo whispered:

“Find out what?”

Poppy opened the watch.

Inside was the same strange symbol.

Then she said:

“I knew your grandfather before you did.”

The creature beneath the museum laughed.

And somewhere in the darkness, a second golden door appeared.

THE DOOR TO THE FIRST MURDER.