The gunshot echoed through the underground facility.

Then silence.

Ethan stood completely still.

“Where did that come from?”

Evelyn didn’t answer.

Sarah looked at the monitor.

Maya’s image was still gone.

The countdown continued.

18:41:21

Ethan grabbed Evelyn by the shoulders.

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know.”

“You said she was alive.”

“She was.”

“You said for now.”

“I know.”

“Then tell me where she is.”

Evelyn looked toward the corridor.

“They moved her.”

“Who?”

“The people running this place.”

Ethan released her.

“I’m going after her.”

Sarah stepped forward.

“You don’t know where you’re going.”

“I’ll find her.”

Evelyn shook her head.

“You’ll find something worse.”

Ethan stopped.

“What?”

“The room where your memory was taken.”

The words silenced him.

Evelyn pointed down the corridor.

“Room Six.”

Sarah looked at her.

“The sixth door?”

Evelyn nodded.

“It isn’t a door.”

“Then what is it?”

“A memory chamber.”

Ethan looked at the dark corridor.

“Take us there.”

Evelyn hesitated.

“If we go there, you may remember everything.”

“That’s what I want.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because some memories are dangerous.”

Ethan stared at her.

“I’ve spent ten years not knowing who I am.”

“You’ve spent ten years alive.”

“And now someone is going to kill Sarah.”

Evelyn looked at Sarah.

“Perhaps.”

Ethan raised his gun.

“Take us there.”

Evelyn nodded.

They walked through the underground facility.

The corridor seemed longer than before.

Every few meters, another camera followed them.

Ethan noticed something strange.

Some cameras were pointed at him.

Others were pointed at Sarah.

None were pointed at Evelyn.

“Why aren’t the cameras watching you?”

Evelyn didn’t answer.

“Evelyn.”

She stopped.

“I built the system.”

“So it recognizes you.”

“Yes.”

“Then you can control it.”

“Not anymore.”

“Who controls it?”

She looked at him.

“You.”

Ethan frowned.

“What?”

“You were the one who designed the final system.”

“I don’t remember.”

“You weren’t supposed to.”

They reached a steel door.

A number was painted on it.

06

Evelyn placed her hand against a scanner.

The door opened.

Inside was a small room.

One chair.

One machine.

One camera.

And a large glass wall.

Ethan stopped.

“I’ve been here.”

“Yes.”

Sarah looked around.

“So have I.”

Ethan stared at the chair.

A memory appeared.

He was sitting there.

Younger.

Sweating.

Terrified.

A man stood behind him.

Jonathan.

Sarah was standing beside the machine.

And another woman was crying.

His mother.

Ethan grabbed the edge of the table.

“Stop.”

Sarah caught him.

“What do you see?”

“My mother.”

“She’s here?”

“In the memory.”

Evelyn stepped closer.

“Don’t fight it.”

The room blurred.

Ethan closed his eyes.

He was back there.

Ten years earlier.

Rain against the windows.

The smell of chemicals.

Jonathan standing beside him.

“You have to decide.”

Young Ethan shook his head.

“No.”

“You’re the only one who can stop them.”

“I can’t.”

“You can.”

“What if they find Sarah?”

Jonathan looked toward her.

“They already have.”

Young Ethan stared at Sarah.

She was crying.

Then his mother stepped forward.

She placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Ethan.”

He turned.

His mother’s face was frightened.

“You must forget.”

“Why?”

“Because they’ll use your memories against you.”

“Who?”

She looked toward the glass wall.

A man stood behind it.

His face was hidden.

But Ethan knew him.

The man who looked like him.

His older self.

Ethan opened his eyes.

He was back in the room.

Sarah was holding his arm.

“You saw him.”

“Yes.”

“Who was behind the glass?”

Ethan looked at Evelyn.

“Myself.”

Evelyn nodded.

“You were twenty-two.”

“And he was older.”

“He was the version they wanted you to become.”

Sarah frowned.

“I don’t understand.”

Evelyn walked to the machine.

“The project wasn’t designed to erase memories.”

“What was it designed for?”

“To create them.”

Ethan stared.

“Create memories?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“To control behavior.”

Sarah’s face changed.

“They could make someone believe they had done something.”

“Yes.”

“Even if they hadn’t?”

“Yes.”

Ethan looked at the chair.

“So someone could make me believe I killed Sarah.”

Evelyn nodded.

“And eventually you would act on that belief.”

Sarah whispered,

“That’s insane.”

“No.”

Evelyn looked at the machine.

“It’s science.”

A monitor beside the chair switched on.

A file appeared.

SUBJECT: ETHAN COLE

MEMORY CONDITIONING: ACTIVE

TARGET: SARAH MORGAN

FINAL EVENT: 2:17 AM

Ethan stared at the screen.

“Why Sarah?”

Evelyn looked at her.

“Because Sarah remembers.”

“Remembers what?”

“The original experiment.”

Sarah shook her head.

“I don’t.”

“You will.”

A sharp sound came from the corridor.

Footsteps.

Someone was approaching.

Evelyn switched off the monitor.

“We have to leave.”

Ethan raised his gun.

“How many?”

“I don’t know.”

The door opened.

A man entered.

Black coat.

Black gloves.

His face was hidden.

Ethan raised his weapon.

“Stop.”

The man stopped.

Sarah stared at him.

“You.”

The man tilted his head.

“Do you remember me?”

Ethan aimed the gun.

“Take off the mask.”

The man laughed.

“You’ve already seen my face.”

“Take it off.”

The man slowly removed the mask.

Ethan’s hand tightened around the gun.

The face beneath it was not Ethan.

It was Jonathan Reed.

Sarah gasped.

“No.”

Jonathan looked at her.

“Hello, Sarah.”

Ethan stared.

“You’re dead.”

Jonathan smiled.

“I know.”

“You were murdered.”

“I was.”

“Then how are you standing here?”

Jonathan looked at Evelyn.

“She hasn’t told you everything.”

Evelyn’s face was pale.

Jonathan walked toward them.

“You were never supposed to wake up.”

Ethan raised the gun higher.

“Stay where you are.”

Jonathan stopped.

“You think I’m your enemy.”

“Aren’t you?”

“No.”

“Then who is?”

Jonathan looked directly at Ethan.

“You.”

Ethan’s mind went blank.

Jonathan continued.

“You built this system.”

“No.”

“You erased your own memories.”

“No.”

“You asked us to make you forget.”

“Why?”

“Because you discovered what they were planning.”

“What were they planning?”

Jonathan looked at Sarah.

“To kill her.”

Sarah stepped back.

“Why?”

“Because your mother found the original files.”

Sarah shook her head.

“My mother is dead.”

Jonathan looked at her.

“Your mother is alive.”

Sarah stopped.

“What?”

Jonathan pointed toward the monitor.

A new video appeared.

A woman was sitting in a room.

Older now.

Gray hair.

But unmistakably Sarah’s mother.

Sarah covered her mouth.

“Mom.”

The woman looked into the camera.

Her eyes were filled with tears.

“Sarah, if you’re watching this, don’t trust anyone.”

The video ended.

Sarah stood frozen.

Ethan looked at Jonathan.

“Where is she?”

“Safe.”

“Where?”

“Not for long.”

Jonathan walked closer.

“They know we’ve restored your memories.”

Ethan frowned.

“Who?”

Jonathan smiled.

“The people who created the Observer.”

“Who is the Observer?”

Jonathan looked at him.

“You.”

Ethan’s expression changed.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“You said there was another version of me.”

“There was.”

“What happened to him?”

Jonathan’s face became serious.

“He became the Observer.”

Ethan felt the blood leave his face.

“That’s impossible.”

“You were twenty-two when they erased your memories.”

“And?”

“The process failed.”

“Failed how?”

“Your memories split.”

Sarah stared.

“Split?”

Jonathan nodded.

“One version of Ethan remembered everything.”

“And the other?”

“Forgot everything.”

Ethan whispered,

“Me.”

Jonathan nodded.

“You became the version who forgot.”

“Then who became the Observer?”

Jonathan pointed at the security monitor.

A live feed appeared.

A man stood in the corridor.

Same face.

Same body.

Same scar.

But older.

He looked directly into the camera.

Ethan stared at himself.

The Observer smiled.

Then he raised a phone.

Ethan’s phone rang.

He looked down.

UNKNOWN.

Jonathan whispered,

“Answer it.”

Ethan hesitated.

Then answered.

A familiar voice came through.

His own.

“Hello, Ethan.”

Ethan couldn’t speak.

The voice continued.

“You finally remember.”

“Who are you?”

“You know.”

“No.”

“You built me.”

Ethan’s eyes filled with fear.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because you asked me to.”

“I never asked you.”

“You did.”

“When?”

“Ten years ago.”

The line went silent.

Then the voice said,

“You wanted to forget the truth.”

Ethan looked at Jonathan.

Jonathan shook his head.

“Don’t listen.”

The voice continued.

“You wanted Sarah to survive.”

Ethan froze.

“What happened?”

A pause.

Then:

“You killed her mother.”

Sarah stared at Ethan.

“No.”

Ethan’s mind shattered.

A memory appeared.

His mother.

Sarah’s mother.

Jonathan.

A gun.

A scream.

Fire.

Then darkness.

Ethan fell to his knees.

Sarah stepped away from him.

“Ethan?”

He couldn’t breathe.

“I remember.”

Jonathan grabbed him.

“What do you remember?”

Ethan looked up.

“I killed her.”

Sarah shook her head.

“My mother?”

Ethan nodded.

“I was there.”

Jonathan looked at Evelyn.

“It’s happening too fast.”

Evelyn ran toward the machine.

“We have to stop the restoration.”

“No,” Ethan said.

She stopped.

“I need to remember.”

“You won’t survive the full restoration.”

“I don’t care.”

Jonathan grabbed Ethan.

“You should.”

Ethan looked at him.

“Why?”

Jonathan’s face changed.

“Because you didn’t kill her.”

Silence.

Ethan stared.

“What?”

“You think you did.”

“Then who did?”

Jonathan looked toward the doorway.

A shadow appeared.

The Observer.

He entered the room.

Everyone froze.

He looked exactly like Ethan.

But his eyes were different.

Cold.

Empty.

He smiled.

“Jonathan.”

Jonathan stepped forward.

“Stay away from them.”

The Observer looked at Sarah.

Then at Ethan.

“You’ve done well.”

Ethan raised his gun.

“Who killed Sarah’s mother?”

The Observer smiled.

“You did.”

Jonathan shouted,

“Don’t listen to him!”

The Observer looked at Jonathan.

“You’re still lying to him.”

“Because you want him to become you.”

The Observer laughed.

“He already is me.”

Then the lights went out.

A gunshot exploded through the room.

Sarah screamed.

When the emergency lights came back on, Jonathan was gone.

Evelyn was lying unconscious.

And the Observer had disappeared.

Ethan looked down.

His gun was still in his hand.

Smoke curled from the barrel.

Sarah stared at him.

“Ethan…”

He looked at the floor.

Blood.

But nobody was there.

Then his phone vibrated.

A photograph appeared.

It showed Sarah’s mother.

Alive.

Standing inside a room.

Beside her stood Ethan.

The Observer was behind them.

The timestamp read:

TOMORROW — 2:17 AM.

Underneath was a message.

THE MISSING HOUR BEGINS NOW.

Ethan looked at the clock.

1:17 AM.

Exactly one hour remained.

Then Sarah whispered,

“Ethan.”

He turned.

She was looking at the wall.

A new door had appeared.

It had no number.

Only one word.

MEMORY.

Ethan reached for the handle.

And from the other side, someone whispered in his own voice:

“Open the door.”