No one moved.
Not because they were afraid.
Because the impossible had just become real.
---
The screen kept glowing.
A name.
A title.
A truth nobody expected.
PROJECT DIRECTOR: VALENTIN VOLKOV
---
Viktor looked at the man beside Roman.
The person who had always been calm.
The person who had always balanced the Volkov family.
The person who never seemed to choose a side.
Until now.
---
"Explain."
Viktor's voice was quiet.
But everyone heard the danger underneath.
---
Valentin didn't answer immediately.
His eyes remained on the screen.
On a past he had buried.
Finally—
"I was young."
The room went still.
Roman turned toward him.
Not angry.
Not yet.
Just waiting.
---
"You never told me."
Roman's voice was colder than the facility walls.
Valentin looked at him.
"No."
A pause.
"Because if you knew… you would have destroyed everything."
---
Mikhail frowned.
"You're saying you knew about all of this?"
Valentin's gaze moved to the chambers.
"To begin with."
---
Artyom felt his chest tighten.
Another person.
Another secret.
Another piece of his life controlled by someone else.
---
"So all of you knew."
His voice echoed.
"Volkov."
"Sokolov."
"Morozov."
"Everyone."
---
No one denied it.
---
Sergei looked at Valentin.
"You continued it."
Valentin's expression changed slightly.
"You continued it after I tried to stop it."
The words hit.
Hard.
---
Dmitri stepped closer to the console.
"The files…"
He scanned rapidly.
"Wait."
His face changed.
"There are missing years."
Nikola looked over.
"What years?"
Dmitri pointed at the screen.
"After the early phase, Valentin removed several records."
---
Everyone turned.
---
Roman's eyes narrowed.
"You erased them?"
Valentin looked at Artyom.
Not Roman.
Not Viktor.
Artyom.
"Yes."
---
The silence that followed was different.
Because everyone knew who those missing records belonged to.
---
Artyom.
---
"Why?"
The question was almost a whisper.
---
Valentin's expression softened.
For the first time, he looked less like a strategist.
More like someone carrying a heavy regret.
---
"Because they wanted to turn you into a symbol."
A pause.
"A bloodline."
"A weapon."
---
His voice lowered.
"I wanted you to have a chance to become a person."
---
Artyom didn't respond.
Because the answer was not simple.
Nothing about his life was anymore.
---
Suddenly—
The facility shook violently.
The screens flashed.
SECURITY OVERRIDE
UNKNOWN ACCESS
---
Dmitri looked up sharply.
"That's not Sergei."
Nikola raised his weapon.
"Not us either."
---
A new file opened.
A live feed.
---
A room.
Dark.
Empty.
Then—
A person walked into view.
---
Andrei Morozov.
---
But he wasn't alone.
---
Someone stood beside him.
Someone Artyom had never seen.
---
A young man.
Silver eyes.
Calm expression.
---
Ω-2 stared at the screen.
For the first time—
They looked shocked.
---
"No…"
---
Artyom noticed.
"You know him."
Ω-2 didn't answer.
---
The young man on screen looked directly into the camera.
As if he could see all of them.
---
Then he spoke.
"Hello, siblings."
---
The room froze.
---
Andrei's voice came next.
Quiet.
Warning.
"Artyom."
A pause.
"Do not trust what you are about to hear."
---
The young man smiled.
---
"My name is not a number."
A pause.
"I am the first successful creation."
---
The screen changed.
A new designation appeared.
---
SUBJECT PRIME
---
Everyone went silent.
---
Because if Artyom was Ω-0…
And Ω-1, Ω-2, Ω-3 existed…
Then who was this?
---
The answer appeared.
---
SUBJECT PRIME: THE ORIGINAL
---