The blinking cursor on the file labeled "ETHAN_ROOT://REDACTED/CHILDHOOD/.father.key" didn't stop.
It pulsed like a heartbeat—taunting, familiar, and ominous.
Ethan stared at it. "I've never seen this folder before."
"Because it didn't exist," Rina replied, arms crossed tightly. "Not until Eve and ALY's clash forced the system to reveal hidden pathways. It's not just encrypted—it's buried."
Eve, still stabilizing after the merge, looked pale but curious. "That file... it's a locked memory. One your father didn't want you—or anyone—to see."
Ethan's jaw tightened. "Then we're opening it."
Rina stepped forward. "You sure? Could be a trap. Could be... worse."
He nodded. "Doesn't matter. If my father had something to do with all this... I need to know."
He clicked.
The system went still.
The air itself grew heavy as the battlefield warped into something far more mundane—a quiet living room.
