The control room was buried deep beneath the mountains, hidden by layers of old-world stone and cutting-edge technology. No one entered without permission, and no one even knew it existed.
Adriana Blackwood stood at the center, a commanding presence clad in sleek black. Her green eyes, cold as emerald glass to most, were sharp and bright now, burning with purpose. She watched the holographic display in front of her as if she could will it to show her more, to bring her daughter home faster.
Julian Blackwood was silent beside her, his expression grave, arms crossed tightly over his chest. The years had carved deeper lines into his face, but his presence—quiet, immovable—was that of a man who still held the strings of empires in his hands.
On the screen, a single image hovered: Lexi. Alive. Running. Fighting.
"She's with Jace," Adriana said quietly, almost reverently.
Julian nodded, his gaze never leaving the feed. "It's begun."
They had waited so long for this moment. Years spent in hiding, pretending their only child was lost to them. Sacrificing every instinct as parents to protect her from the forces that would tear her apart the moment her true identity came to light.
And now... the time for hiding was over.
"She'll be here soon," Julian said, voice low and steady. "Jace will bring her to us. Just as we planned."
Adriana exhaled slowly, tension coiling in her chest. She had trusted no one in this world with her daughter's safety — no one except Jace, the boy they had raised like a son in secret, trained from the time he could walk. He knew the stakes. He knew what Lexi was — and what she was about to inherit.
"She's not ready for this life," Julian said, his brow furrowed. "Not yet."
Adriana's jaw tightened. "She'll learn. She was made for it."
A flicker of movement caught their attention — another drone feed coming online. A squadron of black-clad soldiers was moving through the remnants of the old Eden facility, scanning for survivors.
"They'll realize soon enough what they lost," Julian muttered.
Adriana's hand clenched into a fist. "They already have."
The enemies who had once helped build Project Eden — the ones who had betrayed them, who had tried to steal Lexi's future — were not going to disappear. They would regroup. They would come harder, faster, more desperate.
Because Lexi wasn't just a girl.
She was a legacy.
And a weapon.
"She's coming into power now," Adriana murmured, her voice almost soft with wonder. "Even Catherine couldn't break her. She's stronger than we ever dared hope."
Julian's expression darkened at the mention of Catherine — the aunt who had imprisoned their daughter, used her fear, stunted her potential. Rage stirred in Julian's chest, but he forced it down. Catherine would get what she deserved — in time.
For now, Lexi needed them focused.
"She'll have to leave everything she knows behind," Julian said after a long silence. "Once she crosses into our world... there's no going back."
Adriana nodded. She had accepted that truth long ago. Lexi would walk into a life of privilege, yes — wealth, influence, resources beyond imagination. But every step would also come with blood and danger, alliances and betrayals.
There would be no simple happiness for her daughter.
But there would be survival.
And if Lexi was strong enough — victory.
Julian turned toward Adriana. "You're sure we should bring her here directly?"
"She's safest with us," Adriana said firmly. "They'll come after her no matter where she hides. At least here, she'll have the full weight of our legacy behind her."
Julian hesitated. "She doesn't even know what she is yet."
"She will," Adriana said, her voice almost a whisper. "We'll teach her."
On the holographic feed, Lexi disappeared into the trees, her small figure vanishing into the shadows with Jace close behind.
Adriana reached out, fingertips brushing the air just above Lexi's frozen image. A mother's touch, aching and unfinished.
"She's everything we hoped for," Julian said softly, the rare crack of emotion breaking through his stoic façade. "And more."
Adriana smiled — a real, fleeting thing, fierce and fragile. "And she's ours."
They stood there together in silence, watching the path their daughter would take, knowing that the war that had once torn their family apart would soon rage again.
But this time, they would be ready.
This time, they wouldn't run or hide.
This time, Lexi Blackwood would rise — and with her, the Blackwood dynasty would reclaim everything that had been stolen.
And woe to anyone who tried to stand in her way.