“What is this place?” Eva asked.

“This is Project Eden. This is where everything happens. This is where you father works. This is where I work, sometime,” Fiori explained.

Eva and Fenn had arrived at the official headquarter of Project Eden. Much like Ted’s residence, the building was plain made of white concrete.

“Elijah Dáire Edwards-North. Nova Edwards-North. Lance North. Who are they? Why them?” Eva asked as they made their way down a long corridor. Fenn, still asleep, was being carried by Fiori.

“Elijah Dáire Edwards-North is the reason for all this. Well, part of the reason. He’s the start, you could say. Project EDEN. That’s him. We have great hope in him. He is truly a magnificent human being, and he is turning out to be quite useful.”

“But he’s supposed to be dead, isn’t he? His father believed so.”

“The same way you are supposed to be dead,” Fiori winked.

“Right…”

“Nova and Lance are his parents. Were his parents. It’s unfortunate, really. I liked them. They were nice people. Now they are gone, thanks to you and Fenn. One less thing to worry about… you know, parents can be troublesome.”

Eva’s face twitched. This was a direct shot at her father.

“What did they ever do to Ted to deserve this?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She was a brilliant researcher. He was a true gentleman. Both outstanding citizen of Antarticum. But you see, Elijah is getting older. His resemblance to his parents is uncanny. You can imagine how troublesome it would be if the Edwards-North had discovered that their son was still alive. It is what it is. Some live, some die. Everyone serves their purpose and then they get disposed of.”

“Careful General Falx, you sound more and more like Ted.”

They arrived in an elegant dinning room featuring sleek and contemporary furniture. A beautiful display of Japanese woodblock prints lined one wall. Across was a sitting area with oversized leather chairs. The place was a stark contrast to the dining room in Ted’s residence but somehow much more fitting of his personality.

An image of the golden chandelier surfaced in Eva’s mind. A shiver ran down her spine. She chased the image away and let out a sigh of relief.

A man entered the room and set up four dinner plates but there was only three of them. Fiori answered before the girl could ask.

“Your father will be joining us for dinner. Ted insisted. A reward for your good work, he said.”

Eva’s face twitched again.

Maybe it was the smell of the food or maybe it was his instinct, Fenn who had been asleep until then, woke up and took a seat at the table.

Eva and Fiori looked at the child with amusement as he stuffed mashed potatoes down his throat.

“Fenn!” Fiori called him after a while. “Tell me, did you have fun today?”

The young boy answered with a smile, amazed at all the food.

“Did you have a good time?” Fiori pressed on.

“I loved it. I had a great time,” the boy answered between two bites of a steamy carrot.

“I’m glad you had fun. I am sure we can do it again,” Fiori said while starring at Eva.

For a second Eva wondered if Fiori knew she had already erased the child’s memory. She waited for a reaction from the man. Any indication that he could recognize the change in the boy’s personality.

“He loved it,” Fiori mumbled to himself trying not to wince. But it was too late, Eva had seen the glimpse of disappointment that Fiori had tried so hard to hide.

I thought it would have made him happy. Isn’t it what he wants, to make this boy the perfect assassin? Eva wondered.

A tremor shook the ground bringing both Eva and Fiori back to reality.

“An earthquake,” Fiori exclaimed.

“I know,” Eva said. “It’s just… I don’t recall ever feeling such a big one,” the girl said.

“Oh, that wasn’t a big one. As a matter of fact, that was still quite small…” Fiori replied without finishing his sentence.

“Shall we,” Fiori finally said inviting Eva to join him at the table. “Your father will be here anytime now.” Fiori added looking at his watch.

Eva’s heart skipped a beat as her eyes fell on the door. She took a seat and placed a napkin on her laps.

“Even after a few years in the slums, you still know how to be a lady. Mrs. Weatherspoon has taught you well,” Fiori complimented her.

Eva barely noticed the mockery, too preoccupied by her imminent face to face with her father.

Fenn was still eating. Done with the potatoes, he was now dipping a dinner roll in a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar before chumping it down.

Eva took a sip of her water without dropping her gaze from the door. She wondered what kind of man her dad had become. Internally, anger, trepidation and excitement waltzed back and forth in her heart. How many years had it been since she had last seen him?

Too many.

Uninvited, a man walked in. By reflexes, Eva sprung up.

“Ah, good evening, Colonel Marshall,” Fiori addressed him. “I am glad you could join us.”

Dumbstruck, Eva didn’t say anything to the man that was her father. Instead, she watched him take a seat directly across from her. The man in front of her had not aged one bit. He was just the same as she remembered him. She would have thought that losing his wife and daughter would have left signs of anguish, sadness, or pain but it was obvious that her father suffered from none of these emotions.

“Good evening,” Eva finally said with as stern a voice as she could dig up.

“I heard the assassinations went well today,” Marshall said visibly uninterested.

“Let us eat,” Fiori suggested with a cheerful voice. “We can keep the grim details for after dinner. It would be a shame to ruin a perfectly good meal.”

Eva gracefully took her salad fork and started with the arugula and goat cheese salad.

The General and the Colonel did the same.

“I was expecting the father and daughter reunion to be a tad more joyful; I must confess,” Fiori exclaimed maliciously.

“Can I have more water,” Fenn asked unaware of circumstance.

“I must say, I was quite surprised when Mr. Weatherspoon told me I would have the occasion of eating with the both of you,” Marshall said visibly irritated.

Eva dropped her fork. The tension had built up in her hand and she could no longer bare it. The noise echoed in the room.

“Water, please,” Fenn asked once more.

“I’m sorry,” Eva said to the two men starring at her. “I’m tired. I had a long day,” she hastily added. She got up, walked over to Fenn and poured him a cup of water before returning to her place. Her fork was still sitting in the middle of the salad.

“I am glad to see you are well,” Marshall finally said with great difficulty.

Eva just starred at her salad.

“Since no one seems happy to be here, we might as well cut straight to the chase. Eva, it has been a great pleasure training you and Fenn, but my work is done and from now on, you will be reporting to Colonel Marshall. He will oversee your assignments, training, and overall wellbeing.”

Eva’s head jerked right up. “Does it mean we don’t have to go back to Nova Urbi? We can stay here? At Project EDEN?” she said with hope pouring out of her heart.

“No,” Marshall barked.

“No, what?” Eva asked as she could barely hold on to that feeling already fleeting.

“You will go back to Nova Urbi. Fiori must have explained to you, we simply cannot have Fenn Li walk about, freely,” Marshall added. “He’s dangerous. He’s unaware of his power…”

“The safest place for him to be is at Nova Urbi. Many people would like to put their hands on him. He could also be a threat to people around him. It is best to keep him in a controlled facility. A place far from the public eye, far from his parent’s reach and far from the people that matters,” Fiori further explained.

“The people that matters?” Eva slowly repeated. “But what about me, I matter don’t I? What about all these people that work and live in Nova Urbi. They have families too. They matter to someone?” Eva pleaded, as she watched her fate being sealed away.

“They are Aethereusians. It doesn’t matter if they are someone’s brother or sister, mother, or father. They are a threat to Antarticum,” Marshall stated in a well-rehearsed manner.

“Dad! But what about me? I am going to die there if I have to go back. I can’t. I can’t do it anymore. Please.” No matter how hard she fought it, tears just ran down her cheeks and joined the fork in the salad.

“Please…” her feeble voice begged.

“A Marshall, never cries,” was all her father said as he pushed his plate to the side and walked away. Before crossing the doorway, he turned and added: “Your work at Nova Urbi isn’t over. Make yourself useful, will you.”

The sound of the door closing slashed through her heart. It had been broken years before, it was now shattered. She wiped away her tears. And waited patiently for Fenn and Fiori to be done eating.

It was then, Fiori was sure, he heard the girl mumble to herself. “Patience.”

Fiori didn’t find it in him to poke fun at the girl like he always did. The meeting had not gone the way he had expected. The room was quickly filling up with the pain of the girl sitting at his table, engulfing the whole room in a dark aura. Deep within him, he felt like an apology was long overdue. Whatever had just happened, had not been his intention. Yet, there he was. He had witnessed the destruction of what remained of the little girl’s soul. He knew the damage was irreversible. He had never liked Marshall. He now hated him. Deep, deep, hatred.

He thought of Jefferson. Maybe it would be best to end this poor girl’s misery. He shrugged off the idea. Instead, he poured himself a hot coffee and went to the sitting area, giving the girl some room to grieve.

From the leather chair, he watched Fenn wrap his little arms around his only companion. It wasn’t much, but it gave him back some faith that everything would turn out all right for the girl.

They are both quiet. In peace. Fiori thought.

She whispered something to him.

He smiled.

You matter to him. I can tell. And one day, I promise you, I will get you out of Nova Urbi.