It was past midnight when Esther received the package.
No return address.No tracking number.Just a jet-black envelope sealed with a golden serpent.
Inside: an old cassette tape.
And a sticky note in familiar handwriting.
"Play this where no one can hear you.Not even him."
Her heart stuttered.
It was her father's handwriting.
Thirty minutes later – Tedd Family Bunker
Esther sat alone in a soundproofed chamber three floors beneath the estate.She placed the tape in the vintage player, the reels creaking to life.
Then—his voice.
Her father.
"Esther… if you're hearing this, I'm likely dead."
She gripped the edge of the metal table.
"The Circle is dying.Shawn was never the threat. You were.That's why I made the arrangement. To protect the world from you."
"What?" she whispered.
"You carry the Tedd anomaly. Generation four. It activated the day you met him."
The tape crackled.
"Your bloodline is not entirely human, Esther.You are a conduit.One who can awaken—or erase—Umbra."
Her pulse raced.
"The moment you love him for real…You'll unlock the lock they placed inside you as a baby."
Tears filled her eyes.
"You were never a pawn, my daughter.You were the reset switch."
Then silence.
No goodbye.No apology.
Just cold truth wrapped in paternal guilt.
Back at the Penthouse
Shawn stood in front of the mirror, watching his reflection flicker—just slightly.
The after-effects of time distortion were returning.
The Umbra state… was surfacing again.
He felt Esther's presence before the elevator even opened.
She walked in quietly, no emotion on her face.
And then—she placed the tape recorder on the table.
Pressed play.
Let it speak.
All of it.
When it ended, they just looked at each other.
No fear. No lies left.
Only reality.
"I don't know what I am anymore," she whispered.
Shawn reached out and took her hand.
"You're still Esther.You're just becoming… unstoppable."
She looked at him. Eyes searching.
"What happens if I unlock?" she asked.
He smiled faintly.
"Then I'll finally have to stop pretending I'm stronger than you."