{"id":6641,"date":"2026-06-01T06:06:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T10:06:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/duye.it.com\/?p=6641"},"modified":"2026-06-01T06:06:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T10:06:26","slug":"the-woman-they-buried-wasnt-dead-016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/duye.it.com\/?p=6641","title":{"rendered":"THE WOMAN THEY BURIED WASN\u2019T DEAD – 016"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

THE WOMAN THEY BURIED WASN\u2019T DEAD<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Part 2 \u2014 The Boy With the Ring<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The restaurant no longer sounded like a restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The soft clinking of silverware, the muted jazz drifting through hidden speakers, the low conversations from nearby tables \u2014 all of it seemed to dissolve into a strange vacuum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only the boy\u2019s words remained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen maybe\u2026 you buried the wrong person.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias Mercer\u2019s fingers loosened around the child\u2019s wrist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not because he wanted to let go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because suddenly, his hand no longer obeyed him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boy slowly pulled back and sat calmly in the booth across from him, as if he had merely commented on the weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias stared at the silver ring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ring he had slipped onto his wife\u2019s finger eleven years earlier beneath a sky full of lanterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ring he personally watched disappear into a polished mahogany coffin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ring that had been buried beneath six feet of earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His throat tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Elias whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even as he said it, a coldness spread through his chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because the boy was right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something about that night had never made sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And he had spent five years trying not to think about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now the memory returned all at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Violently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Rain hammered against the hospital windows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctors moved too quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nurses refused to meet his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A single police officer stood outside the intensive care room with his hands folded behind his back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias remembered asking over and over:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I see her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And every time, someone answered with the same rehearsed line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mr. Mercer. The injuries were extensive.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too extensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too damaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too traumatic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They told him identifying the body visually would only make things worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They urged him to remember her as she had been.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And in his grief, he agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That decision had haunted him ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in the restaurant, Elias looked at the boy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow old are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s your name?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOliver.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOliver what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boy tilted his head slightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou already know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias felt the blood drain from his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d he said immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the denial came too fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too defensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boy reached into his hoodie pocket and carefully pulled out a folded photograph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He slid it across the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias unfolded it with shaking fingers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then his heart nearly stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a photograph of Claire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not the Claire from newspapers after the accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not the elegant charity-gala Claire society magazines adored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Claire wore jeans and an oversized sweater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barefoot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holding a little boy in her lap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boy sitting across from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And written on the back in familiar handwriting were four words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For my two favorite boys.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias looked up so abruptly his chair scraped the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere did you get this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy mom kept it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour mother is not Claire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver said nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That silence terrified Elias more than any answer could have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around them, people were openly staring now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A waitress approached cautiously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSir\u2026 is everything alright here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias didn\u2019t even look at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGet me the manager.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sharpness in his voice made her retreat instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver remained calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost impossibly calm for a child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou should sit down,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou look sick.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias lowered himself slowly into the booth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time in years, he felt fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not business fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not financial fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not the controlled anxiety of a man managing a billion-dollar empire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was something primal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kind of fear that arrives when reality begins cracking apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho sent you?\u201d Elias asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen why are you here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver looked down at the ring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause she disappeared again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A chill slid through Elias\u2019s spine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy mom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boy swallowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And for the first time, the calm mask slipped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fear appeared in his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe told me if anything happened\u2026 I had to find you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Thirty minutes later, Elias sat inside the backseat of his black Mercedes while rain streaked the windows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver sat beside him clutching a backpack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neither spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias\u2019s driver kept glancing nervously through the mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The silence finally broke when Elias asked the question he feared most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere have you been living?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith my mom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not what I asked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver hesitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDifferent places.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat places?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMotels mostly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Motels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The word hit Elias like a punch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire hated cheap hotels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hated disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hated instability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet somehow, the image formed in his mind anyway:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire hiding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carrying a child from one anonymous room to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From whom?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And why had she never contacted him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A darker possibility surfaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless she had been hiding from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias pushed the thought away instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver looked at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it wasn\u2019t nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because another memory had returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The argument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last one before the accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire standing in their kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terrified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t understand what your company is involved in!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias remembered slamming his whiskey glass onto the counter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEnough conspiracy theories.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI saw the files, Elias!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou had no right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd you had no idea what they were doing!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then came the sentence he never forgot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sentence that had echoed in his head for five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf something happens to me\u2026 it won\u2019t be an accident.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mercedes slowed before a red light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias suddenly leaned forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTurn around.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The driver blinked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSir?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re heading home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias looked at Oliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to the cemetery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The gates groaned open under the storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lightning flashed across rows of gravestones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver stood silently beneath a black umbrella while Elias marched through wet grass toward Claire\u2019s grave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His pulse thundered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The polished headstone emerged through rain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CLAIRE MERCER
1988\u20132021<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forever Loved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias stared at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five years he had visited this grave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talked to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mourned beside it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drank beside it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collapsed beside it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He no longer knew who was buried underneath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cemetery caretaker arrived fifteen minutes later, furious about being called in during a storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Elias Mercer\u2019s money spoke louder than irritation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Especially after Elias handed him fifty thousand dollars in cash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The old man\u2019s anger vanished immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou want it opened tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The caretaker looked toward the boy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then back to Elias.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou sure?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Elias answered truthfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut do it anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Rain mixed with mud as machinery groaned through the darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver watched silently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias could barely breathe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every second stretched endlessly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then finally \u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THUNK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coffin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Workers hauled it upward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wood looked rotted around the edges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias stared at the silver handle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He remembered choosing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire would have hated this coffin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She once told him coffins were \u201cexpensive boxes for worms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The memory nearly broke him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The workers stepped back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No one wanted to open it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias did it himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His hands trembled violently as he lifted the lid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The skeleton inside wore Claire\u2019s burial dress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her jewelry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her necklace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But not the ring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And one more thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The skull.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias stared at it in horror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then looked closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The jawline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This wasn\u2019t Claire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The caretaker crossed himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh my God\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias stumbled backward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His knees nearly gave out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The body in the coffin belonged to another woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A stranger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire Mercer had never been buried here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which meant one impossible thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She had survived.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver looked at him quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI told you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias turned toward the child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow long have you known?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver\u2019s face darkened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSince last week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat happened last week?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boy reached into his backpack and removed a small black phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cracked screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Old model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He handed it over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a video.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias opened the file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire appeared instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terrified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recording shook as if filmed in secret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re watching this,\u201d she whispered, \u201cthen they found me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias\u2019s breathing stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire glanced over her shoulder repeatedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere isn\u2019t much time. Oliver, if you brought this to Elias\u2026 then I\u2019m probably already gone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cElias, listen carefully. You were never supposed to know I survived.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rain seemed to vanish around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only her voice remained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe crash was arranged. I escaped before the car went over the bridge. Someone helped me disappear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She swallowed hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI stayed away because I thought you were involved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias closed his eyes in pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut I was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lightning flashed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her face flickered white on the screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s something inside Mercer Biotech you never saw. Human trials. Illegal neurological experiments. They used your company infrastructure without your knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias\u2019s blood turned cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But another memory surfaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hidden financial transfers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Offshore shell corporations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research divisions he barely supervised because his brother handled them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire\u2019s voice trembled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDamien knows I\u2019m alive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias\u2019s eyes snapped open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the reason I ran.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The screen glitched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe said if I ever contacted you\u2026 Oliver would die too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias looked at the boy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver stared silently at the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy God\u2026\u201d Elias whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire leaned closer to the camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf anything happens to me, there\u2019s proof hidden inside Unit Nine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The video distorted again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then came the final sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sentence that made Elias feel true terror for the first time in his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t trust anyone in your family.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The video ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silence returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only rain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only thunder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only the open coffin beneath the storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then suddenly \u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Headlights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blinding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three black SUVs rolled through the cemetery gates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias instantly recognized them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mercer Security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His company\u2019s private division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The doors opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Men in dark coats stepped out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And from the center vehicle emerged Damien Mercer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elegant as always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calm as always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even in the rain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Damien said softly, \u201cthis is unfortunate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias stepped protectively in front of Oliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou knew.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI knew enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou let me bury another woman.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTechnically,\u201d Damien replied, \u201cyou never asked to verify the body.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias lunged forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two guards instantly raised weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver grabbed Elias\u2019s coat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien looked at the boy carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo this is him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not your son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not Oliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something in Damien\u2019s tone felt wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost clinical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien smiled faintly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have Claire\u2019s eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver stared back coldly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd you have my mother\u2019s blood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The smile disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time, Damien looked genuinely unsettled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias turned sharply toward Oliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boy looked down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rain dripped from his hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he whispered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe wasn\u2019t my real mom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias stared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver swallowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe rescued me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien laughed quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A low, exhausted sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cClaire always did have a weakness for lost causes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias grabbed Damien by the collar before the guards could react.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is he talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien looked directly into his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then said the words that shattered the world completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe boy isn\u2019t human.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Elias released him instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cemetery fell silent except for rain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver\u2019s face emptied of expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As if he had heard those words before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien straightened his coat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou deserve the truth, brother.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo games,\u201d Elias snapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, this stopped being a game years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien nodded toward Oliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cProject Lazarus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias felt nauseous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He knew the name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A canceled neuroscience initiative from six years earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experimental memory mapping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cognitive reconstruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officially abandoned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or so he believed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien continued calmly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe discovered something extraordinary. Human consciousness can be copied\u2026 transferred\u2026 rebuilt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was impossible,\u201d Damien corrected. \u201cUntil we succeeded.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He pointed toward Oliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSubject Zero.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver looked away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not angry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ashamed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias shook his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien\u2019s expression hardened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe child was grown in accelerated conditions using synthetic tissue and neural replication technology.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias felt sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are you saying?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien\u2019s voice lowered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m saying he was manufactured.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver\u2019s fists tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStop talking about me like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien ignored him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe implanted preserved memory fragments from a deceased donor into the neural structure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias\u2019s stomach twisted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien nodded slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then came the final horror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe donor was Claire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias staggered backward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet suddenly everything aligned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The familiar expressions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The calmness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The strange certainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver wasn\u2019t Claire\u2019s son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He carried pieces of her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fragments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Echoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver looked at Elias with tears forming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI remember things that aren\u2019t mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His voice cracked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometimes I dream about your house. About the lake cabin. About dancing in the kitchen while music plays.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias\u2019s chest tightened violently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only Claire knew about the kitchen dancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only Claire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know why I remember them,\u201d Oliver whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut they feel real.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien folded his hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cClaire discovered the experiments after the accident.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter the accident?\u201d Elias asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien smiled coldly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere was never an accident.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth hit like lightning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe found Lazarus,\u201d Damien said. \u201cShe threatened exposure. I couldn\u2019t allow that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias\u2019s vision blurred with rage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou tried to kill her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI tried to contain a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver stepped backward slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fear returned to his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien noticed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnfortunately, Claire escaped with Subject Zero.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHis name is Oliver,\u201d Elias growled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien\u2019s eyes shifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot for much longer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The guards raised weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias moved in front of Oliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not taking him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou still don\u2019t understand what he is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen explain it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien stared directly at Oliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTell him what happens during the episodes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver\u2019s breathing quickened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien ignored him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTell him what you did in Cincinnati.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver backed away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mean to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien smiled faintly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the problem. You rarely do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias turned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOliver?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boy\u2019s eyes filled with terror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometimes\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He swallowed hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometimes people around me get hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A horrible silence followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien stepped closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSubject Zero developed abilities beyond prediction. Enhanced neural influence. Emotional projection. Cognitive disruption.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias stared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re insane.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAm I?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien nodded toward the caretaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The old man suddenly collapsed onto his knees clutching his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Screaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blood streamed from his nose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias jumped backward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat the hell\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver looked horrified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t do anything!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The caretaker convulsed violently in mud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the guards collapsed next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Screaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clawing at their own faces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias turned toward Oliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boy looked terrified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rainwater shook around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lights flickered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Car alarms erupted in the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The air itself felt wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Elias noticed blood dripping from Oliver\u2019s ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMake it stop!\u201d Damien shouted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI CAN\u2019T!\u201d Oliver screamed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly every cemetery light exploded at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Darkness swallowed everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gunshots erupted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Screams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thunder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias grabbed Oliver blindly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRun!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They sprinted through graves while bullets tore through rain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind them, men shouted in panic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One guard fired wildly before collapsing screaming beside a headstone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver stumbled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias caught him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boy was burning with fever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can hear them,\u201d Oliver whispered desperately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHear who?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTheir thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then another gunshot cracked past his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He dragged Oliver through the cemetery fence into the forest beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Branches lashed their faces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rain soaked everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, after several minutes, they collapsed inside an abandoned maintenance shed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver shook violently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias slammed the door shut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside, distant flashlights moved through trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Searching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias knelt before the boy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLook at me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver\u2019s eyes lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Elias nearly recoiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For one brief second, Claire stared back at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not physically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something deeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exact same expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same sadness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same warmth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then it vanished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver whispered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s still alive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias stared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can feel her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shed creaked under storm winds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver pressed trembling fingers against his temple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s scared.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou mean memories?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver looked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And what he said next chilled Elias to the bone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s trying to find me.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Three hours later, they reached an old motel outside the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kind of place rented by people who didn\u2019t want records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias paid cash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The neon sign outside buzzed endlessly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ROOM 17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside, Oliver sat wrapped in blankets while Elias paced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nothing made sense anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien a murderer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human experimentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A child carrying fragments of his wife\u2019s memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias poured whiskey from the dusty minibar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His hands still shook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he noticed Oliver staring at the television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The screen showed BREAKING NEWS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CEMETERY MASSACRE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities searching for suspects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security footage corrupted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Witnesses reporting \u201cmass hysteria.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver lowered his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias sat slowly on the bed opposite him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe people who died.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias looked carefully at the child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not a monster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not a weapon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just terrified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow long have these\u2026 episodes happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver shrugged weakly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSince I was little.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can really hear thoughts?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometimes emotions. Sometimes memories.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver gave a sad little smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve said that a lot tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silence settled again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Elias asked the question buried deepest inside him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWas Claire\u2026 happy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver\u2019s expression softened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe loved you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias closed his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut she thought you\u2019d choose your brother over her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pain cut through him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because she would have been right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five years ago, he trusted Damien completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Claire knew it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver reached into his backpack again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s one more thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He removed a key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Old brass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Engraved with the number 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnit Nine,\u201d Elias whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe said if she disappeared, we had to go there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias stared at the key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then at the child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere is Unit Nine?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver answered quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnder your company headquarters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Mercer Biotech Tower rose above the city like black glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 2:14 a.m., the building looked abandoned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Elias knew better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security never slept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He parked three blocks away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver wore a hood low over his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you sure?\u201d Elias asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honest answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They entered through a private underground garage Elias himself had designed years earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His retinal scan still worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elevators hummed softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corporate silence surrounded them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet the deeper they descended, the stranger the building felt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Less like a company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More like a bunker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Floor B12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restricted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis level shouldn\u2019t exist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver stepped forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt does.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the corridor\u2019s end stood a steel door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNIT 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brass key fit perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Locks disengaged with a deep metallic click.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The door slowly opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Darkness waited beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then emergency lights flickered on automatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias stopped breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dozens of rows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glass containment chambers lined the enormous underground laboratory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most were empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some weren\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside one chamber floated a partially formed human body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside another, something smaller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distorted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias felt sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat did Damien do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver walked slowly through the lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As if returning somewhere familiar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the far end of the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A woman sat restrained inside a medical chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head lowered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Motionless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias\u2019s heart stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cClaire!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He rushed forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her eyes slowly opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And full of shock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cElias\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her voice cracked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias fell to his knees beside her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh my God\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire began crying instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He touched her face with trembling hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not illusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou came,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course I came.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver stood nearby watching silently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire looked toward him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then smiled weakly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy sweet boy\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver rushed into her arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For one beautiful second, everything else vanished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The deaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The horror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only reunion remained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Claire looked at Elias.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And terror suddenly flooded her face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have come here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A mechanical voice echoed through the laboratory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was hoping you\u2019d say that.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lights blazed on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien stepped from the shadows above the observation platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armed guards surrounded the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that wasn\u2019t what froze Elias.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was the figure standing beside Damien.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blonde.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elegant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wearing white.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She looked exactly like Claire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exactly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Same eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Same face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Same voice when she spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHello, Elias.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias stared in horror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire beside him whispered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damien smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou wanted the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He gestured toward the woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo allow me to introduce the successful version.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The duplicate smiled softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Elias realized the nightmare was far worse than he imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because the woman beside Damien wasn\u2019t pretending to be Claire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She genuinely believed she was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when she looked at Oliver\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

her expression changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Possessive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terrifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then she whispered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBring my son to me.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

END OF PART 2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 3 Hint:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the underground facility locks down, Elias discovers that Project Lazarus created more than copies \u2014 it created replacements hidden among powerful people across the country. But the most horrifying revelation is still to come:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The real Claire Mercer may not have survived the bridge that night after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE WOMAN THEY BURIED WASN\u2019T DEAD Part 2 \u2014 The Boy With the Ring The restaurant no longer sounded like a restaurant. The soft clinking of silverware, the muted jazz … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6642,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/duye.it.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/duye.it.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/duye.it.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/duye.it.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/duye.it.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6641"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/duye.it.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6641\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6643,"href":"https:\/\/duye.it.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6641\/revisions\/6643"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/duye.it.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/duye.it.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/duye.it.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/duye.it.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}