As Clara pieced together Jonathan’s history, a new discovery emerged: the Blackthorn Institute. Founded in 1990, it was a private research facility dedicated to advancing sustainable energy. Publicly, it funded solar and wind projects, but buried within its records were classified experiments involving piezoelectric materials—and Jonathan’s mysterious liquid.


    The Institute’s closure in 1998 coincided with Jonathan’s retreat to the family estate. Rumors swirled about financial mismanagement, but Clara found another explanation in a confidential report:This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    “Incident Report 12-A: Energy instability during resonance trial. Catastrophic containment failure narrowly avoided. Project terminated per Dr. Blackthorn’s orders.”


    “He shut it down because it was too dangerous,” Clara murmured.


    “But he didn’t destroy the research,” Hensley added, pointing to the vial. “He took it home.”


    Clara’s eyes lingered on an image of the Institute’s sprawling laboratories. Somewhere in those ruins might be the key to understanding Jonathan’s decision—and the forces that led to his family’s destruction.