“Lily, you are so pretty,” she said, smiling sweetly at her child. “When you grow up, I hope you become a nice little lady.”

“Beatrice, we need to talk,” a man’s voice said suddenly from the kitchen.

“What is it?” his wife asked.

“We haven’t brought Lily to any doctor’s appointment. I’m worried we might’ve missed something—something that needed medical attention,” he said, sounding sad and genuinely worried.

“Honey, she’s fine. We’ve been raising Lily on our own ever since. Look at the neighbors’ kids—always getting sick even though they go to the doctor all the time. Lily hasn’t even stepped foot in a clinic, and the worst fever she ever had was when her teeth came in,” Beatrice said, defensive.

“I’m just worried. Maybe there’s something we’re missing or… or there’s something you’re hiding.”

“What are you implying? That I'm hiding things about my daughter?” her voice rose.

“It’s not like that. And she’s my daughter too. I get to have a say in her wellbeing.”

Lily’s father sat on the sofa facing his wife and daughter. He pretended to play with Lily, but the truth was that he was watching Beatrice—studying her. Beatrice refused to look at him. Maybe she was angry he suspected her of something… or maybe she was hiding something.

The tension faded minutes later. Lily could be heard laughing as her parents played with her.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

“Will you get that?” her husband asked. She nodded with a smile and walked to the door.

She froze the moment she saw who stood on the other side.

Not visitors.

Not neighbors.

Her former workmates—scientists from the Aokigahara Institute.

"Why are you here?" Beatrice demanded the moment her former workmates stepped inside. She turned to her husband, voice cracking. "Honey… why are they here?"

"It's for the best," he said quietly, carrying their daughter as he handed her over to the scientists.

"Bea, I know. I know that Lily is one of them. She can do the impossible. I’ve seen her throw things with her mind, change the TV channel when she’s upset, lose control when her emotions overwhelm her. I just… I hoped you’d tell me so we could handle this together. But you left me no choice," he said.

"That’s your daughter we’re talking about!"

"And right now, her best option is not us. She needs to be somewhere she can be understood… and studied."

"You're saying it like your daughter is a lab rat!"

He froze for a moment, hesitation flickering across his face. Then he turned away, reaching for his coat before stepping outside. Guards held Beatrice back as she fought to take her daughter back.

"You sure about this, Doctor?" one of the scientists asked. He nodded.

"Aoi! If something happens to Lily, you’ll pay for it!" Beatrice screamed.

"Nothing will happen to my daughter. Just trust me."

Dr. Aoi stepped out of their home and boarded the vehicle where the other scientists were waiting.

》》》》》》》》》》

The familiar whirr of a tape recorder filled the room, punctuated by occasional sniffles from Aoi.

"Let's get back to work, shall we?" he let out a strained, almost painful laugh.

"Today is September 14, 2006. This is Aoi Kurosaki, lead researcher of Project SOMA and head of Aokigahara Institute. Risa—or should I say Lily—has officially been marked as a participant in Project SOMA. Unlike the other children, I did not erase her memories. She was a year and a half old when she arrived. We kept her existence a secret from the rest of the Institute, while Saburō monitored her whenever I could not. I had always wanted to name her Risa, after my deceased sister, but Beatrice, being American, insisted on Lily. Now that I am her sole guardian, I have changed her name to Risa."

Dr. Aoi’s voice grew steadier as he continued, the tension in the room softening with each word.

"Risa exhibited signs of the impossible as early as six months old. By her first birthday, her abilities were growing stronger. As her father, I feared what she might become if left unchecked. I made a decision I half-heartedly desired: I took her as a subject for Project SOMA. Beatrice never approved of this, but in my mind, it was necessary. 

“Today, Risa was able to hijack the surveillance cameras,” Dr. Aoi began, voice raw. “It was during a playtime session. She threw herself into a fit—emotionally driven, unpredictable. The outburst caused Two and Five to injure themselves after she threw them across the room.”

He exhaled sharply, tired. Older. Worn.

“Risa is three years old now. Still too early for this… but perfect timing if we want to keep her contained before she becomes uncontrollable.”

Paper rustled, a soft clatter of metal. Then:

“I followed the protocol, except for the memory erasure—her brain is too young, and she wouldn’t understand what she’s losing. I sedated Risa and marked her as 2003‑001. 2003 for her birth year, 001 for her quirk classification. I should call her Seven if it were in order, but I will call her Fourteen. I am planning to hide her files. If people find out about Project SOMA, they won’t see a missing number and search for her. It’s the least I can do for my daughter.”

His faint sobbing can be heard in the background.

“Beatrice, I will take good care of Risa. I loved you, for real. And now what’s left of you is our daughter. I heard you were deported back to America, insane and no idea of your identity. I am sorry. And Risa, if you’re hearing this, just know that Papa loves you. As a real father, and not a scientist.”

Silence filled the tape before it ended.