I appreciate that you shared another perspective. Another thought I had was the parents were probably waiting for him to reach a certain age before he gets tortured as Lucie gave a few seconds before shooting him, unlike the case with his sister in which Lucie shot her with no hesitations.

Lucie was tortured in a seemingly abandoned building, which somehow seems weird that the parents would place a torture room in their home

I can see where you’re coming from. I also agree with the first part being one of the best parts of the film as Anna’s loyalty and comfort to troubled Lucie would have been an interesting highlight. When the secret society was introduced, the ambiance somehow transitioned to a sci-fi feel.