The body formed in a tank of nutrient gel.
Artificial lungs. Synthetic nerve pathways. Muscle strands laced with hyper-responsive fibers. But the face—the face was his.
Toren Vale.
Perfect down to the scar above the right brow.
Director Arven watched from behind the glass, arms folded.
Project Mirrorhand — Stage 3Biometric Clone ActivatedNeural Map Integration Pending
"Make him loyal," Arven said.
The scientist behind the console nodded. "Neural conditioning begins tonight. Emotional imprint to follow."
Arven leaned in, voice low.
"No memory. Just instinct. He must be pure. A shadow without a conscience."
The clone's eyelids twitched.
On Aurex, Toren couldn't sleep.
Something in the air felt off—too still, too symmetrical. Even the wind through the towers carried a tone that didn't belong.
He asked Kora to run an integrity sweep.
System Sweep: No anomalies detected.
Emotion Metrics: Slightly elevated across civic center.
Mira sat on the floor of his room, her hair damp from rain.
"Can't sleep?" she asked.
He shook his head.
She leaned back against the wall, watching him.
"I had a thought," she said softly. "What if they try to replace you?"
He stared at her.
"No one could fake a life like this."
"Not fake," she whispered. "Mirror."
Toren's skin prickled.
And for the first time, he realized—
The only thing more dangerous than being hunted…
Was being duplicated.
The clone opened its eyes for the first time on Day 27.
It spoke on Day 28.
It fought on Day 29—and won.
Arven stood with his hands behind his back as Mirror-Toren practiced tactical drills against projected Aurex layouts.
He moved identically.
Reacted instinctively.
Even the system couldn't tell the difference in biometric readings.
But Arven didn't smile.
"Phase Four?"
"Soon," said the tech. "He needs a narrative."
Arven's eyes narrowed.
"No. He needs a betrayal. Give him a reason to hate the original."
The lab tech hesitated. "Shall we... fabricate something?"
Arven turned to him coldly.
"No," he said. "Let him see the truth. Just... through the wrong lens."
Kora pinged Toren in the middle of the night.
Echo Shard Activity: MutedSystem Sentience Status: Dormant – Waiting
Toren stared at the shard.
It hadn't responded in days.
He whispered, "Why aren't you speaking?"
Then it lit, just once, and gave him a single phrase:
Because something wears your voice.
Toren backed away from the console, skin cold.
Mira appeared in the doorway, half-awake. "What is it?"
He looked up at her, shaken for the first time in weeks.
"They made a copy."
And for once—
She didn't ask if he was sure.