The first pale light of dawn crept across the eastern hills like fingers reaching toward secrets that preferred darkness.
In the underground chambers beneath the Light Guardian forge, Ethan stood before a mirror that reflected not his own face, but the features of Clone Twenty-Four—identical in every detail except for the subtle differences that marked Peak Guardianship cultivation rather than his own more complex abilities.
The clone's black mask settled into place with the same careful precision that Ethan himself would use, while every gesture and mannerism reflected perfect mimicry of the mysterious Light Guardian leader that Master Korven and the forge workers had come to respect. But beneath the surface, this duplicate carried only a fraction of Ethan's true capabilities—exactly what the situation required.
"Substitution complete," Clone Twenty-Four said, its voice carrying the exact modulation that Ethan used when speaking through the mask.
