The morning sun was a soft, golden light filtering through the windows of Elias's room. Today was the day. With a deep breath, he retreated into his Spirit Domain, a familiar void filled with the silent hum of Flow. His creation, Eli, was waiting. He was a perfect copy of Elias, from the unruly shock of his hair to the determined set of his jaw. Elias reached out, and with a familiar mental pull, he manifested Eli into the real world.
The clone blinked, his eyes adjusting to the sunlit room. He looked at Elias, a flicker of doubt in his gaze.
"It's already time huh? Is this is really going to work, then?" he asked, his voice a perfect echo of Elias's.
"I hope so," Elias replied, a note of pragmatism in his tone.
"There's no guarantee, but the plan is sound. Enough. Well im expecting the worst,the world has a way of messing with you when it wants to."
Eli looked at him, then at the door, and then back at Elias.
"You're right," he said.
"But I think it'll be all right. The worst that can happen is we're found out, and we'll get a scolding." He paused, a strange look of pride mixed with fear on his face.
"But they'll also commend you for creating a Shadow Clone from scratch. That's worth a scolding, don't you think?"
A shared thought passed between them. Aina. The fury of his ever-perceptive cousin, the quiet, icy disappointment within her eyes. Both boys shuddered.
"Right then," Elias said, the momentary anxiety gone.
"I've already invested too much effort.Let's do this."
He walked to his wardrobe and pulled out the coat his mother had given him for his last birthday. It was a simple garment, but its rich, dark blue fabric and the intricate gold trim gave it a sense of quiet authority. He put it on, a silent promise to his mother that he would be careful. He also fit his naked copy with his own clothes and took some time to to make sure his fit was perfect replica of what he'd wear normally. With a final glance at Eli, he nodded, and the great deception began.
Eli walked out of the room, heading towards the training yard, a confident stride in his step. Elias, meanwhile, moved with the quiet grace he had developed from all the physical drills he had endured. His body, now leaner and faster, was a tool of precision. He used his Flow Suppression to render himself invisible to anyone who might try to sense his Flow. While the maids and servants couldn't sense his energy, but they could still see him, so he had to be careful.
He moved like a whisper, a silent ghost in the sprawling manor. He darted from one dark hallway to another, his form a blur of blue. He pressed himself against the walls, holding his breath as a maid carrying a basket of laundry passed by, just inches from his face. Outside, he ducked behind a tapestry, his heart pounding in his chest, as two guards walked by, their footsteps heavy on the polished stone floor. One of them threw a glance at where he was standing but he had already moved away. His physical training had given him an incredible nimbleness, and he used it to his advantage, his body moving with a silent, feline grace.
Meanwhile, in the training yard, Eli found Aina. She was practicing her swordsmanship, her movements a blur of sharp, precise strikes. He walked up to her, a casual look on his face.
"Good morning, Aina," he said, his voice a perfect replica of Elias's.
Aina didn't stop. "
Morning, Elias," she replied, her sword singing through the air though her swing became a bit slower.
'Aina?' she thought.
' Since when has he been calling me just Aina. It's big sister.'
She thought about pointing this out but decided to ignore believing that it was a slip of tongue.
"You told me not to wake you up today. I didn't think you'd be able to wake up on your own let alone be so eager to train."
"Oh, you know me," Eli said, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Just wanted to get a head start. The last few sessions have been... a lot to take in. I was just wondering about the exercises we did yesterday. The ones with the... the sword."
"Which ones?" She asked.
"Ummm...." Eli said pretending to ponder.
"Sorry I forgot. Its slipped my mind that's why I came for you to,you know give me a gentle reminder."
Aina stopped her movements, her head cocked to the side. She turned to face him, her emerald eyes fixed on his.
"You forgot?" She repeated.
" Yeah." Eli said as he chuckled nervously, feigning embarrassment.
Aina blinked. Had something happened to darling her little brother? This was the same boy with the near perfect memory, was asking about the most basic of drills they had just gone through. Besides they'd been doing those drills for so long it had become muscle memory,she had tested this herself. Though it hadn't fully been ingrained in him yet it wasn't something he could simply 'forget'.
He was being evasive too his eyes never met hers as he spoke and darted around as if taking in the surroundings for the first time. Her eyes narrowed just a fraction, a barely perceptible change that only someone who knew her as well as Elias could notice. She wondered, while he was never reluctant to train with her, he wasn't usually so withdrawn or distant. Elias would normally stand closer to her but 'he' was standing a few feet away,out of the reach of her training sword she noticed.
A flicker of suspicion ran through her mind. She glanced towards the gate leading out to town and her mind tried putting the pieces together.
'No, it couldn't be. I'm probably just overthinking it.' she thought.
"I'll show you again then and make sure not to forget it this time."
"Alright Aina." Eli said as he turned to go get a training sword.
'There is is again, calling me Aina instead of big sis.'
She once again glanced at the gate before returning to her swings.
Elias, having navigated the manor successfully, found his way to the supply carriage.The carriage had two benches inside them space for some sacks and whatever it was that was being transported to be kept in its corner. Elias slipped inside, crouching low amidst the folded sacks before and empty barrels of salted meat, his heart thrumming.
The carriage began to roll, its wheels rumbling over the cobblestones. It rumbled towards the front gate, where the ever-vigilant SirEddieGable stood, inspecting the carriage, his gaze sharp and unyielding.
He wasn't alone. His wife, the head maid MissGable, was with him. Elias, hidden from view, overheard their conversation, and was surprised to realise they were flirting.
"Did you remember to check the supplies for any... unruly mice, dear?" Miss Gable asked, a playful note in her voice.
Sir Eddie, a man known for his cold and professional demeanour, looked flustered. "Mice? My dear, you know I take my job very seriously. We've a flow-sensitive net over the perimeter to check for that sort of thing. Besides, you know I'd never let anything get past me."
"Oh, I'm sure of that," she said, a smile on her face.
For the next few minutes Elias had to listen to the two of them,miss Gable teasing her husband and his awkward attempts to reply. They were so awkward that they were funny. He put his hands on his mouth to stiffle a giggle.
"But what about a cute, little mouse that giggles?"
" Huh? But mice don't giggle?" Sir Eddie responded.
Elias, who had been trying to stifle his laughter at the man's awkward attempts at flirting, accidentally let out a small, audible giggle.
Sir Eddie's head snapped up. His eyes, as sharp as a hawk's, narrowed.
"What was that?" he asked, taking a step closer to the carriage.
Miss Gable, with a joke about how her husband was being flustered, caused him to lose his focus, a hint of a smile on her face.
" It was probably the Giggling mouse." She said. He paused and turned to her.
"Mice can do that? First time I've ever heard of it. Is it a new type of Imbued beast?"
"Now, now, dear. Don't let a little joke get to you. The supplies are ready to go."
Sir Eddie sighed, his professionalism returning.
He gave the carriage one last look, his eyes lingering on it for a moment too long.
"Like father, like son," he muttered under his breath, and with a wave of his hand, he allowed the carriage to pass.
Once they were safely outside the manor, the other house staff got aboard the carriage. Miss Gable, a knowing smile on her face, turned and spoke.
"My husband can be quite awkward at times. He's usually the introverted type, but he has a good heart, isn't that right, Master Elias?" she asked, her eyes fixed on his hiding spot, prompting him to come out.
Elias, surprised that he had been found out so easily, sat up.
"How did you know?" he asked.
"Oh, sweetheart," she said with a warm smile. "I've been your caretaker since you were born. It was inevitable that you'd one day want to know more about the outside world. Now, you'd better have a good reason for this little adventure of yours, or I'll have one of the guards take you straight back."
Elias, with a hint of a smile, told her the truth. "It's Aina's birthday in a few days. I wanted to get her a gift."
A collective "Awwwww!" escaped the other house staff, their admiration for his reason clear on their faces.
Elias, in his heart, knew that was the only reason they would accept.
Meanwhile, in Elias' room, Aina stood by the window, her calm exterior a mask for the turmoil within. She watched as the carriage, a tiny speck in the distance, rumbled away from the manor. She could just make out a figure seated beside her beloved caretaker, Miss Gable, a figure dressed in a familiar blue coat.
She turned back to the room, where Eli, the shadow clone, was now bound hand and foot by black metallic cuffs around his hands, feet, neck, and mouth. He was squirming, making muffled, desperate sounds. Aina's face remained calm, but her emerald eyes were flaring, glowing with a dangerous, ethereal light.
"Who...no,what are you?" she asked, her voice a low, chilling whisper.