The walk back to his apartment was a blur.
Miles said goodnight to Clara, the lie about being tired still felt he has done something wrong.
She had given him a long, searching look, her eyes full of a million unspoken questions.
She knew he was lying.
She just didn't know how big the lie was.
He unlocked the door to his apartment.
He stepped inside and leaned against the door, the cool wood a comfort against his aching back.
The clone was gone, but the echo of its existence remained.
A faint, buzzing exhaustion.
He was alone again.
But he had the prize.
He walked over to his desk and sat down, his movements slow and deliberate.
He pulled out the encrypted drive, the one that now held the entire contents of Julian Cross's digital soul.
A grim smile touched his lips.
"Alright, Julian," he whispered to the empty room.
"Let's see what secrets you've been keeping."
He plugged the drive into his laptop.
