I couldn't breathe.
There were two Nathanaiels.
One stood behind me, soaked from the sea.
The other stood in the doorway, completely dry.
Same face.
Same eyes.
Same voice.
Even the same scar above his eyebrow.
Christel screamed.
"What is happening?!"
Angela grabbed her and pulled her behind her.
Shawshank moved in front of me.
The Nathaniel inside the room whispered,
"Don't let him touch Bjei."
The man at the door smiled.
"Still pretending to be the real one?"
My heart pounded.
"Which one of you is Nathaniel?"
Both men looked at me.
Then they answered at exactly the same time.
"I am."
A terrible silence followed.
I stepped backward.
"This isn't funny."
Neither smiled.
The man at the door slowly stepped inside.
"I warned you," he said to the other Nathaniel.
"You should never have come back."
The Nathaniel beside me clenched his fists.
"You don't belong in this world."
"Neither do you."
Their eyes met.
Suddenly, the lights began flickering.
Shawshank grabbed my hand.
"Bjei, stay behind me."
I nodded.
The two men began circling each other.
Angela whispered,
"Don't look into their eyes."
"Why?"
"Because you won't know which one is real."
I looked at her.
"Then how do we know?"
She stared at the two men.
"Only one of them has a shadow."
I looked down.
Both men stood beneath the light.
One had a shadow.
The other didn't.
My eyes widened.
"The one by the door…"
His smile disappeared.
"You've become clever."
The real Nathaniel stepped forward.
"Run!"
The fake Nathaniel raised his hand.
The windows shattered.
A violent wind rushed through the house.
I screamed as I was thrown backward.
Shawshank caught me.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
He looked at my ankle.
The golden mark was glowing.
"Your mark…"
"What about it?"
"It knows he's here."
"What does that mean?"
Before he could answer, the fake Nathaniel appeared behind us.
"Move!"
Shawshank pushed me aside.
A wave of dark energy struck him.
He crashed against the wall.
"SHAWSHANK!"
I ran toward him.
"Stay away!" he shouted.
The fake Nathaniel smiled.
"You care about him."
I stood between them.
"Leave him alone."
"Why?"
"Because I said so."
He laughed.
"You sound like your father."
"Which one?"
His expression changed.
For the first time, he looked frightened.
I noticed.
"Which one are you afraid of?"
He stepped backward.
"The question is not which father."
"Then what is it?"
"Which daughter."
I frowned.
"What does that mean?"
The real Nathaniel suddenly shouted,
"Bjei, get down!"
I dropped.
Something flew over my head.
The fake Nathaniel was thrown across the room.
Darius stood behind him.
He was holding a strange silver weapon.
"Take Bjei and run!"
Angela grabbed my hand.
"Come!"
"No!"
I looked at Shawshank.
He was still on the floor.
"I won't leave him."
Angela shook her head.
"Bjei, please!"
Shawshank pushed himself up.
"I can walk."
I rushed to him.
"Are you sure?"
He nodded.
"I'm fine."
The fake Nathaniel stood again.
His face was changing.
For a second, his skin looked transparent.
Something dark moved beneath it.
Then his face returned to normal.
Christel gasped.
"What is he?"
The real Nathaniel answered.
"A skinwalker."
I stared.
"A what?"
"A creature that can steal the appearance of anyone it touches."
The fake Nathaniel smiled.
"And I chose a very useful face."
Darius raised his weapon.
"You won't get her."
The creature laughed.
"You've been protecting her for eighteen years."
He pointed at me.
"But you never told her the truth."
"What truth?"
Darius said nothing.
I looked at him.
"What truth?"
The creature laughed again.
"Ask him who carried you out of the sea."
My eyes moved to Darius.
He looked away.
"Darius?"
The creature's smile widened.
"He did."
I felt confused.
"Did what?"
"He was the first person to hold you after you were born."
Darius finally looked at me.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because Angela couldn't."
"Why couldn't she?"
Silence.
The fake Nathaniel stepped closer.
"Because your mother wasn't the one who gave birth to you."
I stared at him.
"What?"
Angela's face turned pale.
"Don't listen to him."
"Mom?"
She couldn't speak.
The fake Nathaniel whispered,
"Ask her."
I turned toward Angela.
"Mom… is he lying?"
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"No."
My heart sank.
"What does that mean?"
Angela covered her mouth.
"You weren't born from my body."
The room went silent.
I looked at her in disbelief.
"Then whose daughter am I?"
Angela began crying.
"Bjei…"
"Whose?"
Before she could answer, the ocean outside suddenly roared.
Every window in the house exploded.
The fake Nathaniel smiled.
And from beneath the sea came Azrael's voice.
"Mine."