Standing before Alaric was a splitting image of himself, but with more vibrant features, the exact way he would look if he were adequately taken care of.
Just like him, this copy of him looked 5 years old, had purple eyes, and lustrous crimson hair. He was wearing the same clothes as Alaric, a well-groomed purple shirt, mimicking his indifferent expression.
The presence of the figure seems to stir up the kaleidoscope of colours around, causing Alaric's frown to crease more. This action, though, appears to change the consistent pace at which the environment moves. It became more erratic, as though it had been stirred out of its calm state.
Quickly, his frown turned back to his usual indifference, and he looked the figure top to bottom, trying to understand the situation he found himself in. The surroundings mirrored his now calm assessment. The one erratic movement seized and became more consistent, as it had been a couple of seconds ago.
Alaric noticed the change but chose to ignore it. The copy of himself in front of him completely took his full attention at the moment.
"Who are you?" he asked, still trying to make sense of his situation. He had gone through a lot of things during his time in this pit. Things that could make a grown man break. Things that could alter their perception of reality itself, and he had come to experience it himself. He saw things that weren't there and heard the voices of dead people.
He was fully aware that his mental health was slowly declining. He couldn't trust his own perception of the world around him anymore, which was ironic, considering his perception was one of his strongest traits. He couldn't believe what was happening right now; he could just be hallucinating.
"I am you, of course." 'Doppelgänger Alaric replied to his comment with the same voice and accompanying monotone voice as he would. "I am a manifestation of your subconscious mind.'
"You are me?" Alaric tilted his head to the side, still looking at himself with great interest. He was looking for a flaw, anything that could lead him to deny this was really happening right now, but it seemed like wasted efforts; he was too detailed and without flaw. He continued, "What is this…"
He couldn't finish his question. 'Doppelgänger Alaric' interrupted him with a question of his own.
"Why did you leave them to die?" he asked, fixing his gaze on Alaric's face as if to discern whether he would lie or not. By them, he was referring to the residents of his settlement. "You had the power to fight back, so why did you abandon them by running away? You might not have saved all of them, but a few could have survived."
The infinite kaleidoscope behind 'Doppelgänger Alaric' seems to gain a darker shade.
Alaric's frown returned, churning the beautiful environment around them. He was confused by that question.
'Why would I ask myself such a question?' Alaric thought in bewilderment. Instead of answering, he strutted closer, then around his so-called image of himself as if looking for something.
After just a few moments, he couldn't help but sigh out loud while gently shaking his head. Without caring to answer, he ignored the image and started observing the surrounding kaleidoscope of colours.
"Are you avoiding the question?" 'Doppelgänger Alaric' asked again, his voice gaining a smidge of annoyance, but he continued ignoring it. He just looked for details that would convince him this wasn't real. So, he looked for more information that could help him piece the situation together.
Seeing the bright colours around, his brain worked overtime to deduce his current situation, and he noticed a few things. First, the more he tried to deduce any information, the faster the colours around him seemed to move.
Secondly, the colours seem to gain a more vibrant hue as the seconds pass slowly, and lastly, the area behind 'Mirror Alaric' grows a shade darker with every passing second.
It didn't take long for him to theorise some things, so he immediately put them to the test by asking with an indifferent voice. He didn't even bother looking its way.
"You say you and I are the same individual, right?" 'Doppelgänger Alaric' nodded at the question, enthusiastic about getting a reply, even in the form of a question.
"Then why do you ask a question you should know the answer to?" he continued, his gaze finally locking on his image. This was the reason Alaric hadn't bothered to answer the previous question. If they genuinely were the same, conscious or subconscious mind, he should know the reason Alaric chose to run into the forest that night.
The Doppelgänger's brow twitched subtly, then quickly returned to normal. Alaric caught the subtle twitch, and a slight smile rose on his lips. It was barely perceptible.
"A man can convince himself that the reason he does what he does is for a just cause, but deep down, he is only a slave to his selfish desire. You might think you know the reason you ran that day, but your subconscious mind I am more aware of your selfish desire." He paused for a moment before he continued.
"A man must search his heart to know what drives him, to push forward even in the hardest of days. The subconscious mind is a mighty place, if left unchecked, might lead to a man's downfall."
Alaric mused on what he had just heard; he couldn't help but admire the Doppelgänger for putting so much effort into its act.
"What do you think my reason was for running away that night then?" he questioned, genuinely interested in what the image had to say.
The Doppelgänger nodded in satisfaction at being asked that, then it replied,
"It was cowardice. You ran away because you didn't dare to face the enemies. You ran away because you didn't care enough to push down your fear."
Alaric was stunned and silent by what he had just heard, his indifference momentarily cracked.
The Doppelgänger grinned widely at the reaction Alaric gave. 'Good.'