Whirr—crackle—buzz!
The chainsaw had been running for nearly twenty minutes before Corin, her arms sore and trembling, finally stopped, gasping for breath. She opened her eyes, inhaling deeply, and finally had a moment to look around.
Leaning on the chainsaw for support, she turned her gaze toward the cardboard box. The blood that had been splattered everywhere moments ago had completely vanished, replaced by scattered particles of Ether drifting slowly upward. The box itself was now nothing but shredded scraps, completely sawed apart by Corin.
Seven uneven pieces of cardboard lay on the floor, together forming a torn and tattered doll. But its damage wasn't from age or decay—it was the work of Corin's chainsaw, its spinning blade having mangled the doll beyond recognition. Yellowed cotton was scattered everywhere. Its plastic eyes were gone. A deep gash ran from its nose down through its torso, the cloth torn apart, threads fraying at the edges.
Corin didn't care about that. Her gaze fixed instead on the center of the doll's chest.
There, a small spherical object pulsed faintly, radiating a quiet, warped purple glow—the Core!
But like a tributary eventually flowing into a dying stream, this Core had reached the end of its life. It flickered faintly, the purple light slowly drifting away.
"Mr. Ragdoll, are you an Ethereal?"
Seeing that the doll was near death, Corin didn't mind keeping it company for its final moments. She wanted to see if she could draw some information out of it.
[What Ethereal? Call me Doppelgänger! Cough... cough cough!]
Truly, an anomaly among the Ethereal.
Even as its life ebbed away, the Doppelgänger—a mimic capable of thought and speech—refused to lose its dignity, unwilling to be compared to the likes of lowly Tyrfing or other lesser Ethereal. Especially for one that had aligned itself under the Notoriety Ethereal, its intellect and pride were both stronger than most.
After snapping at Corin once, the ragged doll went quiet, though it still seemed intrigued by her.
With a complicated look, it said,
[You know, little maid, you did something I always wanted to do... but never had the courage to.]
Corin blinked. "What do you mean?"
Corin tilted her head in confusion. She was still young, but as a maid of Victoria Housekeeping, she understood the basics of the Ethereal. And precisely because she understood, she found something off about what it said.
[...Heh, still not quite learned, little one.]
The tattered doll mocked her out of habit, watching her puff up her cheeks in annoyance. The sight almost made the fading ache in its Core feel a little lighter.
[In our Doppelgänger worldview, there are generally two schools of thought,] it went on.
[First: that we are imitators. All imitation is meant to refine similarity—until perfection, until we can replace the original.]
[Second: that we are learners. We imitate to become a better version of the "other," and in doing so, separate ourselves from what we once copied.]
[I belong to the first. That's why I can accept the memories of my original as if they were my own past.]
It paused for a moment, considering how much longer its Ether could hold out—how much more it could say. Then it gave a dry chuckle. Might as well say everything while it still could.
[In this Ballet Tower, few powerful beings are outsiders. Most were once humans who survived the Hollow's eruption.]
[The last seven survivors each left behind a doll. Each doll carried a prophecy—a symbol of their death.]
[They also represented the ways we five dragged you all down with us. We wanted those who came after to suffer the same fate.]
"Wait, didn't you just say seven? Why is it five now?"
Corin put aside the murder details for the moment and focused on the contradiction.
[...Heh. Because those two killed the remaining five of us...]
[No... that's not quite right...]
The doll's tone softened, filled with sorrow.
[Back when we were still human, it was the five of us who abandoned the other two.]
[So when they were corrupted and became Ethereal, they didn't spare a single one of us.]
Corin let out a long "Oh," eyes widening in realization. She slammed her fist into her palm.
"So what you meant earlier about serving under the Notoriety Ethereal—those are the two who killed you!"
[That's right...]
The doll's voice grew bitter.
[They killed us five, yet even in death, we couldn't escape. We became part of their power.]
Its words grew lighter, even with a hint of exhilaration.
[But now... finally, I can die. I'll never again be controlled by those two!]
[Even now, I can still remember those days—trapped in that room with them. No windows, no light, no one to speak to.]
[I could only watch as Ether slowly consumed my body. Late at night, I'd feel something crawling over me... only to look down and see new Ether crystals forming.]
[I knew I'd eventually turn into an Ethereal. But I couldn't leave—because I knew they were waiting for me outside.]
[In the end, I couldn't even stand. My whole body was covered in crystals, and a Core grew out of my heart... turning me completely into a Doppelgänger.]
The doll paused again. It didn't have much time left.
It stopped talking about its suffering, and instead gave a faint smile.
[That's why I'm telling you all this. I admire your courage to stay strong, even in the face of fear.]
[I truly hope that you—and your companions—can help the seven souls once filled with hatred and despair finally rest in peace.]
[Now, listen carefully. About this building...]
Three minutes later, it had finished speaking. The last fragments of its Ether drifted away with its fading voice and vanished into the air.
Corin looked around. The once luxurious room had lost its glamour. Everything inside had been an illusion.
The bookshelves were bare. The pool table was chipped and cracked, the cue snapped in two. Even the grand bed she'd first sat on was nothing more than a few planks nailed together, weathered by time.
"No... this isn't the time to hesitate!"
She suddenly remembered the intel the doll had given her. If it was accurate, everyone from Victoria Housekeeping was in serious danger!
Corin gripped her chainsaw tightly and moved toward the sealed wall.
...
[Fairy: Alert. Ether concentration in this area has dropped sharply. Likely that a powerful Ethereal has been slain.]
"That's great news!"
Eous, held in Rina's arms, lit up with excitement.
"It must be Lycaon or Corin! Fairy, check which direction the Ether levels fell in!"
[Fairy: Directly ahead.]
Eous blinked. "Ahead? But there's just a wall—ah!!!"
A metal saw blade burst through the wall, scraping against the surrounding crystals and throwing sparks everywhere.
Rina floated back, frowning as lightning crackled in her hand. But then she paused, realizing something. The lightning fizzled out and vanished.
BOOM!
The wall collapsed, and a figure emerged from the dust.
Corin bit her lip, patting her apron like a nervous kitten.
"Oh no, oh no! I dirtied my apron! If Miss Rina or Mr. Lycaon find out..."
Before she could finish, a tall figure lunged out of the dust and pulled her into a tight embrace. Her forehead brushed a shoulder, and she was enveloped in warmth.
"Corin! I finally found you!"
It was Miss Rina's voice.
Corin quickly realized what was happening and tried to push her away.
"Wait, Miss Rina. I just broke through the wall. I'm filthy."
"Mmm~ I don't care!"
Rina clung tightly, refusing to let go. Corin could hear the relief in her trembling voice.
"It took so much effort to find you!"
Hearing that, Corin's heart softened. The warmth in Rina's embrace was intoxicating, and for a moment, she wished she could stay like this forever.
But she knew she couldn't.
With sudden strength, Corin pushed her away.
Caught off guard, Rina fell to the floor, staring at her in disbelief.
Corin quickly shouted,
"Miss Rina, we need to find Mr. Lycaon—then regroup with Mr. Phaga and Miss Ellen!"
"They're in danger!"