Lina's voice broke before the name even left her lips.
Kai held her by the shoulders, breathing hard, eyes pleading.
"Lina… who was there?Who did you follow?"
She swallowed.
Her flame flickered painfully in her chest.
And she whispered—
"Reyon."
The world stopped.
Reyon's mouth fell open.
"Wh—WHAT?!"
Seren stumbled back into the wall.
Kai went perfectly still — not blinking, not breathing.
Lina's hands trembled violently.
"I saw you… in the memory.You were standing in the hallway.You told me to follow."
Reyon's eyes went wild."No no NO — Lina, I wasn't there! I swear on every bone in my body — I was asleep in my room!"
Kai's Shadowsteel twitched around him like coiled snakes sensing blood.
"Lina," he said softly, "are you sure?"
She closed her eyes — the memory flashing again:
A dim hallway.Reyon's silhouette.His easy grin.His voice whispering:
"Come on, Lina. Quickly."
Her voice cracked.
"I'm… I'm sure I saw him."
Reyon backed away from them, hands up, horrified."No. No — listen to me. Lina, I would NEVER lead you into danger. I wouldn't— I couldn't—"
Seren clutched her head suddenly.
"No… something's wrong.Something's wrong with the resonance of the memory."
Kai turned sharply."What do you mean?"
Seren took a shaky breath.
"There are… two voices inside it.Lina's voice.And something layered beneath the Reyon-voice.Like… like a mimic speaking through his body."
Reyon looked like he wanted to collapse with relief.
"THANK YOU. FINALLY. SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES I'M NOT AN EVIL FLAME-HIJACKING CULTIST."
But Lina shook her head.
"No— Seren… this wasn't just a voice.I SAW him."
Seren's eyes softened.
"Yes.Because a Veilbound mimic doesn't just copy appearance.It uses your emotional trust to fill in the gaps."
Kai's expression darkened.
"So it used Reyon's face… because Lina trusts him."
Reyon blinked rapidly. "Okay — okay — that makes sense. Sort of. Terrifying, but I'll take it."
But Kai wasn't convinced.
His eyes were on Reyon.Cold. Sharp.Shadowsteel humming around him like a heartbeat.
"Kai," Reyon said slowly, "buddy… you're looking at me like you're deciding which part of me to slice first."
Kai said nothing.
Lina stepped between them.
"Kai, stop. Please.I don't think it was really him."
But her flame pulsed again — a warning.
She gasped and clutched her chest.
Kai caught her instantly."Lina?! What is it?"
"My flame… it's reacting to something again…"
Reyon raised his arms in panic."NOT ME AGAIN— I swear I will take a lie detector test RIGHT NOW—"
But Seren pointed down the hall.
"No… the flame isn't warning her about Reyon."Her voice dropped."It's warning her about WHERE that memory happened."
The corridor ahead groaned — and shifted.
The runes on the walls dimmed.
The lanterns flickered out one by one.
And a cold wind blew through the corridor.
Reyon swallowed. "Uh… that's not normal hallway behavior."
Seren's eyes widened.
"It's leading us."Her voice was barely a breath."To the Forbidden Wing."
Lina's heart dropped.
Kai instinctively stepped in front of her.
"No one goes into that wing. Ever."
Seren whispered:
"That wing is where the academy stores echoes of corrupted Resonances."
Reyon muttered, "Oh fabulous. Great. Love corrupted echo museums."
Lina shivered.
"Why would my memory point us there?"
Seren placed a trembling hand over her chest, listening to the Soul Echoes.
"Because… the presence that controlled you…the one who wore Reyon's face…is still inside that wing."
Kai exhaled sharply.
"So the Veilbound mimic is STILL HERE."
Reyon backed up."NOPE. Absolutely not. We are NOT going in there unless we have ten priests, a flamethrower, and a therapist."
Seren went pale.
"The mimic isn't alone."
Kai's eyes sharpened."What else is in there?"
Seren's voice trembled.
"A memory.A living one.Waiting."
Lina stepped forward despite her fear.
"Kai… I need to go."
He grabbed her wrist."No. You're not going anywhere near that thing."
Her voice softened.
"Kai… if I don't see it — if I don't face whatever happened that night — how can I ever know the truth?"
Kai looked torn between fear and fury.
Reyon stepped beside him.
"She's right. This is Lina's memory — her past. We can't shield her from it."
Kai glared."I can."
Lina touched his hand gently.
"Kai. Please."
His resolve shattered.
He exhaled shakily."…Fine. But I'm not letting go of you. Not for a second."
Lina nodded.
But just as they stepped toward the dark entrance—
A figure stepped out from the shadows.
All four froze.
Because the figure…
Was Reyon.
A second Reyon.
Smiling.
Eyes hollow.
Voice cold:
"Lina.Come with me again."
Lina screamed.
Kai pulled her back.
Reyon stumbled backward in horror.
Seren cried out, "THAT'S THE MIMIC—!"
The mimic-Reyon tilted its head.
"I led you once.I'll lead you again."
Kai lifted his Shadowsteel blade.
His voice was death:
"If you touch her, I'll end you."
The mimic smiled wider.
"You already failed once, Oathbreaker."
Lina grabbed Kai's arm.
"Kai—don't— it wants to provoke you—"
But the mimic lifted its finger and pointed directly at Lina.
"You already belong to us."
Lina's flame exploded in pain.
She fell to her knees.
Kai shouted her name.
Reyon hurled illusions.
Seren collapsed from the echo shock.
And the mimic whispered—
"The first betrayal was yours, Lina.But the second…will be his."
Kai froze.
Lina looked up, horrified.
"Kai? Kai—DON'T LISTEN—"
But the mimic's shape twisted—
and transformed into Kai.
Perfectly.
Same eyes.Same voice.
"Lina.Come with me."
Lina screamed.
Kai roared.
The real Kai launched forward with Shadowsteel bursting around him—
and the chapter ends as the mimic-Kai reaches for Lina's hand.
To be Continued
© Kishtika., 2025
All rights reserved.