Asher was staring at his reflection.
His breath slowed. His pulse thudded in his ears.
For a fraction of a second — his eyes were not his own.
Not the usual sharp silver.
Black.
Like his copy's.
Like the creature in that Rift.
Then—they shifted back.
Seraphine took a step back. "What the hell was that?"
Asher let out a breath that he seemed to be holding back, running a hand through his hair. "Good question."
Seraphine's face darkened. "That wasn't normal, Vale. Your eyes—"
"They're all fine now," he interjected. "And I'm still me."
Seraphine didn't appear convinced.
And honestly?
Neither was he.
A Rift That Changed Him
He could still feel it.
A weight in his chest. A presence hovering at the periphery of his mind.
It wasn't just the Rift.
It was what had been there all along.
His other self.
The fight, the murmurs, the time he'd almost lost himself.
"You are still incomplete."
"The truth is coming."
His grip tightened.
His whole second life he had learned to adapt, to survive in a world that shouldn't have been.
And, for the first time, he felt something pulling him back.
Like he wasn't even meant to be here.
Seraphine sighed, massaging her temples. "Just look, don't play like this is nothing.
Asher smirked. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Seraphine rolled her eyes. "I swear, one day you're gonna get your smart ass killed."
"Not today, though."
He took a long look at her; she shook her head. "Come on. Valen's waiting."
Right.
The Guild was still awaiting such a report.
And he suspected they'd be unhappy with what he had to say.
Back at the Guild HQ, Asher sat in Valen's office, arms crossed as the man stared at him.
Valen had heard it all — the Rift, the doppelgänger, the black eyes.
And now, the Guild leader was in thought.
Finally, he spoke. "So. You fought… yourself?"
"More or less."
Valen's fingers drummed on the desk. "And this copy of you — did he say anything?"
Asher hesitated.
He didn't trust Valen. Not yet.
But lying wouldn't do any good, either.
"He said I was 'incomplete.' That something was coming."
Valen nodded slowly. "That's what I feared.
Asher raised an eyebrow. "You know something."
"I suspect," Valen corrected. "But nothing concrete. Not yet."
Seraphine frowned. "You knew it was connected to him, and you sent him in there by himself?"
Valen gave her a calm look. "I had to see if the Rift would recognize him. And it did."
Seraphine's jaw tensed. "You used him as bait."
Asher smirked. "Not the first time."
Seraphine glared at him, but Valen merely leaned forward.
"This alters things," he said. "The Guild isn't the only one watching you now, Asher.
Asher met his gaze. "Who else?"
Valen's lips curled slightly. "The ones who came up with the Rift system."
Silence.
Then Asher laughed.
"You think I'm buying that someone really made the Rifts?"
Valen's expression remained unchanged. "Vale, there are a lot of things you should start believing."
He leaned back. "Because if your double was telling the truth …
His eyes sharpened.
"Well, then you're running out of time.
The meeting ended soon after.
Asher and Seraphine walked out of the building, the tension still palpable in the air.
"So," she sighed, "what's next?"
Asher exhaled. "Now?"
He looked up at the neon skyscrapers around them.
"Now I learn the truth of who I am."
Because if there was another version of himself out there …
Then came the moments that led to understanding why.