As the darkness slowly receded, what emerged from the shadows made Ethan's heart stop in fear.
A man stood directly in front of him—exactly the same height, same face, and even wearing the same clothes. The only difference was that his eyes were glossy black, and a mysterious smile was on his face.
Alice took a step back. "W-What's happening?!"
Selena let out a deep breath. "This is exactly what I was afraid of."
Ethan stared at his dark counterpart in disbelief. "You… Who are you?!"
His dark version smirked. "Oh, me?" He spoke in a mocking tone. "I'm Ethan Cross! The same clueless guy who has no idea how to use his ability!"
Ethan: "…"
Luna suddenly clapped her hands together. "So, we have two Ethans! This is so exciting!"
Ethan shot her a look. "There is NOTHING exciting about this!"
But Luna just laughed, eyes sparkling as she looked between the two. "Why not? This means we can have a real contest! Who's the real Ethan?!"
Ethan frowned. "What? A contest?!"
Luna grinned. "Yeah! Both of you have to answer a series of questions, and we'll decide who's real!"
Dark Ethan tilted his head with an amused smirk. "Oh, I like this. I accept. Let's see who's better."
Alice narrowed her eyes. "I don't have a good feeling about this…"
But it was already too late.
The 'Who's the Real Ethan?' Contest!
Luna pulled up a chair, sat down, and magically produced a notebook. "Okay, first question! Ethaaaan! What's your favorite food?"
Ethan answered immediately. "Double cheeseburger with extra cheese."
At the exact same time, Dark Ethan said, "Double cheeseburger with extra cheese."
Alice muttered, "This is going to be harder than I thought."
Luna marked the answer down. "Alright, tied score! Next question—When you were a kid, what were you most afraid of?"
Ethan frowned. "The scary stories my mom used to tell."
Dark Ethan said the exact same thing, but with a smirk, he added, "Of course, now I know those stories weren't just stories."
Selena studied him carefully. "He said the exact same thing, but… there was something strange about it."
Alice crossed her arms. "Alright, I'll ask something only the real Ethan would know!"
She stepped forward, staring at both of them. "On your first day of university, what happened that made you fall and spill all your food?"
Ethan groaned. "Oh, no… That cursed day!"
Before he could answer, Dark Ethan spoke smoothly. "Someone bumped into me from behind, I lost my balance, and I had a free-fall with all my lunch."
Luna laughed. "Haha! That was spot-on!"
But at that moment, Ethan raised his head and smirked. "Wrong answer."
Dark Ethan frowned. "What?"
Ethan pointed at Alice. "It wasn't someone who bumped into me. You don't remember, but a cat ran past my legs, making me lose my balance!"
Alice's eyes widened. "Oh! That's right! How do you even remember that?!"
Ethan smiled. "Because that cat sat outside the university café every day. Later, I found out its name was 'Biscuit.'"
Dark Ethan clenched his jaw. "Damn it…"
Selena whispered, "So there are small differences… But it's still not enough."
Faera suddenly smirked wickedly. "Alright, final question. This one… no one should know. Ethan, who was your first crush?"
Ethan's face turned red. "What?! You can't ask that!"
Dark Ethan scowled. "What kind of question is that?"
But Faera smiled mischievously. "Well, if you're really Ethan, you should be able to answer."
Selena added with a smirk, "Good idea. Something only the real Ethan would say."
Ethan cursed under his breath. "Well… It was the girl next door. Her name was Emily, and—"
Suddenly, Dark Ethan cut him off. "The girl next door? Ah, yes… Emily. Oh, I have such good memories of her."
A brief silence filled the room.
Everyone stared at him in shock.
Faera narrowed her eyes. "You… have 'good memories' of her?"
Alice put a hand on her forehead. "Oh no… You were never actually in love with Emily, were you, Ethan?"
Ethan, now pale, stammered, "N-No… Actually… She was just a childhood crush, and I never even talked to her!"
A heavy silence fell over them.
Selena exhaled. "So… he's not the real Ethan."
Dark Ethan stiffened.
Luna raised her hand and shouted, "We caught you!"
When Everything Was Exposed…
Dark Ethan took a few steps back. "Damn it… A stupid mistake!"
Faera grinned wickedly. "Well, now that we know you're the fake… Should I just blow you up?"
Dark Ethan's eyes sharpened. "Wait… You all think just because you figured out I'm a fake, you've won?"
Alice cautiously replied, "…Well, yeah?"
Dark Ethan smirked. "Oh, then let me show you why I'm still the winner."
Before anyone could react, a massive shadow rose from behind him, engulfing the entire room in darkness.
Everyone's eyes widened in horror.
"Now… It's time for the real game to begin."