A sharp, reverberating hum filled the air—thin at first, like the buzz of electricity crackling in the distance. Then came the voice.
Smooth.
Cold.
Amused.
"Such a cruel younger brother…"
The sound echoed from within the crystalline cube that held the clone, though it had not spoken until now.
Its mouth didn't move. Its five swords—slower now—hovered like the still arms of a dying machine. And yet the voice... it was unmistakably Elius.
The four turned at once—Zhark, Fraven, Shania, and Keith—eyes snapping to the cube with horrified realization. They had sealed the dungeon. They had closed it shut. They had locked away Elius, the monster.
So how was he—?
"No…" Keith muttered, stepping back. "No, no, no. That's not possible. That's not possible!"
Fraven's mouth opened, but no sound came. His brain screamed against the facts. His calculations. His surveillance. His psychic probes. They had confirmed the real body was inside. Hadn't they?
