I stood there, trembling, my eyes locked onto the figure staring at me from within the passage. His glowing eyes were the only thing I could make out clearly, but his hand…
His hand looked exactly like mine.
The fingers, the details, even the shape of the nails—as if I were looking at my own reflection in a mirror. But there was no mirror.
Slowly, I raised my trembling hand, and the moment I did—
He raised his too. At the same time. In the same way.
I gasped and took a step back, but my body hit the locked door behind me. The solid wood against my back was the only thing grounding me, reminding me that I was still here—in my room, in the reality I knew.
But he moved again. Stepping out of the darkness, one step… then another.
And finally, I saw his face.
It was… me.
But it wasn't me.
Same features. Same height. Same messy hair framing my face. But he was different.
His eyes were darker. His skin was eerily pale, like it had never seen sunlight. His smile… was wrong.
I was looking at myself, but I knew this wasn't me.
"Wh-what… who are you?" I whispered, my voice shaking.
He smiled, as if he had been expecting that question. Then, with quiet, deliberate steps, he moved even closer.
"I am you, Iris."
My heart nearly stopped. His voice… was my voice. But there was something off—an eerie echo, like multiple voices speaking at once.
"No, that's impossible," I muttered, but every cell in my body screamed that this was real.
He reached out his hand. His fingers were cold as they neared mine, but I couldn't pull away. I couldn't even breathe.
And then, he said something that sent a chill deep into my bones:
"I've been waiting for you."
To be continued...