Kade stared at himself.
The other boy stood less than a meter away.
Same face.
Same blue eyes.
Same clothes.
Even the same confused expression.
Kade slowly raised his hand.
The other Kade raised his hand too.
Kade lowered it.
The other Kade did the same.
"What…"
Kade stepped backward.
The duplicate stepped forward.
Kade froze.
"Stop."
The duplicate stopped.
Kane stared at them.
"Kade?"
"That's me."
"I can see that."
"No, I mean…"
Kade looked at the duplicate.
"I think that's actually me."
The duplicate smiled.
Kade's mouth dropped open.
"He smiled."
Kane frowned.
"Why is that surprising?"
"Because I didn't."
Kade looked at his double.
"Did you?"
The duplicate shook his head.
Kade stared.
"You're not copying me."
The duplicate shrugged.
Kade looked toward Elias.
"What is happening?"
Elias was already moving toward them.
"Don't panic."
Kade laughed nervously.
"That's easy for you to say."
Elias crouched beside the duplicate.
"Can you understand me?"
The duplicate nodded.
"Can you speak?"
The duplicate opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Elias studied him.
"Interesting."
Kade looked offended.
"Interesting?"
"Yes."
"That's my face!"
"I know."
"That's my body!"
"I know."
"And you're calling it interesting?"
Elias almost smiled.
"Your ability is creating a temporary physical duplicate."
Kade stared.
"Echo."
"Yes."
Kade looked at the duplicate.
"So that's him?"
Elias nodded.
"Your ability has awakened."
Kade's expression changed.
For a moment, he looked excited.
Then he remembered Kian.
The excitement disappeared.
"Can he help us find Kian?"
Elias looked toward the empty space where Kian had been.
"I don't know."
Kane turned toward him.
"We have to."
The facility shook again.
A deep boom echoed through the corridors.
Adrian looked at the ceiling.
"They're inside."
Mara tightened her grip around Kane's shoulder.
"Who?"
"The people outside."
Elias stood.
"We don't have time."
Kade looked at his duplicate.
"Can you fight?"
The duplicate stared at him.
Kade sighed.
"Right. No talking."
He looked at Elias.
"How long does he last?"
"We don't know."
"How do I control him?"
"We don't know."
Kade looked at the ceiling.
"Great."
Another explosion.
Dust fell around them.
Adrian moved toward the corridor.
"Whatever we're doing, we're doing it while moving."
Kane nodded.
"Let's go."
Kade looked at his duplicate.
"You heard him."
The duplicate followed.
They ran.
---
Three corridors away, Kian opened his eyes.
He was lying on a cold floor.
He sat up slowly.
Nothing looked familiar.
The walls were white.
No pipes.
No rust.
No old machinery.
Just a long hallway disappearing in both directions.
Kian stood.
"Hello?"
His voice echoed.
"Dad?"
Nothing.
"Kane?"
Silence.
"Kade?"
Nothing.
He took a step.
Then stopped.
There was something strange about the floor.
His reflection wasn't there.
Kian looked down.
Nothing.
He crouched.
Still nothing.
Then he realized something worse.
His shadow was missing too.
Kian's breathing became faster.
He moved toward the wall.
His hand passed through it.
He quickly pulled it back.
"I'm still here."
He said it quietly.
"I have to be."
A voice answered.
"You are."
Kian spun around.
The woman stood at the end of the hallway.
She still looked like Mara.
But now her face seemed less convincing.
Her eyes were slightly different.
Older.
Colder.
Kian backed away.
"You took me."
"I brought you."
"Where?"
"Somewhere safe."
"This doesn't look safe."
She smiled.
"It isn't."
Kian swallowed.
"Where are my brothers?"
"Trying to find you."
"Then let me go."
"You can't."
"Why?"
She walked closer.
"Because you're changing."
Kian frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"You're becoming more like me."
"I don't want to be like you."
She stopped.
"Neither did I."
Kian stared at her.
For the first time, he felt something other than fear.
Pity.
"You're lonely."
The woman looked surprised.
Kian continued.
"You don't want to hurt us."
She looked away.
"No."
"Then help us."
"I can't."
"Why?"
She looked at him.
"Because if I help you, they will find you."
"Who?"
She didn't answer.
Kian stepped closer.
"The people who made you?"
"Yes."
"They're coming?"
"They never stopped."
Kian looked around.
"Then why bring me here?"
The woman hesitated.
"Because I needed to know if you remembered."
"Remembered what?"
She stepped forward and touched his forehead.
Kian suddenly saw another memory.
Mara holding him.
Kane crying beside him.
Kade sleeping.
A fourth child lying in another room.
Then—
A man standing over them.
Elias.
He was younger.
And he was crying.
Kian watched him place something beside the fourth child.
A small metal object.
The same kind of object Adrian had carried.
Elias whispered:
"I'm sorry."
The memory ended.
Kian stumbled backward.
"Why did he say sorry?"
The woman didn't answer.
Kian looked at her.
"What did he do?"
She finally said:
"He chose you three."
Kian's eyes widened.
"Over her?"
"Yes."
The words hurt more than he expected.
"Why?"
"Because they said they could only save three."
Kian shook his head.
"No."
"They lied."
Kian looked at her.
"What?"
"They didn't have to choose."
The woman stepped closer.
"They wanted your father to believe he had no choice."
Kian's voice became small.
"So Dad didn't leave her?"
"No."
"Then what happened?"
The woman looked toward the ceiling.
"He tried to save all four of you."
Kian's heart tightened.
"Did he?"
The woman looked at him.
"That's what you need to ask him."
A sound echoed through the hallway.
Footsteps.
The woman froze.
"They found us."
Kian looked behind her.
"Who?"
She suddenly grabbed his hand.
"Run."
---
Back in the facility, Kane, Kade, Mara, Elias, Adrian, and the Echo raced through a narrow passage.
A metallic door slammed behind them.
Adrian locked it.
"Keep moving."
Kade glanced at his duplicate.
"He's keeping up."
The Echo suddenly stopped.
Kade stopped too.
"What?"
The duplicate pointed behind them.
Kade frowned.
"You hear something?"
The Echo nodded.
A loud crash came from the corridor.
Adrian raised his weapon.
"They're here."
Elias looked at Kane.
"Take your mother and your brothers forward."
Kane shook his head.
"No."
"Kane."
"No."
Elias stared at him.
"You can't fight trained soldiers."
Kane looked toward Kade.
Then his duplicate.
Then Adrian.
"We don't need to fight."
He looked at the hallway.
"We just need to disappear."
Kade smiled.
"That I can do."
Kane looked at him.
"You understand?"
Kade nodded.
"Shapeshifting."
Kane nodded.
"Exactly."
Kade looked at his duplicate.
Then smiled.
"Okay."
The two Kades ran in opposite directions.
Elias stared.
"What are they doing?"
Adrian understood.
"Confusing them."
Kane grabbed Mara's hand.
"Kian would know what to do."
Mara looked at him.
"He's coming back."
Kane nodded.
"He better."
Gunfire erupted behind them.
The soldiers had entered the corridor.
Kade and his Echo split up.
One ran left.
The other ran right.
The soldiers hesitated.
"Which one?"
Another soldier shouted:
"Both!"
They split.
The Echo suddenly changed direction.
Kade did the same.
The soldiers chased them.
Then both Kades disappeared.
The corridor went empty.
A soldier stopped.
"Where did they go?"
Another soldier checked the corner.
Nothing.
Then a voice whispered behind him.
"Looking for me?"
He turned.
Kade was standing there.
The soldier raised his weapon.
Kade disappeared.
The soldier fired at empty air.
The real Kade appeared behind him.
He kicked the weapon away.
The Echo appeared beside him.
Together, they ran.
Kade laughed.
"We're actually good at this."
The Echo grinned.
Then suddenly—
It disappeared.
Kade stopped.
"What?"
The Echo was gone.
Kade looked around.
"Hey!"
Elias rushed toward him.
"What happened?"
"I don't know."
Kade looked frightened.
"He just disappeared."
Elias checked his watch.
"Your Echo may have a time limit."
Kade looked down.
"But he was helping."
"He may return."
"May?"
Before Elias could answer, Kian's voice echoed through the corridor.
"Kade!"
Kade's head snapped up.
"Kian?"
The voice came again.
"Kade!"
Kane shouted:
"Kian!"
A figure appeared at the end of the corridor.
Kian.
He was running toward them.
Mara rushed forward.
"Kian!"
She hugged him.
Kian held onto her tightly.
"I found you."
Kade laughed.
"We found you!"
Kane stepped closer.
"Where were you?"
Kian looked over his shoulder.
"She brought me."
"Who?"
Kian's face changed.
"The fourth."
Elias stepped forward.
"Where is she?"
Kian looked behind him.
"She was right—"
He stopped.
The hallway was empty.
Kian looked confused.
"She was there."
Elias grabbed his shoulders.
"Did she hurt you?"
"No."
"Did she tell you anything?"
Kian hesitated.
"She said Dad tried to save all four of us."
Elias went completely still.
Mara looked at him.
"Elias."
He didn't answer.
Kian stared at his father.
"Is that true?"
Elias looked at all three boys.
Then he said:
"Yes."
Nobody spoke.
Kade looked confused.
"Then why did you say there were only three?"
Elias lowered his eyes.
"Because…"
A gunshot interrupted him.
The bullet struck the wall beside his head.
Everyone ducked.
Adrian immediately returned fire.
The soldiers had found them again.
"MOVE!"
They ran.
Elias grabbed the metal object from his pocket.
The strange device began glowing.
But this time, it didn't display a map.
It displayed four lights.
Red.
Blue.
Green.
And black.
Elias stared at the fourth light.
His face went pale.
"No."
Adrian looked over.
"What?"
Elias whispered:
"She isn't the fourth."
Kane stopped.
"What?"
Elias looked at Kian.
"The fourth light…"
He slowly turned toward the darkness behind them.
"…is already inside one of you."
Kian froze.
Kade stared at Kane.
Kane stared at Kian.
Nobody spoke.
Then Kian's eyes suddenly turned completely black.
And he smiled.