The dim candlelight flickered against the walls of Selena's chamber, casting elongated shadows across the room. The silence between them was thick, only disturbed by the soft rustle of fabric as Asher took a seat beside her.
His sharp amber eyes studied her for a moment before he spoke.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low, steady.
Selena sat motionless on the edge of the bed, her arms wrapped around her knees. She let out a slow breath, but her eyes remained distant.
"I don't even know," she admitted.
For the first time in years, her past had come back to haunt her in a way she hadn't anticipated. The man who had taken everything from her now begged for her help. How was she supposed to feel?
Asher leaned back against the bedpost. "You know…" he began, his tone unreadable, "when I found out I was a clone, I didn't know how to feel either."
Selena turned to face him, curiosity flashing in her eyes.
He continued, his gaze fixed on a single candle burning near the bedside.
"I wasn't just the first or tenth clone. I was the 119th clone." His fingers curled into a fist on his lap. "And almost all of them had already been killed."
Selena's breath caught in her throat.
She had known Asher had a complicated history, but this?
He continued, his voice laced with something darker.
"My father… he wasn't just a lord. He was a madman who couldn't let go of his dead son." Asher exhaled sharply, as if saying the words out loud made them even more real. "He made clones of his own child over and over again, desperate to bring back the Apex original."
Selena's hands tightened around the sheets.
"And your mother?" she asked hesitantly.
"She left." His voice was cold, distant. "She abandoned my father when she saw what he was doing. Maybe she thought it was monstrous. Maybe she just couldn't bear to look at another copy of the real me."
His jaw clenched.
Selena could see it—the rage, the betrayal, the pain.
"But you survived," she whispered.
Asher gave a bitter smile. "Barely. I killed my father. And after that, I was left with nothing but I decided to protect the legacy of the very man I hated."
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Selena finally broke the silence.
"…You never told me this before."
Asher let out a soft smile, tilting his head.
"Yeah, I guess I never did."
Selena stared at him, her anger toward her uncle momentarily forgotten.
She had always thought Asher was a man who simply walked his own path, unburdened by emotions. But now, sitting here in the dim candlelight, she saw something else.
Something deeper.
Something broken.
And yet—he still chose to fight for his family's legacy.
Her father and brother would have wanted the same.
Selena closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, her resolve was clear.
"…Fine," she said, standing. "Let's go save my father's legacy."
---
Later that night, Asher and Selena traveled to Lord Oreos' estate.
The mansion was grand, with towering marble pillars and golden chandeliers that shone even under the moonlight. The guards allowed them inside immediately, leading them through the lavish halls until they reached the council chamber.
Lord Oreos sat at the head of a long table, his expression unreadable. He was flanked by several advisors, men draped in thick robes, who stood at the back end of their lord.
"You've come," Oreos said. His voice held a mix of relief and caution.
Selena kept her posture stiff. "We will help protect our land."
A small smile played on Oreos' lips, but his eyes held a glint of something unreadable.
"I am honored," he said smoothly.
"But our forces alone won't be enough," he admitted. "The other noble houses have already begun their preparations to destroy me. Even with your help, we are still at a disadvantage."
Asher folded his arms. "Then what's your plan?"
Oreos gestured to one of his advisors, a tall man cloaked in black, his face completely hidden behind a mask.
The advisor standing behind lord Oreos in a fishy manner.
"My advisor baron Charles told me that their is a way to will with only our forces".
He pointed directly at Asher.
"In your territory, there is a weapon. A weapon that can give us an advantage."
Asher's expression darkened.
"What weapon?" he demanded.
The advisor's head tilted slightly.
"The cloning device." Lord Oreos said.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Selena's eyes widened, immediately turning to Asher.
His expression had gone stone cold.
"How does he know about that?" Asher asked, his voice dangerously low.
Oreos cleared his throat.
"Forgive him," he said, "but my advisor here is both deaf and mute. He only communicates through written records, which he gathers from various sources. Few nobles and merchants even know of the cloning device—and have kept this a secret save."
Asher didn't buy it.
His muscles tensed, his mind racing.
This was dangerous.
This was too much knowledge for an outsider to have.
His tone was sharp when he spoke again.
"I swore never to use that device and nobody is going to use that device."
The advisor said nothing.
Oreos hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I understand. If that is your decision, then we will look for another way."
But Asher wasn't satisfied.
He grabbed Selena's arm and stood.
"We're leaving."
---
The moment they stepped into the carriage, Asher turned to Selena.
"I want you to investigate that advisor."
Selena blinked. "You think he's lying?"
"I don't trust him," Asher said flatly. "The way he stand, the way he looked at me directly—he knew too much. More than he should."
Selena bit her lip.
"What do you want me to do?"
"Find out where he lives, what he does, and who he communicates with."
Selena smirked.
"You're can trusting me with something something like this?"
Asher shot her a wary glance. "You're good at sneaking around so be careful."
Selena's smirk widened. "Nah, they can't catch the master of disguise,Lord Asher."
But behind her playful tone, she understood the seriousness of the situation.
That advisor… Who was he really?
And how much more did he already know?
As the carriage rolled forward, as Selina disappeared into the foggy air.
But little did they know that
This was just the beginning of the end.....
---