---
The Silent Deception
Lord Orion leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished wooden surface. His advisors stood before him, their faces carefully blank. However, his attention was fixed on one man.
"Baron Charles, why didn't you tell me that Lord Asher does not like the idea of using the cloning machine like his father?" Orion's voice was calm, but laced with irritation.
The advisor said nothing.
A moment passed.
Orion exhaled sharply and rubbed his temples.
"Arrghh! I forgot you were deaf." He sighed and waved a hand dismissively. "You may all leave."
The advisors bowed and turned to exit.
But Selena who spied at them wasn't leaving.
Not yet.
---
Selena who was still invincible followed the deaf and dumb advisor, as he joined the other advisors exiting the chamber.
Her target was clear—Baron Charles.
She followed him as he walked down the dimly lit corridors of the mansion, his stride slow and methodical. There was something off about him, something that had unsettled Asher from the beginning.
She kept her steps light and silent.
After a few turns, Baron Charles reached his private chambers.
Selena slipped inside just as the heavy door closed behind him.
She remained in the shadows, watching intently as the advisor moved to a cupboard.
Then she saw it.
He pulled out several pieces of human flesh, placing them carefully on a small table.
Her stomach twisted in disgust.
What kind of monster was this man?
Then, suddenly—
"It's time for you to come out." he said .
Selena's heart nearly stopped.
She hadn't made a sound.
No one else was in the room.
How did he—?
The advisor didn't turn to face her. Instead, his eyes began to glow with an bluish crimson light.
"I can see you clearly, even though you are behind me."
Selena felt a sudden chill crawl up her spine.
This wasn't normal.
Before she could try to escape by jumping out of the window, her body froze in place.
Panic surged through her as she tried to move—but she couldn't.
Her muscles were completely paralyzed.
Baron Charles, without even looking at her, slowly stretched his hand to his back in her direction.
Selena's feet lifted off the ground.
Her entire body floated forcefully dashing toward him, as if an invisible force was dragging her forward.
She struggled—fought against it—but it was useless.
The moment she reached him, his hand imidiately gripped her throat.
Her lungs burned as she gasped for air.
"Who are you?!" she choked out. " what do you want the cloning device for?"
The advisor chuckled softly.
Then, with his free hand, he reached up and removed his mask.
Selena's eyes went wide with horror.
Her body turned ice cold.
Her lips trembled.
"No… that's not possible…" she whispered.
The face before her… was someone she knew.
---
"Remember me, Selena?" the man said.
His voice, his features, everything about him was identical to Asher—except for his eyes and a scar across his left cheek .
They weren't the warm amber eyes she knew.
They were a piercing blue, glowing with a supernatural light.
"Lysar…" she breathed.
The clone's present was dominating sending pressure to Selina's mind
This man—this monster—was another disaster.
Lysar smiled. "I can sense your presence with my mind, Selena. Your invisibility means nothing to me."
Selena clenched her jaw.
"Why are you doing this?" she demanded. "Are you the one who killed Valvidor's son?!"
Lysar tilted his head, almost amused.
"I'm impressed," he mused. "You figured it out so quickly, now I wish I had picked you as my maid the other just had one job but failed"
Selena gritted her teeth."I would never have follow someone who kills other peoples children just to start a war".
"How else am I ever going to get something from,when I can just start a war as a distraction to get it." Lysar continued, his grip tightening around her throat. "And in war, chaos thrives causing we humans to be narrow minded."
"You're insane," Selena spat.
Lysar laughed softly.
"Perhaps. But tell me—how do you think Asher would react if I sent him your corpse as a surprise gift"
"No matter what you do, Asher will never give you the cloning machine even if I died".
"You think I did not know that I'm just going to use your death as bait to lure Asha here while I sneak into his territory and steal the cloning machine for myself".
Hearing this she thrashed violently, trying to break free—but Lysar was too strong.
"Besides I manipulated your uncle to ask nicely"
Then—
SHHHK!
A cold blade sliced through the air.
Pain exploded in her neck.
Selena gasped.
Her vision blurred.
A warm sensation trickled down her chest.
Her body collapsed.
The world spun.
She saw her own body as her head rolling on the floor.
Then—nothing.
---
Days passed.
And Asher was beginning to grow uneasy.
Selena had been gone too long.
He sat in his study, staring at the untouched documents before him. His mind refused to focus.
Then, finally, he made a decision.
"bring my team," he ordered. "We're going to Lord Oreos' estate."
The knights quickly readied themselves, and within the hour, they were on the road.
When they arrived, Asher stormed into Oreos' chambers.
"Where is Selena?" he demanded.
Lord Oreos blinked in confusion.
"The last time I saw her," he said slowly, "was when she left with you."
Asher's heart dropped.
That wasn't possible.
He turned sharply to the other advisors.
"Then where is Baron Charles?" he demanded.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Lord Oreos frowned.
"Who is Baron Charles?"
Asher's blood ran cold.
The other advisors exchanged confused glances.
Asher staggered back, his mind racing.
There was only one person capable of doing something like this.
Someone who could manipulate minds.
Someone who could erase memories and implant false ones.
Lysar.
His clone.
Asher's jaw clenched.
Selena was in danger.
And if Lysar had been hiding right under his nose this entire time—
Then his maid and his entire territory is in big trouble.