Chapter 10: Into the Unknown

Alex breathed shallowly, pulling them away from the fire escape while staring out into the dark silhouette ahead. The alley seemed a never-ending sea of black, and darkness came to meet it, a moving entity that covered the whole street.

"Whisperer?" Alex's voice shook with a whispered question.

The figure didn't react. Instead, it shifted slightly, the faint glow of distant streetlights catching the outline of a coat.

*Run!* The thought screamed in Alex's mind, but their feet felt rooted to the spot.

Suddenly, a sharp sound—a metallic clang—echoed through the alley. The figure began to move, its steps slow but deliberate, closing the distance between them.

Heart pounding, Alex stumbled backwards, their hand brushing against the cold, wet brick wall as they shouted the words: "Stay back."

The figure waited. For that one moment only, the city hummed somewhere in the background, and the only sound was quiet. Then a voice, perfectly familiar, speaking in a gentle tone.

It said, calmly, "Alex, it is me. Not to run,"

The tone was serene, nearly hypnotic; however, Alex got goose bumps as their arms covered themselves with flesh. Something did not feel quite right.

"Who knows what, huh?" Alex asked forcefully, voice turned up. "How do you know my name?".

He stepped into a sliver of light and revealed a face that looked hauntingly familiar—too familiar. It was their own face staring back at them, but distorted, with hollow eyes that seemed to swallow the dim light.

"You know why," the doppelgänger said, its lips curling into a chilling smile.

Terror surged through Alex as they turned and ran, their footsteps echoing through the labyrinth of alleys. Behind them, the figure's voice rang out, echoing unnaturally.

"You can't outrun me, Alex. I'm already a part of you."

The words clawed at Alex's mind as they sprinted blindly into the darkness, not knowing where the path would lead or what awaited them at the end.