Chapter 34: The Legacy Of The Past

Silence stretched in the tunnel, broken only by the sound of their ragged breaths. Mayu placed a hand on her sore throat, still marked by the clone's relentless grip. Haru and Akira stood close by, exhausted but alive.

— He'll come back, murmured Akira, gripping his injured arm.

Mayu slowly nodded.

She hadn't managed to break him. But she had seen something in him. A hesitation. A crack.

— We need to move, Haru said, leaning against the wall. If he alerts the others, we're dead.

Mayu struggled to stand up. Every muscle in her body protested, but she gritted her teeth. She was no stranger to pain.

They moved down the corridor, following the metallic walls under the red glow of the emergency lights. Each step was a battle against their battered bodies, but none of them were willing to stop now.

At the end of the tunnel, a heavy blast door blocked their path. Haru knelt before the control panel and began to hack into the system.

— This will take a minute…

Mayu scanned the shadows behind them. She couldn't shake the image of the clone springing back at any moment.

What if that crack she had seen in him was just an illusion?

A crackle pulled her back to reality. Haru pulled back as the door unlocked with a mechanical click.

Behind it, a vast chamber opened before them.

Screens covered the walls, projecting black-and-white images of various laboratories. Experiments in progress. Subjects confined.

And, in the center of the room…

A cylindrical capsule filled with translucent liquid.

Inside, a silhouette floated, motionless.

Mayu felt her heart stop.

She recognized that face.

No.

Another version of her.

A perfect copy, with the same features, the same hair floating in the amber liquid.

Haru and Akira stood frozen in front of the sight.

— What is… this? murmured Akira.

Mayu approached slowly.

Her reflection in the glass stared back at her with closed eyes.

So this was the true purpose of Project Azur?

To create an even more perfect version of her?

She placed a trembling hand on the glass.

Suddenly, the Professor's voice resonated through the speakers.

— Impressive. You've come further than I expected.

Mayu jerked her head up, scanning the room.

— Where are you?!

A cold laugh replied.

— Always in such a hurry. But don't worry, we'll see each other very soon.

A beeping signal echoed.

Then, horror.

The liquid in the capsule began to drain away.

The eyes of the copy slowly opened.

Of a brighter blue. More artificial.

It locked its gaze on Mayu.

Then, it smiled.