Personal

The stone gate creaked open with a hiss of shifting magic.

Kael stepped forward first, the others fanning out behind him as the second chamber revealed itself.

It was nothing like the scorched sands outside.

This place was... calm.

There was no oppressive feeling like in the first chamber. No dark energy or death aura. A circular stone arena stretched out before them, glowing faintly beneath their boots. Smooth, polished black marble reflected the pale blue light from the ceiling above.

Runic script lined the walls in concentric circles, softly pulsing like a steady heartbeat.

But the strangest thing of all sat right at the center.

A small, round blob. No taller than Kael's knee. It wobbled in place, translucent and yellow, like an overripe jelly bean.

Kael stared at it, utterly confused.

The slime chirped. Like... an actual squeaky toy sound.

"Uhm, is this supposed to be the guardian?" Kael asked, brows furrowed.

He looked back at the group.

But everyone locked as lost as he was.

He took a cautious step forward.

The blob wobbled again, then chirped innocently.

"Maybe this one's friendly," Kael said, kneeling halfway and tilting his head. "Finally, a reasonable monster."

Theo suddenly muttered behind him. "Kael. Don't."

But it was too late. He had already reached out and touched it.

The blob suddenly twitched.

Then pulsed. Once. Then twice. Then it sank into the floor like water slipping into a crack.

Kael stepped back, blinking. "Uh… Did I kill it?"

The ground beneath them rumbled.

Magic surged in the air, thick and oppressive. Then slowly, a figure rose from the center of the arena, its form molding and twisting like melting wax until it stood fully formed.

Everyone froze. Their eyes widened in unison. Then they all collectively turned and stared at Kael strangely.

Theo shook his head and sighed, a sound that conveyed a familiar mix of exasperation and amusement.

The mimic finally finished forming. It took the form of a teenage boy. It had the same height as Kael, messy black hair, and wore a black knight uniform from the school. Its face held a half-lidded expression—slightly unimpressed, like the world owed it sleep.

It opened its mouth, and in a perfect replica of Kael's tone, said: "Maybe this one's friendly."

Kael took a step back in suspicion. "Wait a moment… why the hell does that thing sound like me?"

But no one answered.

Everyone just kept alternating their stares between him and the newly formed boy.

Kael's eyes narrowed as he tried to process the situation.

Then they widened as though it finally clicked in. He then leaned in slightly, squinting harder at the mimic. "…Wait. Is that… Is that supposed to be me?" he asked, looking at the others for confirmation.

But that only made everyone look at him as though he had gone mad.

'So it really is me?' He hadn't had the opportunity to look at a mirror yet, so he had no idea how he looked. 'Damn. I actually look kinda good.'

The mimic's smirk grew wider, an exact replica of Kael's own. It raised its sword—Kael's sword, a perfect duplicate—and pointed it right at him. It opened its mouth and repeated, in Kael's exact tone: "Maybe this one's friendly."

Kael backed up again. "Okay, no. That's creepy."

The mimic suddenly lunged without warning.

Kael raised his blade just in time to block, steel meeting steel in a shriek of sparks.

He stumbled backward, wide-eyed. The mimic moved like him—but better.

Everyone else just watched in silence. Not one person looked even a little bit interested in helping out. They were more interested in seeing how this was going to play out.

Theo's voice rang out from the back, cutting through the clang of steel. "It's copying you! Movement, weapon, strength—everything!"

The creature didn't wait for permission to attack again. It came in fast, spinning into a shoulder-check that sent Kael skidding across the polished black floor. He hit the edge of the arena with a grunt, the breath knocked out of him.

The mimic stopped in the center, blade lowered. Then it tilted its head. Watching. Waiting. Like a predator mimicking its prey just for fun.

Kael coughed, picked himself up slowly, and spat onto the stone. "Oh, now it's personal."