{ Mia }
Breakfast felt like the calm before a storm.
Cole scarfed down his food like he hadn't eaten in days, while Ace picked at his plate, his usual smirk never fading. I, on the other hand, barely touched mine. My mind was still stuck on what happened last night on how I became my clone while I was asleep.
I kept replaying everything in my head. The way I felt what she felt, the way I knew what she was thinking even though she wasn't really me. It was like being split in two, except one half was living a normal, boring day while the other…
Well, the other was me.
Ace leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "You ready?"
I blinked. "Huh?"
"The test," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Unless you wanna back out?"
I shot him a glare. "Not a chance."
Cole wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Alright, then what's the plan?"
Ace's smirk widened. "Simple. We see how far Mia can push this."
Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist.
I sighed. "I have a feeling I'm not gonna like this."
Ace just chuckled. "Probably not."
~ at the training room ~
"Alright, first test," Ace said, pushing his plate aside. "Summon your clone."
I frowned. "That's it?"
Ace raised an eyebrow. "You say that like it's easy."
I sighed, closing my eyes. Last time, it just happened. I wasn't sure if I could do it on command, but… I focused, picturing my clone, imagining her standing right next to me. I felt something shift, like a thread being pulled
And then I heard Cole choke on his juice.
"Woah—"
I opened my eyes. There she was.
My clone stood a few feet away, looking dazed, blinking as if waking up from a nap. She glanced down at herself, then at me. "Uh… hey?"
Ace clapped his hands. "Good. Now, let's see what she can do."
Cole leaned forward. "Uh, question? How do we know which one's the real Mia?"
"Easy," Ace smirked. "One of them can actually fight."
I rolled my eyes. "Hilarious."
"Let's test the link," Ace continued. "Mia, close your eyes."
I hesitated but did as he said.
"Now…" I heard the grin in his voice. "Catch."
Wait. What?
Before I could react, something cold smacked me in the arm. My eyes shot open, and I saw Cole holding a balled-up napkin, trying and failing not to laugh.
"Dude!" I groaned.
Ace tapped his chin. "Interesting. Your clone didn't dodge."
I turned to her, and sure enough, she stood there, untouched. No reaction. Like she hadn't even noticed I got hit.
Ace nodded. "Looks like the physical link isn't automatic. You see what she sees, but she doesn't feel what you feel."
I thought about that. "So… she's like a separate person, but I can still tap into her?"
"Exactly," Ace said. "Now, let's see if you can control her."
I raised an eyebrow. "Like… tell her what to do?"
Ace shook his head. "No. Make her do it. Without speaking."
A challenge.
I turned to my clone, focusing hard. I wanted her to lift her arm.
Nothing happened.
I frowned, concentrating harder. Come on. Just move.
Still nothing.
Cole yawned. "Well, this is exciting."
I scowled, frustration bubbling up. Why wasn't this working?
Ace watched me carefully. "You're thinking about it too hard, Cupcake. Stop trying to tell her. Just… feel it."
Feel it? What did that even mean?
I took a breath, relaxing my shoulders. Instead of telling her to move, I just imagined it like it was me moving my own arm.
And then—
My clone's arm shot up.
Cole jumped. "Okay, that was freaky."
Ace grinned. "Now we're getting somewhere."
" Now, I want you to think of a number..." Ace said.
" Really?" I asked smiling.
He raised an eyebrow." What, are you Scared?"
I quickly closed my eyes thinking of a number. '7' was the first to come to mind.
" When I say 3 you will both say the first number that comes to mind."
"One.... Two.... Three.."
" Seven !! " Both my clone and I screamed at the same time.
" Interesting..."
" ' Interesting ' how?" I asked confused.
" Looks like your clone is a part of you Mia."
" What do you mean ?"
" I mean that when you summon your clone you separate a small part of yourself and give it to her.... So she's like a part of your subconscious."
" Cool.." Cole muttured under his breath.
" Now Mia, make her disappear."
" What do you mean?" I asked confused.
" I mean, I don't want to see her anymore."
I closed my eyes and imagined my clone disappear.
" Nice !" I heard Cole .
Slowly I opened my eyes to find golden light lingering where my clone used to be .
" Now, the regular training starts."
Before I could even register Ace's words he pounced.
A golden barrier quickly surrounded me protecting me from Ace's attack.
He smirked. " Not bad cupcake. But let's see what else you can do ."
A sudden shift in the air sent a chill down my spine. A swirling mass of midnight blue and royal purple crackled toward me, streaked with flashes of white, like distant lightning breaking through a storm. The energy hummed low and electric vibrating against my skin as it closed in.
I reacted purely on instinct, hands flying up in desperation. A golden glow flared around me just as Cole shouted "Mia, move!" But before the words could even finish, everything… stopped.
Cole's mouth hung open mid-sentence, frozen in place. The swirling mass of energy halted in midair, its tendrils of white lightning crackling in eerie stillness. Even the dust in the air had stopped moving.
It wasn't just them.
The world had stopped.
" Why did you stop time ?" I asked frustrated.
"Did you think I couldn't stop your attack?" I sighed, trying to steady my breath.
Silence.
Not the kind of silence that comes when someone is thinking. No the air felt heavier, like the world itself had paused.
I stepped back, my chest tightening as my gaze landed on Ace.
His stance was rigid. His smirk always there, always teasing was gone. His eyes, wide and unblinking, were locked on something unseen.
Something was wrong.
The color drained from my face as a cold wave of panic crashed over me.
"Ace?" My voice barely came out.
I stumbled forward, my hands trembling as I grabbed his arm.
"Ace?! Ace!"
He didn't move. Didn't blink.
I could feel my heartbeat hammering against my ribs, each pulse echoing louder in my ears. My breathing came in sharp, uneven gasps.
No. No, no, no—
I yanked at his sleeve. Nothing. Not even a flinch.
My fingers curled into fists. "Did I do this?"
The question barely left my lips before the weight of it crashed down on me.
What did I just do? How do I stop this?