Chapter 25 · Tamer of the Ash Wilds - Chapter 25: My Face Under the Mask

The mask comes off. Lin's own face stares back at him.

Not similar. Not close. His.

Same scar above the left eyebrow—lab accident, sophomore year. Same crooked nose from that bar fight in Chengdu he never told his supervisor about. Same damn mole under his right eye that he used to hate in photos.

The Champion tilts his head. Smiles. Lin's smile, the one that never reached his eyes even before the Wilds.

"Surprised?" The voice is his too. A little rougher, maybe. Like Lin sounds after three days without water. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Lin's fist is still raised. His knuckles ache. Blood drips from his split lip onto the sand, dark spots spreading. Crunch is behind him somewhere, wheezing. The Pit crowd roars, but it's all static. White noise.

He forces words out. "What the hell is this."

"This?" The Champion—the other Lin—spreads his arms. His belt catches the overhead lights, and for half a second Lin sees it. Engraved on the inner edge, tiny, the kind of font you need a microscope for: LX-17-REPLICATE-AUTHENTICATED.

Lab code. Project code.

His project code.

"This," the Champion says, "is what happens when they need a control group.