Chapter 6 · Mirror Crash

"Don't move. Not a muscle," Lilith whispered, her voice a cold blade against my ear.

She had me pinned against the reinforced glass of the vault, her body pressed flush against mine. I could feel the heat of her skin through the thin fabric of my tactical gear, a sharp contrast to the sterile chill of the room. Her hand wasn't just holding me; her fingers were locked around my wrist, digging into the skin, reminding me exactly who owned this moment.

I stared straight ahead. Inside the vault, sitting in a high-backed chrome chair, was a man. He had my face. My jawline, my eyes, the same jagged scar running through my left eyebrow. He looked like he’d been carved out of a mirror and dropped into this hellhole.

"Is that... me?" I managed to choke out. My voice sounded raw, like I'd been swallowing glass.

"A clone, Kai. A biological backup," Lilith murmured. She didn't let go. Instead, she shifted her weight, her hip grinding into mine. The proximity was suffocating, the scent of ozone and expensive perfume filling my lungs. "Viktor doesn't like losing his toys. He keeps spares in case the original breaks.