Asher's consciousness returned slowly, his mind piecing together his surroundings bit by bit. He was lying on a small, plain bed in a room lit by faint daylight filtering through wooden slats. The first thing that caught his attention was the tight bandages wrapped around his torso and arms.
'Bandages?' he thought, his brows knitting in confusion. He flexed his fingers, testing his limbs. They ached but responded as they should. 'Was I unconscious?'
Memories of the battle flashed back: pushing himself beyond his limits, the overwhelming strain of his depleted Aura. 'I guess that would make sense,' he mused. 'I went all out.'
He began peeling the bandages away, wincing as the material tugged at sensitive skin. His body was battered, but the worst of his injuries had already started to mend.
As he shifted to sit up, he froze. Evelina was slumped over in a chair beside the bed, her head resting on folded arms. Her face was serene in sleep, but the faint dark circles under her eyes hinted at her exhaustion.
Guilt tightened in his chest. She had clearly been by his side the entire time. He leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "You're really cute when you're asleep, you know that?"
The soft murmur must have reached her because Evelina stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She blinked a few times, groggy, and looked toward the empty bed.
"You're awake," Asher said casually, his back turned to her as he tugged his shirt on.
Evelina turned sharply and spotted him near the wall. Her expression shifted from sleepy confusion to immediate frustration. "And where do you think you're going?"
Asher paused, turning to face her. "Outside...?" he said hesitantly, as if unsure what had upset her.
Her eyes narrowed, and her tone took on the edge of an overprotective mother. "Oh, really? And what exactly do you plan to do in your condition?"
"We still have a lot to do," he said matter-of-factly, his mind already shifting into problem-solving mode. "Gotta find out who the traitor is and..." He paused, his eyes narrowing in thought. "Right, it'd be nice if I could question the commander..."
Before he could finish his train of thought, Evelina marched over, grabbed him by the ear, and yanked him back toward the bed.
"Hey, ow! What are you doing?!" Asher yelped, stumbling as she dragged him with surprising strength.
"Saving you from yourself," she said, her tone sharp as she pushed him back onto the bed. "You're not going anywhere until you're fully healed."
Asher groaned, rubbing his ear and glaring up at her. "I'm fine, really."
"You're not fine, and don't you dare argue," Evelina shot back, her hands on her hips. "You're staying right here until I say otherwise."
For once, Asher didn't have a witty comeback. He slumped back onto the bed with a sigh, muttering under his breath, "Tough crowd."
Evelina, arms crossed, gave him a stern look but couldn't help the small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
Evelina shook her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she gently adjusted the blanket over him, her touch almost motherly. "You're impossible, you know that?" she said softly.
"I've heard that before," Asher replied with a smirk, leaning back against the headboard. "But seriously, you didn't have to stick around the whole time. You should've rested."
"And let you wake up and sneak off before I could stop you? Not happening," Evelina shot back, raising an eyebrow. "I know how you operate, Asher. You don't know when to stop."
He shrugged, not even trying to deny it. "I can't really slack off with everything going on. The longer I sit here, the more time we waste. Or don't you want to finish up and head back?"
'No, that's his clone.' Rey's sharp gaze shifted to the door of Asher's room. The real Asher hadn't moved.
For a moment, Rey hesitated, debating whether to confront him now or see where this was going. Curiosity and a growing sense of concern won out. He quietly followed the clone.
*****
Trailing it wasn't easy. The clone moved with a precision that bordered on unnatural, sticking to the darkest parts of the corridor. Its form blended seamlessly with the shadows, slipping past unwitting patrols like a wisp of smoke.
Rey followed with deliberate steps, his sharp eyes locked on the figure ahead.
'What are you up to, Asher?' he thought, unease growing in his chest.
The chase led him deeper into the castle, past the usual corridors and toward the restricted prison wing, the same place Jett had been taken after their last mission.
'You've got to be kidding me,' Rey thought, his jaw tightening.
The clone didn't falter, sliding past the guards with unnerving ease. From his hiding spot in the shadows, Rey couldn't help but feel impressed, even as his concern deepened.
'This isn't good,' he thought, watching the clone vanish into the prison wing.
*****
Just as Rey debated his next move, footsteps echoed down the hall, and his heart sank. Another figure was heading straight for the prison wing a tall, broad man with an unmistakable presence.
'Now? Seriously?' Rey grimaced as he recognized John, the commander of the guards, striding toward the restricted area with purpose.
Rey had seconds to decide. He couldn't let John catch the clone, but getting involved now would only complicate things further.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the shadows, plastering a casual expression on his face. "Commander John!" he called out, his tone light and conversational.
John stopped in his tracks, turning to face him.
Rey swallowed his nerves and forced a smile. "Got a second? I've been meaning to talk to you about something."
As John shifted his attention to him, Rey's mind raced.
'You better make this worth it, Asher,' Rey thought, his calm exterior hiding the tension coiled in every muscle as he prepared to stall for time.
*
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Yeah he's screwed... (*_*;)