[Moments Earlier at Martinsville's Mansion]

When a mutilated lizard with bat wings flew away and left Asher and Rose in the lab with the red room, Asher was about to run back home as quickly as possible when something caught his eye.

Right on a table filled with papers and other gadgets he didn't know the use of, there was a navy-blue plain T-shirt. He reached for it and touched it, then his breath caught in his throat.

"This is… my favorite T-shirt!!" he muttered.

"Seriously?" Rose asked, her cursed whip dissolving into nothing at her side. "What's it doing here?"

"I… I don't know. I've been looking for this for so long I'd nearly forgotten about it."

What was really going on here? Whatever was going on, he had to check at his family first.

"Rose… let's go!!"

The two of them rushed out of the room, leaving behind dead bodies and twitching corpses sprawled across the blood-and-green-water-soaked floor; creatures that looked like abandoned failed experiments! And not only were they twitching, some were beginning to move, dripping slimy, rotting fluids as they crawled, moving like zombies. Others crouched over the corpses of maids on the floor, tearing into their flesh. One even latched onto the dead body of the Duke, Mr. Martinsville, ripping chunks of meat from him with its teeth, producing uneasing guttural sounds of chewing, munching, and growling.

Asher and Rose didn't care. Reaching outside, Asher took to the sky, flying at his fastest speed back home! Rose dashed on the ground, her cursed whip shooting out to grab buildings, using it to launch herself high above the ground like a darker version of Wonder Woman!

Within a minute, they reached Asher's place. Panting, bracing himself for trouble, he burst the door open and stepped inside—only to freeze.

There, sitting on the couch, casually reading a comic book, was him… or at least something that looked like him! But there was no sense of life from it. No heartbeat. It almost looked like…

He gripped the T-shirt in his hand tightly, looking at it, then back at the Asher on the couch.

"Go home, otherworlder. Hope you'll enjoy the masterpiece I've sent you!"

The words of the Duke... or rather, whatever was inside the Duke echoed in his mind. Was this the "masterpiece" it was referring to?

They had his t-shirt in that laboratory. Could they have made a clone of him using his DNA? And when did they even acquire the shirt?

"Who are you?" Asher asked.

To his shock, the figure spoke in perfect unison with him.

"Who are you?"

Asher's pulse spiked. "I'm Asher Reynolds. You?"

The double looked up. "I'm also Asher Reynolds." Then he turned to Onalenna. "Mommy… who is that?"

Onalenna's whole body jolted. Her hand flew instinctively to her chest, and she took a shaky step back. Two of them.... two of her son, one calling her "Mommy" with that old boyish tone. Her lips parted, but no words came out.

"Asher…?" she whispered, eyes darting between them. She couldn't even tell which one was the real one.

"Brother dearest?" Sharon whispered, her voice unsteady.

"Yes?" both replied, perfectly in sync.

Sharon's knees buckled. She dropped to the floor, clutching her head like she could squeeze away the impossible sight in front of her. "No. No, no, no—this isn't real. This isn't—"

Rex wagged its tails in its small dog form, walked to Asher, and licked his leg. Then it turned to the clone and barked softly.

Rose's whip hissed back into her hand. "Imposter. Hubby, should I—"

"Rose, wait!" Asher snapped. She let her whip disappear again.

Onalenna's wide eyes flicked to Rose, then back to her sons. "Who… who is she? Asher, what's happening in my house?" Her voice cracked halfway through, raw with panic.

"That's for later, Mom," Asher said, forcing calm as he sat opposite his double. "Right now, I want answers. Why are you here? Why are you pretending to be me?"

The double's eyes hardened. "I've been watching you pretending to be me. Sneaking around. Living my life. Taking my family."

Onalenna's hands trembled at her sides. Part of her wanted to run to this "softer" Asher, the one still calling her Mommy. Another part wanted to grab the harder-eyed Asher she'd come to love affectionately and trust these past months. She stayed frozen, paralyzed by the choice.

"This is insane," Derrick blurted, finally breaking the silence. He laughed a high, unconvincing laugh once before slumping into a chair.

"Two Ashers. Great. Just great. Alright, we're not losing our minds here—we just figure out who's real and get rid of the fake. Easy, right?" His own voice faltered at the end.

The room hesitated, then nodded.

Derrick pointed to the couch-double. "Asher One. Talk. Who are you?"

The clone sighed, gaze dropping. "There's not much to say. I'm… an introvert. I stay home. I read comics. I'm weak, but I've been training to be a better hunter. So one day I can…" His cheeks reddened.

"Say it," Derrick pushed.

"…so I can confess to Lorraine Alvado," he mumbled.

Onalenna gasped softly. Sharon's hands slid from her hair to her mouth. Everyone knew Asher had always had a crush on Lorraine Alvado. Even stooping low as to become her servant boy in class. But after getting since, and miraculously came back to life without his memories, that had changed. He was in love with Anna Rembrandt now.

Derrick turned to the real Asher. "Your turn."

Asher's mind was still spinning, trying to make sense of the situation, but he spoke plainly.

He sat straighter, tone firm. "I'm Asher Reynolds. A new S-rank hunter of Eldoria. Engaged to Anna Rembrandt. I'm building a kingdom, and I'm getting married this summer."

Another wave of gasps. This was the Asher they all knew now.

Derrick rubbed his face. "This is insane. Number One is the Asher we knew before he got sick. Number Two is the Asher after he was healed. But how the hell did they split into two people?"

Onalenna pressed trembling fingers to her lips. "I… I don't care. I love you both. I just… I just want my son back. Whole. Why can't you… be whole again?"

"The fact they split like this is disturbing!" Derrick muttered. "We need answers! We should take them to the Priestess!"

"NO!" The clone's sudden shout made everyone flinch. "Not the church. Anywhere but there!"

All eyes locked on him.

And he stared back, defiant.

Asher groaned inwardly! What exactly was this double of himself? What was its ambition? Why's it here? And why was his body secretly shaking, and sweating?

He gulped audibly. Whatever it throws at him, he was prepared to face it!

TBC

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