"Alright then!!" the double declared. "Who do you think is the real Asher? Go to the left if you think I'm the real one, and to the right if you think the imposter is the real me!!"

The cramped room froze, feeling as if their feet were nailed to the floor. The girls who had just arrived struggled to process and comprehend the chaos.

"T-thats insane, Asher. You know we can't choo—"

"You will, Goatman!" the double snapped, cutting Derrick off. "This is the only way to settle it! The one who receives fewer votes will be expelled from this house, never to be seen again!!"

The room went silent. Sharon and her mother felt weak in the knees. Choosing the firm version: the one without memories before sickness might mean selecting the imposter. Choosing the other, the Asher they'd grown up with, could mean leaving the "real" one out. What if they were both the same person, split by some high-level sorcery? Their minds couldn't decide. This was the hardest choice of their lives.

Tap… tap… tap.

Soft footsteps drew every gaze upward. Anna walked toward Asher, sliding in beside him, flanking him with Rose on the other side. Rose's expression was one of quiet disgust as she glanced at the other Asher.

"I'm choosing you!" Anna muttered, clinging to Asher's arm. "You're the child of my unborn baby. I can't mistake you, even if a thousand versions of you appeared."

Asher blinked, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Derrick looked around, unsure what was right or wrong. If this firm, serious version of Asher was fake, then the one who called him Goatman—the introverted, comic-loving Asher was the real one. But the other had been a good friend too. He didn't know who to choose. Perhaps choosing sides was the only way to end this. Counting heads, there were seven in the room, not including Rose. Anna had already chosen the firm Asher.

Sighing, Derrick stood. "I hate doing this. I might be wrong, but my heart says the real Asher is this one." He walked to the left—to the double.

Asher didn't react. He remained calm.

"Wait… so one of them is a fake?" Lorraine asked, trying to make sense of the impossible.

"Seems so…" Derrick replied, shrugging.

"Of course!" Lorraine said, almost gleefully, moving to the left without hesitation. She remembered losing a fight against Asher—this explained it. Yeah! A born prodigy like her wouldn't lose to a simp! It was someone else entirely! She smiled, glad to see the simp version she chose gleaming with blush!! Yup! This was the Asher she knew!

Natalie, detached and unsure, followed her boyfriend Derrick, trusting his judgment.

The double now had three votes; Asher had one.

Mirai observed the situation. The Asher who had introduced her to Lettuce Beacon was the firm one. If she chose the other, she'd miss out on future culinary delights. Without hesitation, she stepped to the right.

Only Sharon and Onalenna remained. The score was 2:3.

Sharon remained still, a storm of emotions coursing through her. Tears spilled down her cheeks, but she forced herself to stand, brushing them away. She chose the right side.

The double gasped. "Big sister!? You'd choose a stranger over me?..."

Sharon's voice was flat. "I choose who I want."

The double's demeanor reminded her too much of the Asher before he got sick. If the other Asher hadn't appeared, she might have believed he'd regained his lost memories. But now, with two of them standing before her, she chose the present Asher. In her mind, the nerdy, introverted brother she once had had died when he lost his memories. She had grown to love this one instead.

The score was now tied: 3:3.

Only Onalenna remained. Whichever side she chose would decide the winner and the loser would be banished.

She fell to her knees, shaking, tears streaming freely.

"Gods… what have I done to deserve this? Mother Goddess Veyra! Please… bring my son back as one! I need him whole!"

"Mother!!"

Both Ashers leaned in simultaneously, each cradling a side of her. They frowned at each other, tension brimming.

"Don't touch my mom, imposter!! Haven't you touched her enough already? Even where you shouldn't have?" the double grumbled.

"I don't trust you!!" Asher said, coldly. "Are you here to kill my mother with High Blood?"

"What's that?" the double hissed. "And don't call her your mother! I warn you!"

"Or what?" Asher challenged.

"Or I'll—"

"Stop it, both of you!!" Onalenna's cries cut through the room. "Please… just stop!!"

The double growled at Asher, blaming him for his mother's tears. Then he turned to her. "Choose your son, mom!" He cupped her damp cheeks. "Please… choose the one you loved, the one who suffered, the one you worked for endlessly, spending everything to save me!"

Onalenna looked at him, then at Asher, who gently guided her face toward him.

"Don't listen to him, mom! Choose me—the son who's protected you all along, loved you, cared for you, and always tried to bring a smile to your face."

Her tears fell freely like water. She shook her head violently. "N-no… I… c-can't…"

The double clenched his fists, a bitter laugh escaping him. "My master was right!! You've turned my family against me! My mother doesn't recognize her real son! Seeing you live my life, enjoying my friends and family… it fuels my rage! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!!!"

BOOOOM!!

ARGHHH!!!!!!

A deafening impact slammed into Asher's chest, spitting blood from his mouth. He was hurled through the ceiling, debris raining down, but he steadied himself with a wind gale beneath his boots, landing gracefully outside.

The double kicked and shattered the door aside, transforming mid-air into a black cat before shifting into human form, launching a punch at Asher.

Their fists collided mid-air, unleashing a violent shockwave that shattered windows, rattled leaves, and toppled weak trees.

Asher gritted his teeth. This clone wasn't ordinary. This was something far more dangerous.

TBC

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