Amid the chaos, the scrawny first-year boy stood perfectly still, his doppelgänger mirroring him motion for motion.
Then—
The double flickered.
Its form glitched, like a corrupted hologram, its edges dissolving into static. The boy's nose bled harder, his veins darkening further, but his voice was steady as he whispered:
"You don't exist."
The double vanished.
Unfortunately, before the boy could relax, with another rumble from the floor, another clone identical to himself appeared.
The first-year boy suddenly fell to one knee, coughing violently. More blood splattered from his mouth, and the boy could only watch helplessly while the threat approached him.
The boy's vision blurred as he collapsed forward—only to be caught by a pair of slender, pale arms. Serena hauled him upright with surprising strength, her Prismarin already forming a protective dome of crystal around them.
