For a moment, no one breathed.
The chamber beyond the rising door glowed with a pale, bluish-white light—cold, sterile, unnaturally steady. Machines lined the circular room, connected by hanging cables and transparent tubes filled with liquid that shimmered faintly.
But none of that was what made Ash step backward in shock.
At the center of the chamber—
Suspended inside a tall glass cylinder—
was a person.
Not standing.
Not floating.
Sleeping.
Silva's voice dropped to a whisper.
"No… this can't be."
The Founder's face drained of all color.
"They actually finished it…?"
Palo grabbed Ash's wrist, steadying him even though the link made his own heart pound twice as hard.
"Ash—who is that?"
Ash couldn't answer.
The figure inside the cylinder looked his age—or maybe a little older. Their features were peaceful, almost serene, framed by pale silver strands of hair that drifted gently in the liquid.
And on their wrist—
clear as daylight—
glowed the same symbol Ash carried.
Ash stepped closer, voice trembling.
"Is that… another copy?"
Silva shook her head slowly.
"No. Copies were built using incomplete templates. But this—"
She pointed to the figure's wrist.
"That symbol matches yours exactly. Perfectly."
The copy's expression twisted.
"You mean this one is the same as him?"
Silva drew in a slow breath.
"No. This one wasn't made from Ash."
The Founder finished grimly:
"This one was made with him."
Palo blinked, confused.
"What does that mean?"
Silva hesitated.
"It means… this isn't a copy. This is a parallel template. Built from the same origin. The same DNA. The same core architecture. A second 'original,' meant to replace Ash if he failed."
Ash's blood ran cold.
"Replace… me?"
A spark of panic rippled through him—
and Palo felt it immediately, clutching Ash's arm as his own breath caught.
"Hey—hey—don't panic. I'm right here."
Ash tried to breathe, but the sight of the sleeping figure made something in him crack.
"They were going to erase me," he whispered.
"And use… him instead."
Silva didn't meet his eyes.
"It was a contingency plan. The Founder of the Project never expected you to stay stable."
The actual Founder—the man standing behind them—growled softly.
"That was never my decision."
The copy snorted.
"You expect us to believe that?"
But Ash barely heard them.
He stepped closer to the cylinder, drawn to the faint glow of the symbol on the sleeper's wrist. The symbol pulsed at the same rhythm as his own, like two hearts beating in sync.
A shiver crawled down his spine.
Palo stood beside him, eyes wide.
"They're really… like you."
Ash whispered:
"No. They're like who I was supposed to become."
Silva approached a control panel.
"I think we can access the status logs. Maybe see what this unit is."
Palo stiffened.
"Wait—we're not waking them up, right?"
Silva pressed a button.
A screen flickered to life, glitchy but readable.
The label atop the file glowed faintly:
PROJECT ORIGIN — PARALLEL SUBJECT: ZERO-B
Ash's stomach twisted.
"Zero… B?"
Silva read quickly.
"Subject Zero-B: Backup original. Activated only if Primary—"
She stopped.
Ash's hands curled weakly.
"If Primary what…?"
Silva swallowed.
"If Primary becomes unstable, compromised, uncontrollable, or emotionally divergent."
Palo's voice shook with anger.
"That's not instability. That's being human!"
Silva continued, expression dark.
"Zero-B was designed without environmental imprinting. No memories. No relationships. No free emotional responses. A perfect blank slate."
Ash stared at the sleeping figure, realization sinking in like ice.
"They built someone like me… but without anything that makes me… me."
The copy muttered:
"So they built a heartless replacement. Great."
The Founder's voice softened unexpectedly.
"Ash… you were the only one that was meant to live freely. Your mother sabotaged the backup activation cycle."
Ash raised his head sharply.
"She… stopped them from waking him?"
"Yes," the Founder said.
"She wanted you to define yourself. Not the Project."
Silva nodded.
"This sleeper was never meant to open their eyes while you remained alive."
Palo let out a shaky breath.
"Then let him stay asleep. We don't need another Ash walking around."
But the facility lights dimmed at that exact moment.
The machines hummed louder.
A soft vibration shivered through the floor.
Silva's eyes widened.
"Oh no."
The copy stepped forward.
"What now?"
Silva pointed to the control screen.
A new line of text had appeared.
AUTO-ACTIVATION SEQUENCE INITIATED.
Palo's face drained.
"Why is it activating?!"
Silva's voice cracked.
"Because Ash opened the First Lock. The system thinks he's diverging too far from the baseline… and it's triggering Zero-B as a failsafe!"
Ash's heart pounded—
and Palo felt every pulse through the link, staggering slightly.
"Ash—stop panicking—please—"
Ash took a shaky breath.
"What do I do?"
The Founder stepped forward urgently.
"You have two choices—"
Silva cut him off.
"No, he has three."
Palo grabbed Ash's shoulders, eyes desperate.
"What choices?!"
Silva looked straight at Ash.
"One: Run, and leave Zero-B to awaken."
Ash flinched.
"Next?"
"Two: Override the activation… but that requires opening a deeper lock. One we don't understand."
Ash swallowed hard.
"And the third?"
Silva hesitated.
The Founder answered for her.
"Three: Interfere with the core yourself."
Palo's voice cracked.
"That sounds dangerous."
"It is," the Founder said quietly.
"It could destabilize Ash's own core."
Silva looked at Ash, eyes full of worry.
"You have to choose. Now. Zero-B's chamber is unlocking."
Ash turned toward the cylinder.
Cracks of light ran through the glass.
The sleeper inside shifted slightly—
a hand twitching, fingers curling.
Palo grabbed his hand instinctively.
"Ash—whatever you choose, I'm with you."
The link pulsed.
The chamber hummed.
And Zero-B's eyes—
—began to open.