In the twinkle of an eye, she got between the two doppelgangers and sliced the throat of the launching one with a scythe causing him to collapse and palpitate on the ground.
The whole scenario left me nonplussed. I had never thought that such a weapon would suit her, yet here she was holding her bloodied silver blade from its baroque handle.
"This boy suffers from a combination of Psychomacy and Multiple Identity Disorder. He has remained cooped up in this sanatorium for years battling with his own self. No one else can see what he does: a version of yourself that's constantly attacking you and trying to gain full possession of your body by killing whatever is left of your real self." Ciara explained.
"It makes sense now why he was on edge and that the other became visible after your little light show." I said. "Thanks for piecing all the puzzles together."
"Who said that was all?" I felt my entire body freeze at her question. There was more? Wasn't this case already bizarre enough?
"Tell me senior, who do you think is the real one?"
"What do you mean? It's obviously the one who tried attacking his other..."
"Is that so?" she asked twirling her scythe with her fingers. I looked down at the struggling boy on the ground, who was still palpating, his sorrowful eyes dripping glistening tears. I looked back at his other whom no longer seemed frightened in the least bit. His face was now stoic and void of emotions.
"Survival of the fittest: in the struggle of survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rival." She said as she marched in front of the standing boy.
"Both entities are fighting to gain overall control of the other's body. How are you so sure..." She draws the boy by his shirt with the tip of her blade. "Who the innocent one is?" Her question rung through my head, almost as if making me lightheaded. The silence was almost suffocating. I could only make out the sound of a form of beat, almost like drumming. I didn't realise that it was my thumping heartbeat.
"Then again, who can really distinguish between what's good and what's evil? One concept is just the opposite of the other and we accept whichever we feel benefits us the most and deem it as "good" don't we?" She said before letting out an awfully dry laugh after which she turned and faced me. "But I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, since you're a rank my senior."
She released the boy who now wore a vague expression from the grasp of her scythe before handing it over to him. He looked up at it confusingly.
"He's not dead yet. You need to go ahead and finish the job, if you truly intend on finding peace."
The boy was hesitant and his hands shook as he took hold of the scythe but hearing the groans from his wounded other self must have hit a nerve as he quickly regained composure and trudged towards the convulsing body. Ciara just watched crossed arms as a smirk settled on her face.
"Isn't this beautiful world just utterly cruel Azura?"
He rose the scythe in the air watching his other cry with pleading eyes contrary to his which were also producing tears, but with a stagnant unforgiving cold gaze. The metallic smell of blood filled the room as the blade struck his heart.
"Indeed it is, Ciara."