I awoke to darkness.
Not the gentle kind that comes with nightfall, but the thick, suffocating black of a cave with no end.
The only light came from several roaring bonfires scattered along the stone walls, casting jagged shadows that danced like ghosts.
My head throbbed. My limbs burned.
That's when I realized—I was tied down.
Tightly.
Ropes dug into my wrists and ankles, cutting into my skin.
I tried to move, to struggle.
I even tried to summon the power I had gained after receiving three marks. I'd used it once before—and it worked.
But this time, it only sent sharp, searing pain flaring through my arms.
I felt helpless.
I couldn't even move.
I was pinned at the center of a strange formation—a giant circle carved into the stone floor, with symbols spiraling outward like a star.
The lines glowed faintly, pulsing as if alive. As if they were breathing.
The air was sweltering. It smelled of ash, sweat, and something older. Something metallic.
Blood.
I thought I was alone.
But then I heard it.
A whisper—at first, like dry leaves rustling in the wind. Then it grew louder. Voices. Chanting in a language I didn't understand. Ancient. Guttural.
The echoes bounced off the stone walls, making it impossible to tell where they were coming from.
My chest tightened.
"Where's Jade?" I whispered, my heart pounding.
The last thing I remembered was sitting beside him in the car. He had been quiet. Focused. And then—
Blackness.
I scanned the edges of the cavern, squinting through the flickering firelight. That's when someone stepped out of the shadows.
A figure in black. Tall. Moving with calm, confident strides.
My heart leapt.
"Jade!" I cried out.
He stepped into the light. Same lean build. Same face. Those icy blue eyes locked onto mine.
But something was off.
He didn't smile. He didn't speak.
He just stared.
I swallowed hard.
"Jade, what's going on? Why am I here?"
For a moment, silence.
Then, his face began to change.
First, the shimmer of his skin rippled like water disturbed. His features distorted—subtle at first, then grotesque. His jaw cracked, shifting.
His eyes dulled, lost their light, and changed hue. His cheekbones shifted upward, his nose narrowing, lips thinning. Bone twisted beneath flesh, reshaping itself. The illusion peeled away like shedding skin.
He wasn't Jade.
It had been a perfect impersonation—right down to the last detail: face, body, hair, eyes, clothing. He had mimicked his voice, mannerisms, even his memories and personality.
A doppelganger.
"Who—who are you?" I asked, my voice trembling.
He smirked. When he spoke, the voice was wrong. Too low. Too smooth. Like oil sliding over glass.
"Jade," he said mockingly.
I pulled against the ropes, fury and fear colliding inside me.
"Where is he? What did you do to him?!"
The creature morphed again, this time into something else entirely. A man with golden eyes, slit pupils like a serpent's, and a crown of bony ridges pressing beneath his skin.
"I don't know where he is. And I don't care," he said.
My breath caught.
The chanting grew louder—like a wave crashing toward us. Shadowy figures emerged from the dark—cloaked in black, hoods masking their faces.
A dozen or more. They surrounded the circle, their voices weaving an invisible net around me.
"What do you want?!" I shouted.
The doppelganger crouched just outside the glowing edge of the symbol.
"Not what I want. What she wants."
"She?"
He grinned.
"She's waited centuries for this moment."
The heat around me intensified. The glowing lines pulsed brighter, trembling with restrained energy.
Suddenly, pain surged through my wrist. The bond tattoo from Oregon flared gold, burning like fire beneath my skin.
I screamed, and the doppelganger recoiled slightly, his grin faltering.
"She's coming..." he said, smiling with twisted joy.
I looked up.
She walked toward me.
Tall. Straight black hair falling past her waist. Pale as bone. Eyes like onyx.
"Leighton," she said.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Call me Lisa," she replied, though I hadn't asked for her name.
"I want to help you. You see, I was once a Prime Apex heir too. But I failed the mission. They said I'd die… but I didn't. See? I'm very much alive."
"Please—I didn't ask for any of this. Just tell me what you want."
She tilted her head.
"I want your blood."
My eyes widened.
"You want to kill me," I murmured. It wasn't a question.
Lisa shook her head.
"No. You won't die. Since you've been successfully marked, I just need enough of your blood to make me the Prime Apex."
"How is that even possible?" I asked.
"There's a ritual. Don't worry, it won't kill you."
"But… I haven't completed all the marks. I still haven't been marked by the immortal human."
She smirked—then laughed. A cruel, villainous laugh.
"I was first marked by an immortal human. I have his blood in mine. But I didn't pursue the other missions. We fell in love. We got married."
I stayed silent.
"Happily ever after? No. He cheated on me. I shouldn't have followed my heart," she paused. "So I killed him."
I gasped.
"If I agree… how do you know I won't die?" I asked, steering the conversation.
"You won't. Look at me! I'm standing right in front of you—alive—even after failing the mission!"
I hesitated.
"Lisa… do you really want to be the next Prime Apex?"
Her eyes sharpened.
"You should be grateful I haven't killed you already. Don't make me change my mind."
Then, coldly, she added, "This body is still aging—slowly, yes—even with immortality and supernatural power. But it's not enough. I want more. To be exact, I want to claim what was meant to be mine."
"But if they realize I'm missing—" I began.
"They won't," she interrupted.
"Q!" she shouted.
The doppelganger snapped to attention and ran to her.
"Replicate her," Lisa commanded, pointing at me.
The doppelganger smiled.
Moments later, I watched myself standing across from me.
Flawless.
"I'm Leighton," it said, in my exact voice.
I pressed my palm to my mouth. The mimicry was terrifying.
"Go to the mansion," Lisa said, addressing the doppelganger.
"Make them believe Leighton is home. Safe and sound. I don't want any interruptions during the ritual."