Noa woke up choking on blood and static.

His head throbbed like someone had taken a hammer to his skull, then politely set it on fire. The taste of copper coated his tongue, thick and bitter, and when he reached up to touch his temple, his fingers came back slick and red.

“Welcome back,” said a voice that didn’t belong.

Not anymore.

Across from him stood the clone but he wasn’t just the clone now.

He was polished. Calm. Still wearing Noa’s face, Noa’s expressions but wrong. Almost ...