The symbol on Ash's palm pulsed like a heartbeat—
slow, steady, and far too alive.
Palo instinctively took a step back, not out of fear of Ash, but out of fear of what the mark represented.
"Ash… does it hurt?"
Ash shook his head, though his voice was fragile.
"No. It's not physical. It's like someone's… touching the inside of my mind."
Palo shuddered.
"Is it him?"
Ash didn't answer immediately.
But the look in his eyes did.
---
The Mark Reacts
Ash took a slow breath and raised his palm closer to the lantern light.
The symbol flared brighter.
Palo whispered, "It's reading something. Or someone."
Ash nodded tightly.
"It reacts only to the copy. Not to anyone else. Not even back at the house."
Palo ran a hand through his hair, pacing.
"So he's close."
Ash whispered,
"He never fully left."
Palo froze.
"What?"
Ash closed his eyes, listening to something only he could hear.
"He's still nearby. He's… watching."
Palo swallowed.
"Is he waiting for us to come out again?"
Ash shook his head.
"No. He knows I won't."
The glow dimmed slightly, then flickered again—like a weak signal trying to stabilize.
Palo whispered,
"Ash… what if he isn't waiting at all?"
Ash opened his eyes.
The thought had already occurred to him.
---
The Cabin's Second Secret
Palo grabbed a lantern and scanned the cabin walls.
There had been one trapdoor under the box…
but Palo's instincts told him something else was wrong.
He ran his fingers along the boards, tapping.
Thud.
Thud.
Hollow.
Palo knelt.
"Ash. Help me lift this."
Ash hesitated, then dropped to his knees beside him. Together, they pried up a long wooden plank.
Underneath—
A second space.
Much smaller.
Almost hidden.
Ash whispered, "This wasn't for storage."
Palo nodded.
"This was for hiding."
Inside the shallow hollow was a single object wrapped in old cloth.
Ash reached for it carefully.
His pulse raced as he unwrapped it.
A recorder.
Black.
Heavy.
And old enough to match the age of the letter.
Palo muttered,
"Your mom left a message."
Ash pressed the play button with trembling fingers.
Static filled the cabin.
Then—
her voice.
Weak.
Rushed.
Terrified.
"Ash… if you ever hear this, it means he found you."
Ash's stomach twisted.
Palo whispered, "Oh no…"
The recording continued.
"You must listen carefully. The boy they created… he was never meant to live outside the facility. His mind wasn't stable."
Ash's fingers went numb.
"He wasn't a replacement. He wasn't a mirror. He was a weapon."
Palo's breath hitched.
The static wavered—
but her voice returned, more frantic.
"They gave him everything they took from you. Every ability. Every instinct. Every piece of data they copied from your mind."
Ash felt faint.
"He thinks you stole his life. He thinks you exist because he failed."
The recording crackled violently.
Palo's hand closed around Ash's shoulder.
Then the final line came, soft and broken.
"Ash… whatever you do… don't let him touch you."
The recording clicked off.
Silence.
Then—
A soft scrape at the window.
Both boys jolted.
Palo grabbed Ash's wrist.
"We can't stay here."
Ash whispered,
"What if he already knows about the recorder?"
Palo shook his head.
"He doesn't know what we found yet. The message said he reacts to you being near. But he didn't know you'd find this. The only advantage we have is that he's working with incomplete information."
Ash swallowed.
"But he knows this place. He knows everything my mother knew."
Palo looked him directly in the eyes.
"But he doesn't know me. And he doesn't know what you will do next."
Ash opened his mouth to respond—
but the sound at the window came again.
A slow, long drag.
As if a hand were being pulled across the wood.
Palo whispered,
"He's testing the walls."
Ash grabbed Palo's sleeve.
"We need to leave. Now."
---
The Escape Plan
Palo extinguished the lantern quickly.
Darkness swallowed the cabin, but Ash could still see the faint glow from his hand—
a beacon neither of them wanted.
The mark pulsed faster.
Palo hissed,
"He's moving."
Ash nodded.
"I can feel it. He's circling the cabin."
Palo took a deep breath.
"Okay. We sneak out the back. Through the trees. Toward the creek. We lose him in the water. He might track you, but he can't track both of us perfectly."
Ash whispered,
"He'll follow me."
Palo nodded.
"And I'll follow you."
Ash grabbed Palo's arm.
"Palo—no. He's dangerous. You heard the message. If he touches—"
Palo cut him off sharply.
"I don't care."
Ash froze.
Palo's eyes were fierce.
"You're not going through this alone."
Something outside pressed lightly against the wall.
Wood creaked.
A long, quiet breath echoed from the other side.
Ash whispered,
"He's right outside."
Palo squeezed his hand gently.
"Good. Then he's exactly where we need him."
Ash stared at him.
"Palo… what are you doing?"
Palo's voice dropped to a whisper.
"We're going to lead him away."
Ash shook.
"No—Palo, that's too—"
But before he could finish—
The symbol on his palm flared bright enough to illuminate the entire cabin.
Palo's eyes widened.
"Ash…"
Ash whispered, terrified,
"He's coming in."