The clone looked at him with a bright smile. A smile Moulin had always used to mask the anxiety in his heart. Even the clone had a perfect copy of it.
It felt revolting and terrifying gazing into the eyes most identical to yours. Even the calm expression Moulin had on his face shattered, revealing an exposed fearful emotion. In truth, What Moulin feared most than the identical physical features was the thought that the other might also carry his own memories.
No, this was a test. Possibly, some part of the second trial. Based on the realm's name, the person in front of him should be his 'mirrored' self. He didn't know what he should do and what was the reason for this trial but he could only try to seek the answers starting with the person in front of him.
However, seeing that smile, those eyes, and the look on his clone's face. Moulin felt that lookalike's expression knew what he was thinking and the fear in his heart. After all, it was his mirror self.
"Why so silent? Have you not recognized your own face?" The double grinned, eyes turning into crescents. Although his tone was joking the glare in his eyes was not.
"You are not me... " Moulin whispered. However, he didn't know if he was saying it to himself or to the young man in front of him.
The double raised his eyebrows in surprise. "How smart. Your words are true, however. You don't know me but I know you... " he sneered. He walked towards Moulin who prepared to invoke his ice abilities.
"You are not from this world... " The double's voice spoke in a whisper but it was enough to shock Moulin still.
Moulin's eyes turned unfocused. Breathing turned rapid. How... How did he know?
The double laughed, his silver eyes never looked away from Moulin for even a single second. " Imposter underneath my body's skin. Tell me... Who isn't real between the both of us... You stole my family. You stole away my life. You stole the things that should've been mine! Tell me..."
"Y-you... "
Moulin could not believe it... The person who was standing before him was...
"Y-you're Moulin Sills Fraunces... "
The light in the double's eyes gleamed. "Ah, so you've realized... How does that make you feel, pretender?"
"I... " Moulin could not utter any words. His heart was heavy. "I-I didn't... "
Light flashed on his bracelet and golden letters materialized in front of his eyes.
'Kill your mirror self or lose yourself'
Moulin felt a chill as he read the words. To be released he needed to kill... him. But somehow his body could not bear to do it as if it would no longer answer to him but to the rightful owner of his body. His hands clenched into fists. The words the double had said earlier haunted him. A guilt-driven pain enveloped his heart within his chest. It was undeniably true, he was a thief to steal one's life.
Swish!
A large stake of frigid ice rushed directly towards his face. Moulin was caught off guard but he managed to turn his body and dodge the attack. The double then lunged towards him with a strong desire to murder Moulin and took what was rightfully his.
Moulin managed to summon a dome shield of ice in front of him but it shattered as soon as it made contact with the forceful kick. The shards flew around Moulin scraping his pale skin and tearing his uniform. The force was too strong that he fell on his back with a painful groan.
The double materialized a blade of ice in his hand, sharply gleaming, as he let the tip drag on the smooth floor while he approached Moulin. The sound of the blade scraping the ground was sharp. His murderous eyes stared at Moulin's helpless form on the mirrored floored. "All of them thought you were me. They only treated you that way because you stole my body and my life... How shameful could you be?..."
Moulin struggled to sit up, his arms trembling. "I-I didn't steal your life... "
"LIAR!" The double raised the blade and mercilessly aimed to the imposter in half. Moulin rolled by his side to avoid the attack but his arm but a small part of his arm was cut by the blade.
Moulin gnashed his teeth at the pain and he crawled back up from the floor the double who once again scowled at missing his target twice.
The identical pairs of silver eyes stared at Moulin, "I wonder... If I kill you here would I get my life back?... Would you return it to me?"
Moulin paused. He bit his lips as he felt his heart drop when he heard the words dripping with despair.
He was a thief. A little pest lost in another world. There were times that he doubted his own existence, that he was brought here only to replace a person. He didn't know the reason. It was ultimately questionable but he could not find any answers.
Once again the double lunged at Moulin. His moves were sharp and deadly. Moulin barely managed to keep his limbs from being severed. Again and again, the Moulin avoided every attack. Again and again, he forced himself to withstand the pain of his body.
Moulin never once fought back.
He kept standing up when he fell. Even if his wounds kept bleeding he endured the pain. As time passed, his movements grew sluggish. He was already kicked in the stomach and received a sharp blow in the face. His vision grew unfocused.
This feeling he remembered.
When he had to hide from the older children under the mudded porch in the orphanage, the helplessness. When he barely survived after a month of hunger when he was cast out of the orphanage the day he reached 18, the fear. When he witnessed the scattered clothes of his lover and the woman together under the sheets, the deception.
It always hurts, every time.
Right at this moment, his heart hurts for he could gain the family he dreamed of, friends to trust, and the little sweet snow-white fox who has never left his side. However, it wasn't his to begin with. This life was never his...
"Why Don't You Fight?!" The original yelled in fury. He had grown annoyed and frustrated. He clearly has the upper hand but the bastard in front of him would never even raise a finger at him.
"..."
"Do you want to die?"
"..."
He original flashed his teeth when he received silence. "Do you want to die by my hand?"
'...'
Moulin closed his eyes as he held his bleeding arm. He pressed his lips together.
"Hahahaha!" The original laughed. His eyes stared at Moulin unblinkingly as though he was looking at the world's biggest joke in front of him. "You... are pitiful."
Moulin flinched.
Pitiful... Had he even thought of himself as a pitiful being who needed the attention of the world? No... Not even once...
Because he never needed anyone's pity. Moulin worked like a rogue. Never needing anyone's care and sympathetic gazes because he knew none of those things were truly real. He loved alone and lived alone. However, he had not thought of himself as pitiful.
This life was a gift. Whatever it is, he believed it was a gift. A second chance. It doesn't matter what anyone says. He could not give it up...
He avoided every lethal attack because he could not give this life away. He wasn't pitiful. He hadn't found strength in his past life. This time even if he still had none, he would do everything to face everything head-on. Even if he has to crawl into the painful tunnel of despair, he would find the exit. If he should come out bloody then he will wash it off.
He straightened his form and stared at the original's eyes.
The duplicate smirked. "Have you decided to kill me?"
"..."
Moulin knitted his eyebrows "I won't kill you..."
"Hah!" The original shook his head while he kept his eyes on Moulin. "You're crazier than I thought! Then allow this young master to give you an agonizing death."
With a baneful mist of snow swirling around him, the original charged towards Moulin. His eyes burned with ruinous fury. He lifted the long blade and swung it, aiming at Moulin's neck.
Moulin closed his eyes awaiting the hit. The heart inside him was pounding strongly but he didn't make any move to dodge the attack. Let it come...
The blade cut through the air sharply. Its sharp edge descended unto his neck.
Swish!
...
...
...
Moulin waited with closed eyes. He was prepared to swallow the excruciating pain but nothing came.
His lashes fluttered open revealing his confused silver eyes. What he first saw was the glare of the ice blade inches away from his neck. He didn't dare move.
His eyes looked at the original who was staring at him calmly.
Moulin blinked. Why did he...
The original smiled at him suddenly. His smile was gentle and a little helpless. There was a hint of wistfulness as well as relief in his silver eyes. Moulin could not understand.
With a twinkle, the edge of the ice blade dissolved into a flurry of snow, scattering into the air. The original loosened his grip on the ice blade as it transformed into a flurry of snowflakes.
With a faint smile on his face, the once silver hair of the original turned greyish brown. The color of his eyes deepened into a deep grey behind the fluttering snowflakes.
Snowflakes floated around the identical pair in a slow and elegant dance. It beautifully swirled around them, wonderfully reflected by the mirrored floor beneath their feet. Moulin's eyes widened. He wasn't sure what was currently happening but as if the young man has shed his mask revealing his true colors.
Those deep grey eyes, almost silvery, were as identical as his older brother's and his father. The beautiful strands of ash brown hair fell gently on his shoulders. This was the true Moulin Sills original appearance.
As the snowflakes rained down upon them, settling on the pairs head and shoulders, Moulin stared at the original's face. There was a bit of surprise mixed with confusion.
"Y-you didn't kill me... " Moulin spoke. His voice slowly decreasing to a whisper. He thought he was a goner in the next second. His heart was pounding rapidly.
He heard a soft chuckle.
The original smiled at him. There wasn't a hint of the conniving intent in them from earlier. It was blooming, gentle, and warm. But why was it? Moulin thought. The original had been angry, pained, and sorrowful.
"Aren't we all in pain?" The original whispered. His voice was like a gentle breeze bringing Moulin a bit of comfort in the vast dark space they were in. His grey eyes were wistful but a soft smile adorned his face. "I have left this world without the forgiveness of my family. Died young with the people's words of scorn. Grew up hating myself for my incompetence. I have always been foolish and ungracious. A little incapable young master... but I've never thought of myself as pitiful... "
Moulin's eyes widened. He was the same as himself...
The original soul sighed as he stepped back, creating distance between him and Moulin. He lowered his head, staring at his reflection on the ground. "What's your real name?... " He asked, glancing at Moulin.
Moulin blinked, feeling a bit flustered as his eyes met the original's deep grey ones. "I-It's... Moulin... "
The original soul tilted his head.
Moulin scratched his head as he turned his gaze away, "I... don't have a surname... " He didn't even know when his true birth date was. Don't even mention his parents. He made up his surnames as he went along with his life.
"..."
Moulin's face reddened. It was really weird talking to someone with the same name as him. He pressed his lips together as he pushed aside the deadly events that had happened earlier.
"Then Moulin... come and walk with me" The original held out his hand. The way his voice spoke was as if he was pleading. Despite that, he was still wearing a soft smile on his face. He was hurting, Moulin could tell...
Moulin lifted his hand towards him. Fingers touched and his hand was grasped tightly but gently.
The once dark space around them brightened, blinding Moulin's vision...