Morning arrived with a muted, gray light, seeping through the dense forest canopy. Rio and his clones stood at the edge of the clearing, staring at the distant village. It looked peaceful, almost normal, but that made it all the more suspicious.
Clone 1 (narrowing his eyes): "So, we finally found a village. Should we go in?"
Ryo (hesitant): "I don't know... Something feels off."
Clone 3: "You always say that. Everything feels off. We need to make a move."
Clone 2 (calmly): "Let's think this through. We can't all march in there blindly."
Ryo: "Exactly. We need to send a clone first. One of us needs to scout it out."
Clone 5 (raising an eyebrow): "You mean sacrifice one of us."
Ryo (firmly): "It's not a sacrifice. It's a test. If something happens to the clone, I'll know instantly. And if it's safe, we'll go."
Clone 1 (nodding): "Makes sense. Better one clone than all of us."
Clone 7 (sarcastic): "Oh, great. Let's draw straws to see who dies first."
Clone 4 (crossing his arms): "Stop being dramatic. We all know who's going—the First Clone."
The First Clone, Rio's oldest and most reliable duplicate, stepped forward. His presence was almost comforting, his distinct identity like an extension of Rio's own logic and calm.
First Clone: "I'll go. As always."
Ryo (softly): "Thank you... I don't know what I'd do without you guys."
For a moment, the air felt lighter. Despite the fear, the uncertainty, there was a bond between them. Rio looked around, seeing parts of himself reflected in each clone—different personalities, different voices, but all connected to him.
Clone 6 (grinning): "Getting sentimental, Rio?"
Ryo: "Can't help it. Without you all, I'd have lost my mind by now."
Clone 8: "Well, we're all you, technically."
Clone 3: "Yeah, but we have our own flair. Face it—you need us."
They shared a brief, rare moment of laughter, the tension easing.
Clone 10 (mocking): "Oh, look at this. A big, happy family. Should we hold hands and sing now?"
Clone 11: "Hey, let's be real. We're all just trying not to die. Friendship's nice, but survival's better."
Clone 12 (rolling his eyes): "There he goes—Mr. 'Killjoy' strikes again."
Clone 14: "Kill a killer. You're the mood killer here."
Clone 9 (cringing): "Seriously? That was bad. Even for you."
The light-hearted banter continued, the clones ribbing each other in a desperate attempt to mask the fear. It was cringy, awkward, but it was their way of coping.
Ryo (sighing, shaking his head): "Alright, enough. We need to focus."
He turned to the First Clone.
Ryo: "You ready?"
First Clone (nodding): "Always."
---
The Village Entrance.
The First Clone approached cautiously, eyes scanning for danger. The village seemed quiet, almost too quiet. He saw figures moving in the distance—villagers, perhaps. But their movements were strange, almost mechanical.
First Clone (muttering): "Something's not right..."
He approached one of the villagers, trying to look non-threatening.
First Clone: "Hello... We're lost. Can you help us?"
The villager stared, eyes empty, face expressionless. They spoke, but the words were unintelligible—a guttural, alien language that made no sense.
First Clone (nervously): "I... I don't understand."
More villagers appeared, their eyes fixed on him, their movements synchronized, almost like puppets.
First Clone (backing away): "This... this isn't good."
Suddenly, one of them lunged. The First Clone tried to fight back, but there were too many. He was overwhelmed.
---
Back in the Cave.
Ryo clutched his chest, gasping. The clones around him froze.
Ryo (whispering): "He's... gone."
Clone 2 (grimly): "We knew this might happen."
Clone 4: "What did he see? Anything useful?"
Ryo (shaking his head): "It happened too fast. Something's wrong with that village. The people... they're not normal."
Clone 6: "Then we stay away. For now."
Clone 1: "Agreed. We'll wait. Observe. Maybe there's another way."
Ryo: "Yeah... We'll wait. We need a plan."
They sat in silence, the weight of the First Clone's sacrifice hanging over them. The village was unsafe—of that, they were certain. But the true danger remained a mystery, lurking just beyond the trees.