Mark looked down and ced the cup on the table.


    "Ray went mad. He started to break down internally, having panic attacks every day. He couldn''t sleep, and his life became a nightmare. He tried tomit suicide many times, but I stopped him every time.


    "Seeing him deteriorate, I decided to join a guild to seek professional help. I joined a small guild, and after a few missions, I befriended someone with healing talents. I invited him to our house to treat Ray, but he only said Ray was physically fine and that his problems were mental, something he couldn''t help with. I was devastated, and Ray grew worse by the day.


    "Even with all of this, I didn''t let him die. I kept going. My talent got recognized by bigger guilds, and I was invited to join the Lords Guild, which I eagerly epted, hoping they could help Ray.


    "Our lives continued like that. I worked hard to get recognition in the Lords Guild while keeping things stable at home. Everything was going fine until one day, I came home from grocery shopping and found ady in our house. She was holding Ray in her bloody hands as blood poured from him. He had injuries everywhere, and it looked like he was moments away from death.


    "At that moment, I was so shocked and sad seeing Ray in such state that something inside me awakened, and I received my talent, the ability to extract others'' talents. But my mind was focused on the woman holding Ray. She looked at me and told me that she''d tried but couldn''t change his fate, and that was why Ray was in that state. I became furious and attacked her, but she was too powerful.


    She did something, and I couldn''t move, not a single muscle.


    "Then sheid Ray on the bed and vanished. Once she disappeared, I could move again, and I rushed Ray to the nearest hospital. But the doctors said he was in aa and had little chance of survival. My world copsed when I heard that. I was heartbroken, but the image of that woman stayed in my mind. I wanted revenge.


    "Before seeking revenge, I did something drastic. I extracted a mind maniption talent from someone and erased everyone''s memory of me. Anyone who knew Ray and me together had their memories altered. I deleted all evidence of my existence in Ray''s life. I didn''t want my revenge to affect Ray in any way, so I had to erase myself from his life."


    Mark paused for a moment.


    "Ray''s ident happened about five months ago. Three months ago, the doctor told me Ray could die at any moment. I stood there for an hour before I broke down. I cried for days before making a decision. In the end, I decided to extract Ray''s talent, so a part of him could live with me forever.


    "But because of a sudden call from the guild, I had to leave Ray. When I returned, he was gone. I asked the doctors what happened, and they told me he had miraculously recovered in a single day and left. I was stunned there for a moment and unable to think clearly."


    "And when I finally came to my senses, I was happy. Too happy. I couldn''t control myself and rushed home, but Ray wasn''t there. I thought he''d gone shopping, so I waited the entire day. But he never came. That''s when I realized something was wrong.


    Ray never left the house for so long, and him being gone for a whole day was strange. Still, I waited patiently."


    Mark red at Orion, his eyes red with fury. "I waited for three months, every day, at Ray''s house, hoping he''de back. But he didn''t. Then today, I finally saw him—alive and well. At first, I was shocked, happy, overjoyed. But when we shook hands and talked, I realized he wasn''t Ray.


    He was an imposter."


    He looked Orion directly in the eyes, his face filled with hatred. "So now I''m asking you—where is Ray''s body? Who are you, and why are you impersonating him?"


    Orion was in disbelief, his mind racing as he processed the situation. How could this have happened? He had spent two painstaking weeks selecting the perfect person to impersonate, convinced Ray was the ideal choice. But now, it was painfully clear—he had made a terrible mistake.


    The timing was the problem. Orion had found Ray when Mark was away, making it seem like the perfect opportunity. He went through with his n, everything aligning too perfectly. But then, after Orion had already assumed Ray''s identity and moved forward, Mark returned.


    It seemed like a simple twist of fate, but now Orion couldn''t help but wonder if it was all more than just coincidence. The pieces were falling into ce in the worst way possible, and the realization hit him like a punch to the gut. Had his n been doomed from the start?


    ''Why is this happening?''


    Just when Orion thought he had everything under control, something shocking always seemed to happen—and it had happened again.


    Looking at Mark, who was waiting for an answer, Orion didn''t know what to say. He couldn''t reveal his true identity to anyone here. Taking off his mask was out of the question. He also couldn''t stop impersonating Ray, as Ray was his ticket to Dos Academy. That left him with only one choice.


    ''I''ll have to kill him.''


    Orion knew this was a cruel decision, but he couldn''t afford to let anyone question his identity. If it meant resorting to killing to keep his secret safe, he would do so without a second thought.


    ---


    Also, I was hoping you could leave somements or reviews to let me know your thoughts!


    *Some gifts would be appreciated as well, but up to you.... *