"Victor?"
The word left her mouth before she could stop it.
The figure at the end of the corridor smiled wider.
Wrong.
Everything about it was wrong.
Victor leaned against the wall too casually, one hand in his pocket like he didn't have a care in the world, but his eyes
his eyes looked empty.
Not blank.
Occupied.
Dante stepped in front of her immediately.
The lights overhead flickered softly, throwing shadows across the long white corridor while the thing wearing Victor's face tilted its head slightly.
"Emotional response confirmed."
Her stomach twisted.
"That's not him."
"No," Dante said quietly.
"It isn't."
The fake Victor sighed dramatically.
"You know, I studied him for twenty-three minutes before replication." It smiled again. "He complains a lot."
"Definitely not helping your case," Dante muttered.
The figure's gaze shifted toward him.
"Aggression masking concern. Predictable."
Dante's expression remained cold.
"But still effective."
He moved instantly.
