"Elara!"
She spun around.
Adrian stood at the end of the corridor, breathing heavily.
"You disappeared!" she exclaimed.
"I know. Something pulled me through the wall."
Elara held up the photograph.
"Who is the original Adrian Vale?"
Adrian stared at the picture.
Then he whispered, "My brother."
"You told me you were an only child."
"I believed that."
A violent tremor shook the corridor.
The astronomy tower's great clock began rotating backward. A hidden staircase appeared beneath its base.
Adrian swallowed.
"Whatever happened to my brother, I think we'll find the answer down there."
They descended into an underground chamber filled with enormous brass instruments. A star map covered the ceiling, but the constellations were moving in the wrong direction.
At the center stood a glass cylinder.
Inside floated a young man.
Adrian's face.
Elara approached the glass.
"Is he alive?"
A monitor flickered.
SUBJECT: ADRIAN VALE. STATUS: SUSPENDED.
Adrian pressed his hand against the cylinder.
"Wake up."
The sleeping man's eyes opened.
The glass cracked.
Elara stumbled backward.
"Adrian, move!"
The cylinder shattered.
The young man fell forward, coughing, and grabbed Adrian by the collar.
"You idiot!" he shouted. "You brought her here!"
Adrian struggled to free himself.
"Who are you?"
The young man stared at him in horror.
"You don't remember me?"
A siren erupted.
Red symbols flashed across the chamber walls.
CONTAINMENT FAILURE.
From the ceiling, mechanical arms descended, carrying blades of blue light.
Elara grabbed a metal rod and struck the nearest arm. Sparks exploded.
"Adrian! Help me!"
The brothers released each other and ran toward the exit as the chamber collapsed behind them.
They reached the staircase just before a blast sealed the entrance.
Elara leaned against the wall, gasping.
The newly awakened Adrian looked at her.
"My name is Adrian Vale. I was born in 1998."
She stared at him.
"But that's impossible. You can't be old enough to—"
"I know what you're thinking."
He looked toward the sealed staircase.
"I wasn't missing for twenty-eight years."
His voice dropped.
"I was missing for three hours."
He turned toward the other Adrian.
"And you aren't my brother."
The second Adrian smiled.
"No," he said. "I'm what happened to you."
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