Ashes of Our Flame
by RapwizzyDebaron
Episode 31: "Shadows That Wear Your Face"
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In the cold glow of the underground lab, time seemed suspended.
The revelation of Kara's clones left a chilling silence in the room. Tessa stared at the screen, her fingers trembling slightly over the keyboard. "There's… more than one," she whispered. "Not just one replica—he's made dozens. Variants."
Kara's breath caught in her throat. Her reflection stared back at her from the monitor—a version of herself with pale white hair, another with golden eyes, another covered in scars. They looked like her… but they weren't her. Not entirely.
Adrian stepped closer, his voice low. "How many?"
"Seventeen confirmed," Tessa answered. "But the files suggest more—maybe in other facilities. Each designed with enhancements. Speed. Strength. Loyalty coding."
Ronan's fist slammed the table. "He's building an army with your face, Kara."
She turned away, silent.
Adrian watched her shoulders tighten. "This was never just about control," he said. "It's about erasing who you really are. Replacing you with his own image of perfection."
Kara's voice came out sharp. "I'm not a puppet."
"No," Adrian said. "You're the match that can burn this whole empire."
She looked at him—really looked. And for a moment, her fear melted into fire.
---
Meanwhile, far above, Kael stood before the awakening clone.
Her eyes fluttered open.
Blue.
Unblinking.
She sat up slowly inside the containment pod, moving like she already knew how the world worked.
"Designation?" Kael asked.
She tilted her head. "Kara-Prime."
"Your mission?"
"To neutralize the original."
He smiled.
She smiled back.
Not out of joy.
But instinct.
---
Back in the underground base, Ronan uncovered a secured door sealed behind layers of biometric locks. "We might want to know what else he's hiding in here."
Kara stepped forward. Her handprint granted them access.
The door opened with a low hiss.
Inside was something entirely different.
Not a lab.
A room.
Furnished.
Familiar.
Kara gasped.
It was a replica of her childhood bedroom.
Every detail—down to the teddy bear with the torn ear and the posters on the wall—was exact.
Adrian followed her inside, stunned. "What is this?"
She stepped toward the bed. "This is… my room. From when I was ten."
Tessa whispered, "He recreated your memories."
There were journals on the table. Real ones—her handwriting.
Adrian picked one up. "How did he get this?"
"He didn't," Kara said. "He made me write them. While I was in containment. He gave me only these memories. Nothing else."
Ronan leaned against the wall. "He built your identity from scratch. Gave you just enough past to keep you chained to him."
Adrian's voice grew tight. "We burn it all."
But Kara placed a hand on his chest. "Not yet. I want the world to see this. To know the truth of what he is."
Her voice cracked.
"But I also want to destroy every piece of it with my own hands."
---
Outside, Tessa tapped into satellite surveillance. Her drone captured a dark vehicle approaching the marshlands.
She swore under her breath. "We've got company. Military-grade escort."
Adrian moved fast. "Then we've overstayed our welcome. We extract with proof."
He handed Kara the data chip containing the clone files.
Ronan rigged charges throughout the underground lab.
"You ready?" he asked Kara.
She didn't answer right away.
Instead, she walked back to her replica room and stared one last time at the illusion of her past.
Then she set it on fire.
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They burst out of the ground just as the charges detonated behind them.
The earth shook.
Flames shot skyward, lighting the night like a beacon of war.
The facility was gone.
But their problems weren't.
As they reached the van, a figure stood in their path.
Kara froze.
The others raised weapons.
But she didn't move.
Because the figure looked just like her.
Same height.
Same hair.
Same face.
Except her eyes… weren't hers.
Cold.
Inhuman.
"Kara-Prime," the clone said. Her voice was nearly identical. "You've been declared defective. Stand down."
Adrian stepped in front of Kara. "You're not taking her."
Kara-Prime blinked. "Your resistance is unnecessary. I am optimized."
Tessa whispered, "She's learning. Rapidly."
Kara's jaw clenched. "Then let her learn this."
And she moved.
Fast.
Faster than Adrian had ever seen her move before.
The two Karas clashed in a blur of fists and fire.
Ronan shouted, "Get in the van!"
But no one moved.
They couldn't.
This wasn't just a fight.
This was Kara reclaiming her life.
---
They tumbled through the mud, striking and parrying. Kara-Prime had precision. Calculated power.
But Kara had rage.
Years of it.
Pain.
Loss.
Her foot slammed into the clone's ribs, sending her flying.
She stood, panting.
Blood on her lip.
Not hers.
The clone rose again.
Damaged.
But not defeated.
Tessa screamed, "She's regenerating!"
Kara backed up. "How do we kill her?"
Adrian stepped forward, eyes glowing inside the Seraphim suit. "We don't."
He raised a palm.
Energy surged.
And blasted Kara-Prime off her feet, slamming her into a tree that split from the force.
She didn't get back up.
Not right away.
Adrian grabbed Kara's hand. "Now. We move."
They jumped into the van.
Ronan hit the gas.
As they sped off into the night, Kara turned to look back.
The clone slowly stood, watching them vanish into the darkness.
But she didn't follow.
Not yet.
---
Somewhere deep in the city, Kael watched the live feed from a hidden screen.
He leaned back in his chair.
"Let the games begin."
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To be continued…
🔥 The mirror doesn't always reflect who you are—it can show what you fear most. Stay locked for the next intense episode of Ashes of Our Flame by RapwizzyDebaron. Vote, comment, and follow—because this fire is only getting hotter.