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321 Words
Chapter 10: The Bloodline Curse
The taste of iron flooded William's mouth. Seven versions of himself stood in the tunnel, dressed in period clothing—a 1920s reporter's vest, 1950s workwear, an 1980s flannel shirt... The youngest wore his high school graduation tee, still stained with ice cream.
"Specimens," Jackie whispered, nails digging into his wrist. "They've been preserving your family like lab rats."
Emma's lantern erupted in flames. The seven Williams spoke in unison, their voices merging into a horrific chorus: "We are the truths you've lost."
The eldest raised a pocket watch—the very one young William had cracked his brow upon at age five. When it snapped open, pain like lightning arced through his nerves.
Memory Cascade: 6:12 AM
His great-grandfather writhed on an operating table. The extracted eyeballs in their glass jars reflected the plague doctor unmasking—revealing William's own father's face.
"Every firstborn inherits the Witness Eyes," Father's voice echoed across time. "But yours... yours are special."
The vision shifted to his twelfth birthday. Midnight. A deserted field. His father pressing a golden syringe to his eye. "This protects you," he'd said as the needle pierced the iris, "and damns you."
The same liquid now flowed in William's veins.
Last Stand: 6:47 AM
Hazmat-suited figures stormed the tunnel. Jackie tore open William's collar—a seven-pointed tattoo now pulsed there, each tip connected by golden threads to the clones.
"Lucas!" She hurled amethyst shards. "Shatter the watch!"
The EMF pulse and gunfire merged. A golden bullet tore through William's shoulder—but instead of blood, mechanized fluid emerged, solidifying into cables that linked him to the seven. Emma clapped in delight: "Connected at last!"
Then the impossible—the clones melted into liquid gold, streaming into William. With each absorption, his skin turned translucent, revealing metallic bones beneath.
"Don't look!" Jackie tackled him, covering his eyes.
Too late. His pupils had become molten orbs.
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