XAMI: One True Love

Chapter Seventy Six: Into the Core

Mila’s POV

The outer perimeter of Eden’s high-security sector rose like a fortress against the night sky. Cameras blinked like watchful eyes, lasers crisscrossed the entrances, and guards patrolled with precise, mechanical steps. Every instinct screamed danger, but we had no choice.

Xavier crouched beside me, whispering, “Sensors are live. Timing is everything. Wait for the green pulse, then move.”

I nodded, my pulse steady despite the adrenaline. Every movement, every step, was measured. One misstep — and Eden wouldn’t just chase us; they’d end us.

We slipped past the lasers, using shadows as cover. The biometric locks required retinal scans and fingerprint verification, but Xavier had already prepared bypass devices. Each lock clicked open silently, the tension in the hallway thickening with every step.

Finally, we reached the inner chamber: a circular room filled with glowing terminals, suspended digital screens, and the unmistakable hum of neural equipment. At the center… a figure.

My heart stopped.

> Another me.

A clone — identical in every detail, every curve, every expression. But her eyes were cold, empty, trained. Eden had been preparing her, conditioning her for something.

She stepped forward, voice smooth and eerily calm. “Mila Miller. Welcome… to your destiny.”

Xavier’s hand tightened on mine. “We’ve got company,” he muttered, his jaw set.

I forced my gaze to meet hers, refusing to show fear. “You’re not me,” I said firmly. “You’re… a copy. Nothing more.”

The clone’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Am I? Or am I the next evolution? Mnemosyne learned from you. Eden perfected it. And now… I’m ready.”

Every instinct screamed danger. She moved with precision, her body a mirror of mine — but sharper, faster. Eden’s experiments had honed her, stripped away hesitation, emotion.

> We can’t fight her head-on, I thought, mind racing.

Xavier stepped beside me. “We need a distraction. Draw her away from the terminals. The data is what matters — that’s our target.”

I nodded, calculating. “She’s fast… but predictable. Follow my lead.”

And as the clone lunged, I sidestepped, using my knowledge of my own reflexes against her. Sparks flew, alarms blared, and the room became a whirlwind of motion — mirrors of my own movements, each one a deadly echo.

But the revelation hit harder than any blow: Eden hadn’t just been experimenting on me. They had been creating a perfect version, one meant to surpass me.

And now… we had to stop her.

> Not just for survival. But for identity. For control. For the truth.