my Phantom Twin’s voice cut through my thoughts, a note of amusement threading through it.

I blinked, pulled abruptly from my introspection. "What?"

he repeated, and I could practically hear the smirk in his tone despite us sharing the same mind.

I felt heat creep up the back of my neck. "I wasn’t, I was just thinking things through."

he said, his form crossing its arms in a mirror of what I probably looked like when I was being smug.

"Shut up," I muttered, knowing full well I was essentially telling myself to shut up, which only made it more ridiculous.

"I wasn’t having a crisis," I protested. "I was just... clarifying my position."

"Processing."

"Processing."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache building. This was the problem with having a Phantom Twin — it was like having a sarcastic version of yourself pointing out every time you were being overly dramatic or self-indulgent.

Which, admittedly, was probably happening more than I’d like to admit.

"Are you done?" I asked dryly.

he said, that infuriating amusement still coloring his tone.

I opened my mouth to argue, then closed it.

He... might have a point.

"I hate you."

Despite everything - the weight of the night, the body in the tent, the moral calculations I’d just worked through - I felt a reluctant smile tug at my lips.

"Fine," I conceded. "Maybe I was being a bit dramatic. But in my defense, I did just kill someone for the first time. I think I’m allowed some introspection."

my Phantom Twin agreed, his tone softening slightly.

"Right." I straightened, pushing the philosophical tangent aside. "The refugees. The town guard. Getting back before sunrise."

"The version that doesn’t overthink everything?"

he corrected.

I snorted softly. "Fair enough."

he said, gesturing around the cavern with one translucent hand.

I took a breath, letting my mind shift fully into tactical mode.

"First, we need to—"

A new voice cut through our internal debate. It was Seren.

I blinked.

Seren’s mental voice held a note of gentle urgency.

"Oh!" I nodded, the plan instantly shelved. The immediate situation took priority.

The Phantom Twin gave a teasing nod.

I didn’t need telling twice. In a few quick strides, I was back at the leader’s tent and slipping inside. The scene was as I’d left it: the woman lay under the blanket, her breathing still shallow, while the other blanket covered the dead man.

I stood at a respectful distance away, ensuring my posture was non-threatening, and waited.

A few moments later, a shudder ran through her. A soft, pained whimper escaped her lips as her eyelids fluttered open. For a second, there was only disorientation. Then, memory flooded back. Her eyes widened in terror, and she scrambled backward with a gasp, her gaze darting wildly around the tent until it landed on me.

She froze, her breath catching. The fear in her eyes was a palpable force.

"Easy," I said. "It’s over. You’re safe."

I kept my voice low and controlled, a baritone that was colder and more detached than my normal speaking voice. I also kept my hands visible, the dark sleeves of my robe falling back slightly.

The hood cast my face in shadow, and the simple, featureless mask I wore completed the image — an anonymous specter of the night. It was a new identity, one I’d been considering for a while now, an alias for the work that required shadows.

’Yeah, for an eminence in shadow.’

my Phantom Twin’s voice cut in, dripping with sarcastic awe.

I thought back at him, barely stopping myself from gritting my teeth or cursing out loud. This was why having a mental copy of yourself was a pain. But then again, he was somewhat correct.

’...’

’Urgh, I hate him.’

"Y-you..." The woman stared, trembling, her knuckles white where she clutched the blanket. The fear in her eyes was a palpable force.

"W-who are you?" she whispered, her voice cracking.

I let a moment of silence hang in the air, letting my imposing figure sink in.

"Me...?" I repeated, the word echoing softly in the quiet tent. "You can call me... Black Lotus."

However, the name felt right as I said it. Something that bloomed in the dark, in murky waters. A symbol of purity and elegance, yet detached and untouchable. It perfectly suited the persona.

< You just got inspired by the White Lotus- >

"B-Black Lotus?" Her eyes widened slightly at the name, but the core of her terror remained. "What... what do you want?"

"What I want...?"

I paused, the question hanging between us. Right... What did I want? To not be in a cave full of bandits? To not get roasted by my clone? To be back in a warm bed? For this world to be a little less brutal?

’...’

I let out a slow breath, the sound barely audible.

"I want... peace."