Chapter 18 - a vortex of confusion….who am I…..really….

I wake up, groggily opening my eyes to find myself lying on a bed, surrounded by two girls - the mysterious redhead and another girl who looks identical to her. I sit up, my caution levels on high alert.

"Ugh... what happened?" I ask, trying to piece together the events that led me here.

The slightly older girl responds, her voice calm and collected. "This place is a sanctuary for us... girls..." She glances at me, her eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and wariness.

"Uh-huh... but what happened here?" I press, trying to get to the bottom of things.

She takes a deep breath, explaining the situation in a matter-of-fact tone. "We're clones. Officially defected and no longer needed by... them." Her voice trails off, and I sense a hint of bitterness.

"What the hell are they, then?" I ask, my mind racing with questions.

"The people who made us," she replies, her eyes flashing with a hint of anger.

I look around, taking in my surroundings. I'm shocked to see that there are more girls, all of whom look identical to the two in front of me. It's like I've stumbled into a clone factory.

"We're all looking for Lilim," the older girl says, her voice filled with determination.

I frown, confusion etched on my face. "Back up... I need to know who Lilim is.”

She explains again, her words painting a picture of a clone who had a premonition that one day, all of this would end, and they would live in a land of peace. I listen, my mind reeling with the implications.

"Uh-huh... now I'm confused," I admit, trying to process the information.

The clones that I faced before - they looked the same, didn't they? I ask the girl, and she nods.

"That's because they wanted a weapon, a soldier to fight," she says, her voice dripping with disdain.

"But women?" I ask, my brow furrowed in confusion.

The girl's response is enigmatic. "Sort of..." She pauses, studying me intently. "You don't understand, do you? We're not just clones. We're... something more.”

She explains that they all had a strange dream of someone talking to them, like they're searching for someone, and warning them not to trust the ones who created them. The words send a shiver down my spine, and my inner voice whispers, "They must be having that dream like yours, Alex... let's listen to them…".

I take a deep breath, my instincts telling me that they're not hostile. "What do you need?" I ask, my voice cautious.

"Just that we need your trust..." she replies, her eyes locked on mine.

"It's going to be extremely complicated..." I warn, my mind racing with the implications.

She gestures around the room, and I follow her gaze. All the girls have red hair, a striking feature that sets them apart. "The difference between them and us is the color of our hair... look around you.”

I frown, intrigued. "Is it some sort of sign?”

She shakes her head. "No, it's an awakening... because we are the same entity." Her words confuse me, but I press on, determined to understand.

"For now, I'm not sharing this with anyone, because it will cause more danger to you all... but how on earth did you manage to get here?" I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me.

A soft smile spreads across her face. "A lady named Professor Mas... she's the one who helped us get here." My heart skips a beat as I hear the name. Mom? This is getting more complex by the minute. I try to keep my composure, not wanting to reveal my identity or relationship with Mom.

But before I can react, she says, "You have that aura like Professor Mas." My eyes widen, and I feel like I've been caught. Not even a second passes before she's about to discover my secret.

I take a deep breath and reveal the truth. "Yeah... that professor is my mother." The room falls silent, and then, all the girls smile in relief and happiness.

"I'm glad that my dreams led us to meet you," she says, her eyes shining with tears. The atmosphere in the room shifts, and I feel a sense of connection with these mysterious girls.

"Then... we need to make contact... or find a phone that's not related to this place... because it's too dangerous to be seen like this..." I say, my voice low and urgent.

One of the girls nods, a look of determination on her face. "Our phone is a secure line from the facility. We can use it.”

I frown, a question burning in my mind. "Why didn't my mother visit you all?" I ask, a hint of accusation in my tone.

The girl's expression turns somber. "Well... she did... but she's also under surveillance..." The words send a chill down my spine. Maybe that's the reason, but now I need to make sure they're not getting in over their heads.

"It's best if you hide yourselves, because the danger is still out there..." I warn, my eyes scanning the room as if searching for potential threats.

They nod in unison, their faces set with determination. "You're welcome here if you're in trouble," one of them says, a hint of a smile on her face.

I glance at the time, and my eyes widen in surprise. It's already late. I nod at the girls and head out, my mind racing with thoughts and questions.

As I step out into the night air, I feel a sense of unease, knowing that I've just scratched the surface of a much larger, more complex web of secrets and lies. The darkness seems to close in around me, and I quicken my pace, eager to get back to the safety of my own world. But as I walk, I know that I'll be back, drawn into the mystery and intrigue that surrounds these mysterious girls.

I reach my bike, only to see someone waiting for me, leaning against the seat. It's Mr. Rahman, his expression a mix of relief and concern.

"Ah... seems like you're safe and sound..." he says, eyeing me up and down as if checking for injuries. Yeah, I'm pretty sure they're all worried about me.

"Uh... sorry, I went to find a place to rest, but I ended up sleeping just now..." I try to explain, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly.

Mr. Rahman raises an eyebrow. "Uh-huh... well, at least you're safe." He pauses, his expression turning serious. "The others were wondering where you were, and—"

Before he can finish, I feel a sudden impact on my head, and everything goes black. Not again!

When I come to, I'm back home, surrounded by the people I love. But instead of relief, I'm met with a firing squad of angry faces.

Sylvia is glaring at me like a yandere, her eyes blazing with a mix of anger and concern. "Darling......" she says, her voice low and menacing.

Mom and Dad are standing beside her, their expressions equally stern. Even Sam, our little brother, is staring at me with big, round eyes, as if wondering what I've done now.

"Son....." Mom says, her voice firm but worried.

"Big brother....." Hana adds, her eyes narrowed in accusation.

Siti chimes in, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You have me, but are you not going back early? What's the point of having a girlfriend if you're just going to disappear on me?”

I feel like I'm in an interrogation scene, with the entire family ganging up on me. I can sense death looming at my doorstep, and I wonder if I'll ever make it out alive.

"Uh, I can explain..." I try to say, but it's too late. The firing squad has already begun, and I'm just trying to survive the onslaught.

Constant lecturing and nagging from them is something I had miss for a while until at one moment it stop which Sylvia and Mom said to me

“You are grounded from going out until mom approve!!” Sylvia and mom said togehter

Well thats the end of it. Grounded and constant survielance more like in prison.

Lying on my bed look at the ceiling looking that events and wondering if that clones is something relate to all of this.

As I close my eyes, I hear a voice again inside of me “everything is not forever remember that….always….” (That was my inner voice)

Damn man all of this commotion not even Soro and Maruk yet in the frame and now I already facing the things that I wanted to avoid.