Chapter 6 — The Girl Without a Shadow

The plaster statues belong to the art students; they are kept on the fifth floor!

We scrambled up to the fifth floor. Finally, I came face to face with her. My shadow. We shared the same hairstyle, the same attire, and even the tiny blemish on our faces rested in the exact same spot.

So, my shadow, are you having fun parading around in my identity?

I asked, my expression carefully void of emotion. The shadow offered me a smile. She ignored my inquiry entirely, choosing instead to make a cold declaration: It is already too late, On Tam. You cannot stop me.

Stop you from what? I countered.

Do not even bother trying to pry answers out of me.

The shadow seemed to look right through me, her smile blossoming with brazen confidence. I know you have countless questions, but I will not answer a single one. Just keep guessing. The more you guess, the more mistakes you will make.

Fine then, I shall take a bold guess!

I refused to yield, staring directly into her eyes without stepping back an inch. I suspect your goal is to replace me and become the true master of this body. Am I right?

The shadow merely smiled, saying nothing. I ignored her silence and continued my deduction: Your plan to replace me began long ago in the shadows. The first thing you did was seek attention. You needed to capture the focus of certain people, to make them view you as On Tam. Your first step was a success. It began to take a toll on me, influencing my state, dragging me into a deep slumber—and once I drift off, it becomes harder and harder to wake up. By the time you fully achieve your goal, perhaps I will truly never wake again. Because by then, I will have become your shadow.

I paused to observe her reaction. The smile had vanished from her face, replaced by a flicker of irritation. I pressed on: Now, you are implementing the second phase of your plan. That plaster statue thrown at me earlier was your masterpiece. Even though you used that statue to strike at me, you could not actually kill me, could you? You have had plenty of opportunities to end me. You chose not to strike; instead, you went through elaborate measures to lure me to Building Four and toss that statue, all because there are rules limiting how you can harm me, aren't there? What are these rules? Do you dare tell me?

My interrogation grew sharp and aggressive. The shadow remained silent, but the way she looked at me no longer held that effortless grace. I curled my lip into a smile of absolute contempt, my voice dripping with irony: You do not dare tell me because I have guessed every single detail correctly. Replacing a host is not as easy as you thought, is it, shadow?

Hmph!

The shadow finally broke under my provocation, sneering, In reality, it is not as difficult as you imagine. In the human world, hosts are replaced by their shadows every single day. There are many such people right beside you. You simply never notice. The laughable part is that you people even take the initiative to find excuses to cover for the shadows. When someone you have not seen in a long time returns, and they have changed completely, you say they have matured. When someone goes through a grave illness and their personality shifts upon recovery, you say they have finally seen the light. When someone who was once cheerful and talkative becomes introverted and sluggish, you say that is just life. You never suspect that they have long since been replaced by their shadows, that they are no longer the people you once knew.

On Tam, you will be next.

The shadow’s tone was as firm as a vow.

Is that so?

I remained as calm as a monk in meditation, my composure entirely unruffled. Shadow, I have one last question for you. If those people refuse to let you leave, what will happen to you?

The shadow’s eyes widened suddenly. She understood my implication perfectly. A flicker of panic crossed her face.

You are panicked. It seems I guessed right again.

The shadow lunged toward me. Ho Tuyet Huong and Vuong Toai reacted with lightning speed, grabbing her by either side and pinning her firmly against the wall. Tan An Hoi even slid in front of me, acting as a human barrier to keep her at bay. The shadow was beside herself with rage, struggling frantically. I took in her every reaction, finally allowing myself a relieved breath: Shadow, let us try this once more. Let us see what happens when you fail to return to my person by the designated time.

The dark night was long. The shadow wrestled with us until nearly dawn, growing increasingly hysterical. Veins pulsed beneath her skin; she possessed a seemingly inexhaustible, animalistic strength, thrashing about like a trapped beast. Yet, Ho Tuyet Huong and Vuong Toai held their ground. The difference in sheer force was too great; her struggle was ultimately futile. The moon sank into the west, and the sun rose in the east. The first ray of morning light pierced the clouds. The shadow’s body began to dilute, its color fading bit by bit until it dissolved entirely before our eyes. Simultaneously, the rising sun cast a long shadow from my own body onto the ground. I raised my hand, performing a series of movements. My shadow followed suit, mimicking me perfectly once again.