He wasn't Ji-hoon.
That single sentence shattered something inside him.
"When did she write this?" Ji-hoon asked.
"A week before she disappeared," Park replied.
Ji-hoon's fingers trembled.
Not Ji-hoon… but my body.
"She knew. About the other me."
"She was scared," Park added. "But also trying to protect you."
Ji-hoon sank into the hospital bed. How many knew? How long was I not alone in my own skin?
"I need to ask you something, off the record," Ji-hoon said.
"Go on."
"Do you believe in… conscious duplication? Transference?"
Park didn't laugh. Didn't blink. Just nodded.
"I've seen things. You're not the first anomaly I've chased."
There are more like me.
"Why tell me this?"
"Because if you're going to survive this… you need allies. Ones who aren't afraid of the impossible."
He handed Ji-hoon a card. A name: Project Afterlife.
A network. Underground. Hidden.
"They helped me once," Park said. "They might help you too."
Park stood. "I shouldn't be here. You need to decide soon—who you are, and who you're willing to become."
He left.
Project Afterlife...
Another piece of the puzzle.
And the vial still waited on the table. Shimmering.
'Decide quickly,' the 'I' whispered. 'Or someone else will decide for you.'
→ [To be continued in Episode 21]
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