As echoes were unavoidable if they were in the corridor, Lin Sanjiu and Reno entered the apartment unit opposite the one 'Rena' was in to avoid her overhearing them. Reno closed the door but continued to whisper.
"I can't say what I find suspicious," Reno said grimly, revealing a hint of helplessness. He bit his lip and continued almost inaudibly, "Anyway, I get the feeling the person inside isn't my sister."
Lin Sanjiu was puzzled and quickly spelled: BUT SHE USED HER ABILITY. After recovering more Higher Consciousness, not only had her form become larger, but she could also spell more proficiently.
Reno hesitated for some time; he seemed unable to explain that point.
"Erm... Yes, she caused me to fall to the ground a few times," he said. "But we can't exactly infer that it was my sister's ability. The other party could have used another ability or special item. Don't forget, if posthumans from other worlds die here, they'll still retain their evolved abilities."
"That's true." Lin Sanjiu remembered that one of the girls she met in the Garden of Eden had the ability to force someone to fall. If a posthuman with a similar ability died and became a duoluozhong in Kisaragi Station World and used another ability to pose as Rena, it would be hard to distinguish.
Luckily, Reno's ability was rare. Once he drew out that almanac page, his identity was confirmed.
Lin Sanjiu processed her thoughts and simplified her question: WHY DO YOU SUSPECT HER?
"I don't know if I should call it intuition... We grew up together, so we know each other very well. After that almanac page hit her, I chatted with her. That was when it became more and more obvious to me that I was speaking to someone trying to imitate her personality and behavior."
Lin Sanjiu tried her best to remember the details, but she didn't find Rena's behavior any different from usual. Then again, she had only known Rena for a short time.
"I didn't have that feeling when we were play-fighting. But thinking back, I have to say that it was right to use my ability." Reno exhaled. "I wanted to say this earlier, but I had no idea what was happening on the other side. I wanted to wait a few hours first to lower that person's guard and also because I noticed that you've been growing and were busy with something.
Lin Sanjiu had witnessed too many weird things that night and was confused by everything. However, she was certain about one thing. The person who could use [Did you check your almanac before leaving your house today?] was the real Reno. With that in mind, she quickly spelled: MAKE A MARK ON YOURSELF.
Even though Reno usually showed a carefree attitude, he caught on quickly; his face paled. "You're afraid that someone might pretend to be me?"
He took a ceramic bowl from the kitchen and quickly broke it into two silently. He took the sharp edge of the broken ceramic bowl and carved a small "X" on his inner wrist.
"That should be enough." Reno looked at the mark he had made on his hand and put aside the broken bowl.
"What are you two doing?" a voice said from the door.
The girl's voice startled them so much, they almost jumped. Rena slowly looked in from the door. She was standing in the shadow by the entrance, so the expression on her face couldn't be seen clearly.
A wall in front of the entrance blocked the view from the entrance but prevented them from seeing what was at the entrance. Lin Sanjiu and Reno exchanged glances. Neither of them expected that the "Rena" without accessories could move around so silently.
"Oh, nothing. We are telling each other ghost stories." Reno laughed, pretending nothing happened. "You get that feeling when telling ghost stories in the dark in Kisaragi Station World."
"Rena" slowly walked in. She scanned Lin Sanjiu suspiciously. "How can she tell you any stories in that form?"
Lin Sanjiu observed Rena from head to toe. The girl was wearing a sparkling pink wig, her Tulle dress in a mess; she also had that slightly proud, tilted chin. She seemed the same, be it in appearance or attitude.
'It is hard to believe that she isn't the real deal,' Lin Sanjiu thought.
"I'm the one who mainly does the telling. She listens." Reno didn't want to continue with this excuse full of loopholes, so he quickly changed the subject. "Is the effect from the Almanac over? Maybe you should continue lying down for a while, just to be sure."
"Nah, no need," Rena said, waving her hands, "I think the effect ended. This place is boring. Bro, could you play cards with me?"
Reno pressed the mark on his inner wrist subconsciously. He hemmed and hawed for a while but couldn't find an excuse. When he saw Rena's expression becoming increasingly doubtful, he finally acceded. "Uh, okay."
'This could be an opportunity to turn things around.' Lin Sanjiu thought. She sneaked behind Rena, where the girl couldn't see her, and spelled: CAN YOU MANAGE THIS ALONE?
Reno looked at the words, trying to guess her intentions. Then, he nodded his head subtly.
'Great!' Lin Sanjiu turned and sped out the door before the siblings in the living room noticed.
"If the Rena here was an imposter, the real Rena must be somewhere in this building." Besides, Lin Sanjiu was still brooding over the fake siblings she saw when she first reached the 15th floor. Now that Reno had a mark on his hand, she could investigate and look for the real Rena.
However, Lin Sanjiu never guessed that she would find another Rena so quickly.
The floor below the current 15th floor was still the 14th floor (that she saw with Rena). Lin Sanjiu almost thought she was imagining things but quickly realized that something was wrong. After she flew down another two floors, it should have been the 12th floor, but she saw the siblings playing cards in the corridor under the 15 painted on the wall.
Another 15th floor and another pair of siblings.
YOU ARE READING
Kisaragi Station || Apocalypse Paradise #3
HorrorHer skin was warm and moist when she was alive, always with a honey-colored tan. It had only been an hour, but her body had stiffened, and her skin was pale white. At first glance, one could even imagine how cold her skin would feel. Her eyes were w...
