The clone walked back toward the living room. Ken watched it go. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. His body dissolved into a pool of black shadows. The shadows slithered across the floor. They seeped through the cracks and disappeared.
The real Ken was gone.
Back in the living room, the clone walked in casually. It grabbed a fresh bag of potato chips from the coffee table. It collapsed onto the sofa right next to Naomi.
Naomi looked at it and smiled. "You changed your mind?"
"Decided the summit is too boring," the clone replied lazily. It crunched on a chip. "Watching from here is a much better experience. More snacks. Better company."
Iris frowned from the doorway. "Ken, the Emperor —"
"Tell him I am monitoring from a strategic remote location," the clone interrupted smoothly. It waved a hand. "He will understand. Probably."
Iris stared at the clone for a long moment. She let out a frustrated sigh.
"Fine. I will inform the Emperor that the 13th Unit is observing from afar."
Iris turned around. She walked out the front door alone. The door clicked shut.
Laxmi looked at the clone with wide eyes. "You just ditched the Emperor."
"Technically, I am still attending," the clone argued. It crunched on another chip. "I am attending mentally. My spirit is there. My body is here. It is very efficient."
Sayma pushed her glasses up. "That is not how attendance works."
"It is how MY attendance works," the clone replied cheerfully.
Naomi laughed. She shook her head. "You are impossible, Ken."
The clone grinned. "Impossible is my middle name."
Naomi stood up. She walked to the television. She turned it on. The screen flickered to life. The grand summit room appeared on the broadcast. The massive marble chamber was packed with foreign leaders. The round wooden table sat in the center.
"The broadcast is live," Naomi announced. She sat down on the sofa next to the clone. She pulled a soft blanket over her lap. "Everyone, find a seat. The show is starting."
Laxmi scrambled onto the sofa on the other side of the clone. She grabbed a bowl of popcorn from the coffee table. "I call the spot next to Ken! Move over, Luna!"
Luna grumbled. She dragged her knitted blanket to the armchair. "You are so bossy, Laxmi."
Zinia pulled a wooden chair close to the TV. She sat down with a loud creak. Sayma sat at the dining table but turned her chair to face the screen. Ira remained standing near the wall, her eyes fixed on the television. Risa sat on the rug right in front of the TV, hugging her teddy bear.
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The camera showed the foreign leaders taking their seats. The atmosphere was tense. The kings looked angry.
The clone leaned back on the sofa. It propped its feet up on the coffee table. It opened its bag of chips.
"This is going to be great," the clone said happily. "I love watching angry politicians yell at each other. It is better than any drama on television."
Naomi smiled warmly. She looked at the clone sitting next to her. She had no idea it was a fake.
"Me too, Ken," she said softly. "Me too."
---
The living room of the 13th Unit estate was quiet. The large television screen glowed brightly. The entire team sat in perfect silence. They stared at the broadcast from the grand summit room.
On the screen, the massive wooden doors of the summit room closed completely. A loud click echoed across the marble floor. The room was totally sealed.
Naomi sat on the edge of the sofa. She held her warm cup of tea in both hands. Her green eyes were fixed on the screen. She watched the foreign leaders take their seats.
"This is it," Naomi murmured. "The summit is officially starting."
Laxmi sat cross-legged on the rug. She held a bowl of popcorn in her lap. She tossed a kernel into her mouth. "I still wish I could be there. I want to see those arrogant kings up close. I want to punch one of them."
Zinia sat in a wooden chair pulled close to the TV. The strong earth mage crossed her muscular arms. "You cannot punch a king on live television, Laxmi. That would be a very short diplomatic career."
"It would be a very satisfying career," Laxmi grumbled.
The clone lay sprawled on the sofa next to Naomi. It crunched loudly on a potato chip. "Relax, Laxmi. Punching kings is a waste of energy. Just watch them destroy themselves. It is much more entertaining."
Sayma sat at the dining table with her notebook open. Her pen hovered over the paper. Her eyes did not leave the television screen. "The King of Zulfara is standing. He is not sitting down. That is a deliberate display of aggression. He wants to dominate the room before the Emperor arrives."
Ira stood perfectly still near the wall. Her pale face showed zero emotion. "Statistically speaking, standing during a formal assembly signals hostility in ninety-three percent of diplomatic encounters. The King of Zulfara intends to start a conflict."
On the screen, the King of Zulfara smiled a very cruel, very wicked smile. He looked at the King of Zenith and the King of Felacia.
"This is a massive opportunity for us," the King of Zulfara announced loudly. His voice boomed through the television speakers. "The Belmontia Empire is finally crumbling. They destroyed the Bluemoon Kingdom. The entire continent hates them now. I truly hope this incident breaks Belmontia's power forever. They have ruled this region for way too long."
Luna lay on the armchair with her knitted blanket. She pointed a sleepy finger at the screen. "That guy looks like a villain from a cartoon. His armor has way too many spikes. Spikes mean bad news."
Risa sat on the rug right in front of the TV. She hugged her stuffed teddy bear tightly. She looked at the angry king with wide, worried eyes. "He is very mean. I do not like him."
Laxmi grabbed a handful of popcorn. She stuffed it into her mouth. "Just wait until Lancelot shows up. That spiky guy is going to cry like a baby."
The clone nodded lazily from the sofa. "Laxmi has the right idea. The big reveal is always the best part. The hero arrives right when the villains think they have won. Classic structure."
Naomi looked at the clone. She smiled. "You seem very relaxed for someone who ditched the Emperor."
"Relaxed is my natural state," the clone replied. It crunched on a chip. "Stress is bad for digestion."
On the screen, the side door of the summit room opened. A loud horn blew.
The Emperor of the Belmontia Empire walked into the summit room. He looked incredibly imposing. He wore his dark, regal cloak. The golden crown rested perfectly on his head. His eyes were cold, sharp, and totally commanding. He walked slowly to his golden throne. He sat down.
The room went instantly quiet.
Sayma clicked her pen. "The Emperor's entrance is perfectly timed. He waited for the foreign leaders to show their hostility first. Now he appears as the authority figure restoring order."
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