Chapter 1: The Slap That Changed Everything

The sound of my lieutenant’s hand hitting my face echoed across the parade ground like a gunshot.

Hundreds of soldiers stood frozen beneath the morning sun, watching the humiliation unfold.

“Heavy negligence!”” Lieutenant Marcus Vane shouted, his finger shaking as he pointed at me.

“You were assigned security duty. You lost the weapons depot key. If anything disappears, your career is finished!””

My cheek burned.

My jaw tightened.

But I did not lower my eyes.

“Sir,” I said calmly, “I did not lose that key.””

The formation became silent.

Vane stepped closer, his face twisted with anger.

“You’re calling me a liar?””

“No, sir,” I replied.

“I’m saying someone is.””

A few soldiers looked away. Everyone knew Lieutenant Vane had a reputation for destroying careers. He loved power more than justice.

“You think you’re brave?”” he whispered.

“No,” I answered.

“I think I’m innocent.””

His palm struck me again.

This time, I reacted.

My hand moved before my mind could stop it.

The entire parade ground gasped as my palm connected with his face.

Vane stumbled backward.

“You dare?!”” he screamed.

“I dare because you hit the wrong person.””

His hand moved toward his sidearm.

Several soldiers tensed.

“Enough!”” Captain Elena Ward shouted from the command building.

She walked toward us, her expression unreadable.

“Lieutenant, Sergeant Cole,” she said, looking between us.

“Both of you will explain yourselves.””

Vane smiled.

“There’s nothing to explain. The security footage will prove everything.””

Inside the security office, the officer pulled up the recording.

The screen flickered.

Then I appeared.

The timestamp showed 02:13.

The footage showed me walking into the weapons depot.

Opening the key cabinet.

Taking the missing key.

Putting it in my pocket.

Leaving.

The room became colder.

Vane slowly turned toward me.

“Caught,” he whispered.

I stared at the screen.

The person looked exactly like me.

Same uniform.

Same face.

Same movements.

But I had never been there.

Then I noticed something.

The clock on the wall in the video was wrong.

And the camera angle was impossible.

Someone had edited the footage.

Someone had created a perfect copy of me.

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But why?

And who inside our base had the ability to do it?