“Ah!” A sharp gasp escaped the fake Milena as he staggered backward, completely unprepared. Rubbing his exposed chin, he seemed lost, unable to gather his thoughts.
The fake Levi fumbled, glancing helplessly between the fake Milena and the disguised Elliana, his confidence shaken.
Gasps and shocked silence fell over the room. For as long as anyone could remember, Milena had appeared as a wise old man, white beard and all. The idea that his appearance could be faked had never crossed their minds.
Before anyone could recover from their shock, Elliana acted again. She wasted no time, and with a swift motion, she tore away the rest of the fake Milena’s disguise—his false face and wig vanished in one determined move.
“Oh my!” A collective gasp echoed through the room.
The man posing as Milena stood exposed, his disguise falling apart piece by piece. Gone was the long, snowy beard. The layers of makeup smeared away. The wig slipped off, revealing not an old sage but a middle-aged man stripped of every ounce of mystique.
“What… What is happening?” Eyes widened, confusion spreading as people exchanged incredulous glances.
Trinity stood stiff as stone, unable to process what she was seeing.
An eerie silence fell as if the air itself had become still. Elliana took a step forward, her voice calm but commanding as she questioned the fake Milena, “Care to explain yourself?”
The fake Milena faltered, unable to form a coherent response.
His companion—the fake Levi—jumped in, trying to salvage the moment. “Dr. Atkinson is a legend, a healer everyone wants to meet. Of course, he wears disguises. It’s how he protects his identity. Isn’t that perfectly reasonable?”
The explanation sounded plausible. Some people nodded, uncertainty softening their skepticism. Then, all eyes turned to the disguised Elliana.
Elliana let out a cold scoff. “Enough. I am dead sure this Milena is a fraud.”
A fraud? Her words sent another wave of shock through the crowd. Just moments ago, they had looked at this “Milena” with respect, revering him as a towering figure in the medical world. And now, someone was claiming he was an impostor? Who would have the audacity to impersonate Milena?
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Trinity’s heart pounded. No—this couldn’t be true. Even if it were, she wouldn’t accept it. She had thrown a grand ceremony and invited tons of guests to witness her becoming the apprentice of a legend, or so she thought. She had just basked in admiration. How could it all fall apart now? How could her mentor suddenly be exposed as a fraud?
Before the fake Milena or the fake Levi could respond, Trinity stepped forward, eyes blazing with fury. “What gives you the right to say that? Do you have any proof?”
Elliana casually ran her fingers through her short wig. “I am the proof.”
“What do you mean?” Trinity snapped, shooting the disguised Elliana a sharp glare.
Levi stepped forward calmly, his expression laced with disappointment as he looked at Trinity like she was missing the obvious. Then, he pointed at the disguised Elliana. “It means the real Milena is standing right here.”
A buzz of disbelief rippled through the room. Voices overlapped, opinions clashed, and doubt filled the air like smoke.
.
.
.