No Way Out

"Who are you…? And what are you doing here?" a voice asked suddenly, making my heart race.

I had no idea what was happening. I hadn't even seen who was speaking yet… and still, I felt a strange, unexplainable connection.

"A human," I replied, guessing why she might ask such a question. She probably thought I was a mimic, but since I responded with actual words instead of the incoherent sounds mimics make, she should believe me.

Yes, that's one flaw with mimics. They can practically duplicate a person, from appearance to every minute detail in behavior, but they lack one crucial thing—speech. While they can mimic noises that sound humanoid or fit the race they're imitating, they can't actually talk.

So… that scream I heard earlier had to belong to a real person, likely copied from the girl standing somewhere behind me.