Ghosts at the Table

Water sprayed everywhere as the sprinklers went off. Aidan coughed, squinting through the smoke. His ears rang from the blast.

"That wasn't a grenade," Elijah said, helping Aidan to his feet. "Smoke bomb."

They stumbled out of the bathroom. The hotel room window was shattered, glass everywhere. The smoke was clearing, but their attacker was long gone.

"We need to move," Elijah urged, grabbing Aidan's laptop and the flash drive.

"But Asher—" Aidan's voice cracked. "He can't be dead."

"I don't think he is," Elijah said, pulling Aidan toward the door. "This feels like one of your father's tests."

Aidan's phone buzzed. A text from his father: Family dinner tonight, 8pm sharp. Don't be late. We're celebrating Asher's success.

Aidan showed Elijah the message. "He's celebrating while Asher is supposedly dead?"

"Exactly," Elijah nodded. "Either the news is fake, or your father is even more twisted than I thought."

"I have to go to that dinner," Aidan decided.

"It could be a trap," Elijah warned.

"Or a chance to find out what's really going on." Aidan grabbed his jacket. "I need answers."

Elijah gripped Aidan's arm. "Promise you'll keep your phone on. Text me if anything feels wrong."

Their eyes met. For a moment, Aidan forgot about all the lies and secrets between them.

"I promise," he said.

The Carter mansion loomed like a monster against the night sky. Aidan hadn't been home in months. Nothing had changed—same perfect lawn, same stone lions guarding the door, same cold feeling in his stomach.

The butler opened the door with a stiff nod. "Mr. Carter is waiting in the dining room."

Aidan walked through familiar hallways lined with family photos. He noticed something odd—all the recent pictures showed only one twin. Either him or Asher, never both together. Had it always been that way?

He paused at the dining room door, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

Victor Carter sat at the head of the long table, carving a large roast. Maya stood nearby, tablet in hand, whispering something in his ear. And across from an empty chair sat—

"Asher?" Aidan gasped.

His twin looked up with a bright smile. "Hey, bro! You're late."

Aidan felt dizzy. Asher didn't look dead. He looked perfectly fine—hair neatly styled, wearing an expensive suit, sipping wine like nothing was wrong.

"Sit down, Aidan," Victor commanded. "We're celebrating your brother's achievement."

Aidan slid into the empty chair across from Asher, who winked at him.

"I saw the news," Aidan said quietly. "They said you were dead."

Asher laughed. "Fake news! Someone hacked the system. Dad's PR team is fixing it."

Maya nodded. "Just a prank by our competitors. Nothing to worry about."

Something felt wrong. Aidan pulled out his phone under the table and texted Elijah: Asher is here. Alive. Something's not right.

"No phones at dinner," Victor snapped, not looking up from his plate.

Aidan quickly put his phone away, but not before seeing Elijah's reply: GET OUT NOW

"So, Aidan," Victor continued, "aren't you proud of your brother? His green energy proposal is going to change everything."

"My proposal," Aidan muttered.

The room went quiet. Victor put down his knife and fork.

"What was that?" he asked coldly.

Asher jumped in. "He's just jealous, Dad. You know how he gets."

"I'm not jealous," Aidan said. "I wrote that proposal. Every word of it."

Victor's face darkened. "This again? Asher presented it to the board. Everyone saw him."

"Because he stole it from me!" Aidan's voice rose.

Maya stepped forward. "Perhaps we should discuss this later—"

"No," Victor cut her off. "We'll clear this up now." He turned to Asher. "Tell your brother who wrote the proposal."

Asher smiled that perfect smile that always charmed everyone. "I did, of course."

"Liar!" Aidan slammed his hand on the table. "You told me this morning that Dad made you steal it!"

Asher's smile didn't waver. "I haven't seen you in days, bro. Are you feeling okay?"

Victor and Maya exchanged looks.

"Aidan," Victor said slowly, "when was the last time you took your medication?"

"What medication?" Aidan asked, confused.

Victor sighed. "This is why we worry about you. You're having episodes again."

"Episodes? What are you talking about?" Aidan looked at Asher, who was watching him with sad eyes.

"Remember Dr. Mendelson?" Maya asked gently. "Your psychiatrist?"

Aidan's phone buzzed again. He glanced down quickly to see another text from Elijah: They're gaslighting you. Get evidence.

"I don't have a psychiatrist," Aidan insisted.

Victor nodded to Maya, who pulled out a folder from her briefcase and slid it across the table. Inside were medical reports—all about Aidan's supposed mental health issues.

"These are fake," Aidan said, pushing them away.

"Son," Victor said with unusual gentleness, "You've been struggling with reality for years. Sometimes you think you're Asher. Sometimes you think Asher is stealing from you."

"That's not true!" Aidan looked at his twin for support, but Asher just looked sad.

"Remember last year?" Asher asked. "When you showed up at my apartment claiming to be me?"

"That never happened!"

Victor pulled out his phone and showed Aidan a video. It showed Aidan—or someone who looked exactly like him—screaming at a mirror, "I'm Asher! I'm Asher! Why won't anyone believe me?"

Aidan felt sick. "This is edited. You're trying to make me think I'm crazy."

Under the table, he snapped a picture of the medical files with his phone and sent it to Elijah.

"Why would we do that?" Victor asked reasonably.

"Because of what's on Asher's flash drive," Aidan said. "The proof of your crimes."

Victor and Maya looked genuinely confused. Asher just seemed concerned.

"What flash drive?" Asher asked.

Aidan reached into his pocket—empty. The flash drive was gone. Had Elijah taken it?

"Aidan, please," Asher said, reaching across the table for his hand. "Let us help you."

Aidan pulled away and stood up. "I'm not crazy. You're all lying."

His phone buzzed one last time: DNA test results came back. Your blood sample doesn't match Asher's records. HE'S NOT YOUR TWIN.

Aidan looked up at Asher—at his perfect mirror image—and felt the room spin.

"Who are you?" he whispered.

Asher's concerned expression melted away, replaced by something colder. Something familiar.

"I'm you," Asher said in a voice that sounded exactly like Aidan's own. "The better version."

Victor smiled. It was the same smile Aidan had just seen on Asher's face.

"Sit down, son," Victor said. "Dinner's getting cold."

Maya locked the dining room door with a soft click.