Who am I?

ㅤ Luke's return was a truly solemn occasion! No matter how much they wanted to believe in a miracle, no matter how much Tear waited for him with respect and songs, no one entertained any hope. Especially Jade, who was all too familiar with science. That's why he was the most surprised. However, he looked at his friend who had returned from the dead with a searching gaze, unsure if it was truly Luke standing before him: he had a bad experience… But even he was glad to see him. Tear met him first. Having survived death, he had become more serious and quiet, but at the same time he hadn't lost his sincere smile. Much later, she noticed the dark tips of her newly long hair, characteristic of Asch. But it was Luke. Definitely her Luke! Until they reunited with their friends, they alone indulged in memories. The beginning of their acquaintance wasn't happy, the journey brought much pain, but their souls were bound together more tightly than any red thread. Only warm feelings remained. Tender… The group was never exactly quiet, but this time it was especially noisy. Luke seemed to radiate light, true to his name. He charged everyone else with it, warming their hearts. At the sight of Natalia, Luke became especially inspired. Smiling softly, he modestly took her hand, quietly saying, "We can finally make this world a better place together." The noise suddenly died down. Tear and Natalia felt a pang in their hearts, and the other friends tensed. His tone, his touch, spoke of anything but friendship. That phrase, that look… Natalia couldn't shake the wrong feeling. It was as if Asch was standing before her. And his appearance too… The small details were driving her crazy. Even Guy was wary, because it looked as if Luke was showing special attention to two girls at once, something unusual for him. Jade didn't remain indifferent. After studying the "object" with a sharp gaze, he casually turned to Luke: "Asch?" "What do you want?" he asked, his voice harsh. It was even softer than if Asch himself had spoken, but it was definitely his manner of speech. Silence fell. It was difficult to process what had happened. Or to understand what exactly had happened. Asch wouldn't have pretended to be Luke; he would have said everything directly. He wouldn't have given Tear a smile. And yet, he responded so easily to the name. Guy let out a quiet breath, unable to contain his anxiety: "…Luke." "Huh? What is it?" Luke responded, completely confusing, as if nothing had happened, as if Asch's name hadn't been mentioned just now. Jade approached him. Without his usual smile, he asked, looking into his eyes: "Who are you?" "Huh?" Luke didn't understand what they wanted from him, as the question was too vague. Jade had to clarify: "What's your name?" "What are you talking about?" Luke chuckled. "I…" Luke froze, as if realizing it. His mixed personality was so natural to him, he didn't even realize he was no longer the same. That he wasn't quite himself… Luke touched his chest and closed his eyes, trying to peer into his soul. Then he looked at Tear and Natalia, standing next to him. When he looked at them simultaneously, his emotions mingled, his gaze quickly shifting from one to the other, struggling to focus on both at once. Until he finally understood. But he didn't want to accept it… "I…" He looked at Jade, confused. "We…" He looked away, speaking more quietly. "I think we could use a new name." "Luke," Guy said worriedly. "It's funny," Luke chuckled sadly, giving his friend a painfully piercing look, "I'm both Luke and Asch at the same time…" "But that's precisely why you can't be either," Jade concluded. "Yeah, exactly," 'Luke' agreed calmly. "Then…" he looked at Jade hopefully, trying to find an answer, "who am I?" Jade didn't answer right away. He had a theory about the unification of similar phonons, and with them, consciousness. But the fact remained that before him stood a unique being, one in whom he still saw his friend. "And that remains to be to find out." Jade understood that separating the consciousnesses of Asch and Luke was impossible. But just as the world had learned to coexist with replicas, so too did this "Luke" have a future. As friends of the two originals, they could only be close and supportive. However, another thought occurred to "Luke": if his combined consciousness was causing pain to two people dear to him, wouldn't it be better to simply leave so they could all start a new life? 'We finally got along,' "Luke" quipped, 'but we still cause each other problems…' ㅤ