The Skin Thief

Chapter 17

"You're going to do great," Connor tells me. I let out a shaky breath and pull at the collar of the smart white blouse I wear.

"I want to go over it again," I say to him. He rolls his eyes.

"Where did you get your degree from?" he asks.

"From the University of Etrayer. I completed an online course which took me four years and I graduated with a first-class honours in politics and wartime studies. During the four years, I learned about major political movements in this realm and in the Second Realm. I also intensively studied the many wars that have plagued this realm. I studied in-depth reasonings as to why the wars began, the strategies both sides used, what caused victories, what caused defeats, battle tactics and where they spent their money just to name a few. Because of this, I am very politically aware and up-to-date on current affairs. During my degree, my assignments often included writing detailed, well-researched reports on a variety of political or wartime subjects. Not only that but through tutoring and my own personal study, I learned how to speak the prominent language of the Second Realm, Athainian." I speak quickly, getting it all out in a single breath. Connor laughs.

I rub my sweating hands on the black pencil skirt and glare at him.

"This is serious," I scold.

"Okay," he says holding up his hands, "you've memorised it all, but maybe don't say it like it is a researched speech," he tells me.

"Duh," I reply and roll my eyes. "I just want to make sure that I have all the information correct."

"Well, you do," he says. "The scariest thing is being able to back up your claims."

"I think they've been planning this mission for me for a long time," I tell Conner.

"Yeah?" he asks.

I nod my head. "A lot of the content that was in this supposed degree that I have was taught to me at the academy." I start laughing and I shake my head. "Some of the assignments the academy gave me were actually assignments from the Uni degree here. After I completed them, they got bought over to this realm, typed up on the computer, correctly formatted and submitted to this university," I tell him.

"Wow," he says, his eyes widening.

"Yeah, I wondered why they were making me write a lot of my assignments in this language. I went over the content of this degree during the first two weeks we were here. I know most of it. Some parts I had to catch up on, but with our training, it wasn't hard," I shrug.

Connor shakes his head. "I still can't believe they somehow lined you up an interview with the Ministry of Defence," he states. "I mean, if you get the job, there will be extensive background checks. Won't they see something's not quite right?" he asks, frowning.

"As I said, they've been planning this operation for me for a long time," I tell him and then show him my phone. On it are pictures of me at the graduation. There are screenshots of my face in the online lessons. There are pictures of me out and partying with my coursemates.

"Either that is photoshopped, or they have a shapeshifter working for them."

"They definitely have a shapeshifter working for them," I tell him, wondering if that is Cobalt in those pictures. "Anyway, for many years 'I' have been showing up to the online classes, talking to the lectures, going to the occasional party and I attended my graduation. For the last five years, I have been a person living in this world. I'm not sure how it works for further back, but from what I gather, my identity here is rock solid."

Connor just chuckles and goes through my small jewellery collection. I shudder as I think about how a shapeshifter agent of the second realm has been here for all these years, looking like me and creating a life ready for me to take over.