The silence that followed the disappearance of the mirrors felt louder than any noise. Lumis and Eili stood on a path that now appeared infinitely long. The road’s surface no longer reflected their faces; it shimmered as if hinting at new trials ahead.
— What was that? — Lumis asked, breaking the quiet.
— A trial, — Eili replied, her voice soft but filled with determination. — They want us to doubt ourselves.
She looked at him, and in her gaze, he could read both anxiety and confidence.
— But doubts are only part of the journey, — she continued.Lumis clenched his fists. He felt the warmth from the thread of desires still deep within him. The vision he had received was not random.
— We must move forward, — he said, nodding towards the tower that now stood resolutely on the horizon. Its outlines were dark, and shadows swirled around it.
Eili nodded in agreement, and they set off again.
With each of their steps, there was a loud echo, and it seemed the road beneath them was alive. It changed, stretched out, and sometimes narrowed, as if testing their resilience.
— Why does this tower seem different? — Eili asked, gazing at the black silhouette that appeared ever closer.
Lumis paused for a moment.
— Maybe it’s the central point. The place where the truth is hidden, — he speculated.
— Or another illusion, — Eili replied, her voice growing colder.
When they finally approached the entrance, the gates of the tower opened by themselves, releasing warm light. Inside was empty, save for one object—a large mirror standing in the center.
— Another mirror? — Lumis said suspiciously.
Eili approached it and noticed this mirror was not like the previous ones. Its surface did not reflect them; it merely shimmered, as if made of liquid silver.
— This is not meant to deceive us, — she said, gently touching its surface.
Suddenly, the mirror began to change. An image of Lumis appeared, but it was not him. This version had a colder, more serious, and even cruel gaze.
— Is this me? — Lumis asked, but his voice betrayed his anxiety.
The image spoke.
— I am what you fear becoming. You know there is a part of you that craves power, that is ready to betray everything for strength.
Lumis stepped back, but Eili placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
— That’s not you, — she said firmly. — It’s just fear.
The mirror shifted again, and now Eili’s image appeared. Her reflection was distant, cold, and emotionless.
— And I am what you fear losing, — her doppelgänger spoke. — You fear that in the end, you will be alone, faced with a choice that will strip you of everything you hold dear.
Eili held her gaze on her reflection for a moment but then looked away.
— They are just shadows, — she said. — They cannot stop us.
Suddenly, the mirror darkened, and something akin to fog burst forth from it. It swirled around them, and Lumis felt cold seeping into his bones.
— This is no longer a game, — he said, reaching for Eili’s hand.
They huddled together, determination burning in their eyes as the fog thickened. Lumis felt the weight of the shadows pressing against him, but he tightenned his grip on Eili’s hand.
— We will face this together, — he declared, his voice steady amidst the swirling darkness.
— Always together, — Eili echoed, her eyes reflecting unwavering resolve.
As the fog closed in, they stepped forward, ready to confront not just the illusions that haunted them but also the truths they had been avoiding. The path ahead was uncertain, but their bond provided them with strength, ready to shatter the mirrors of fear and reveal the clarity awaiting beyond.