Chapter 27: Godforsaken (Part 2)

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"There's... there's nothing here!" Stefan exclaimed. A mix of disappointment and sadness on his face as he looks across the stone floor. He fell to the floor, his adrenaline running out. Georges sped to Stefan, helping him back up.

"No," Mary shook her head as she pointed above. "Look up there!"

While the plain the group was standing on was empty, the roof, if you could even call it a roof, wasn't! In fact, instead of a sky, there was a town. Chocholow! Upside down and filled with people! The sight, which defied all laws of physics, baffled the group, and yet also made Stefan's eyes brighten.

"What in the world!?" Georges said, shocked.

"It seems everything is flipped vertically in this mirror world," Maria said, adjusting her glasses.

"Those people... they look like they're in a trance," Mary observed. With not a single light in their eyes, the people walked mindlessly through the town. They would walk, stop for a second, and then walk again. There was no interaction between any of them. They merely walked.

"How do we get to them?!" Stefan questioned, grabbing Mary's gloved hand. She flinched and turned her head down towards the boy.

"We'll find a way," Mary said, awkwardly pulling her wrist away from the blond-haired child. She glanced up at the town above them.

"Hmm..." Maria's eyes narrowed as she pondered. She adjusted her glasses and raised her hand to the "ceiling." "The tops of their heads are reachable if I were to jump..."

The General peered up at the townspeople one more time as she crouched. Steadying herself, she sprung up, grabbing one of the entranced villagers, an older man, by the shoulder. Suddenly, she was shot into the air and landed on the side of the replica town. The older man next to her had snapped out of his trance and looked around.

"Where— where am I?" he croaked, rubbing his head.

"You're in a mirror world created by a phenomenon called Innocence," she said flatly. Maria looked up at the others, or in their case, down.

"Mr. Beyer, Mr. Beyer!" Stefan called out, waving his hand as he jumped up and down. Directing his gaze towards Maria, he called to her. "General Krestchmann, are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine, dear," she replied. "It seems like touching anyone from the other side will propel you up to them."

"Should we come up there with you then?" Georges questioned.

"Yes. It doesn't look like there's anything on that side, anyway; even our entrance point is gone."

Mary turned back and gasped. Maria was right—the mirror was gone!

"I'm certain the Innocence crystal is up here," Maria said.

One by one they jumped up to the other side. First went Stefan, who, on Georges's shoulder, reached and grabbed Maria's outstretched hands. On reaching the other side, he dashed towards Mr. Beyer and sobbed.

"I'm—I'm so glad to see you!" the blond boy cried, hugging the black-haired man tightly.

"Stefan!" he exclaimed, surprised.

As she stared at the two, Maria spoke:

"Do you remember how you got here?" she asked.

The man called Mr. Beyer frowned. "I was with the search party when we got to this old, abandoned house. I suddenly felt compelled to go to a mirror that was inside it. After that... I'm not sure. My last memory after that is what's happening right now."

"I see."

"Anyhow, who are you?" he inquired. "You said that we're in a mirror world? And what was that about 'Innocence?'"

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