Mirror Soul

Chapter Forty Nine: The Mirror Soul

Did somebody ask for a foot?  The boy thought in disapproval. That was my opening line?

He looked over to Layva and her surprised face. “B-bruce?”  She phrased his name as more of a question than anything else. The boy ignored her as he surveyed where he’d kicked the zenith.

I can’t see a thing from down here.

“What are you doing here?” She yelled. “You can’t fight him! You have to go, now!” As she moved closer to him he noticed her red and puffy eyes.
Has… Layva been crying?

He shook away his question as he scooped the, unexpecting, girl into his arms. “Yeah, no shit.” Using Miracle Step he leapt to the top of a nearby building. As the two landed on the roof Bruce immediately pulled out his unbolt.

“Come on!” He ordered while grabbing the girl’s hand. “We’re leaving.”

“I can’t.” Layva pulled out of his grip and backed away. “I’m not finished here yet… but you need to leave before he senses your soul.”

Impatience and disbelief began to swell up in Bruce. “You’ve clearly been crying, your face is bleeding, and he didn’t have a scratch on him!”He reminded her. “Clearly you aren’t up for this.”

He turned his back on her and began to trace the swirling symbol with his unbolt.

“He told me he’d release their souls, Bruce.” She whispered. The boy paused and faced her again.

“What?”

“The people he killed! My parents and Glorious’ mother!” She informed him. “If I come with him he’ll free them all.”

“Ohh!” Bruce said sarcastically. “Well isn’t that an obvious lie.” He began tracing again.

“I have to try!” She replied in a desperate tone. “What am I supposed to do if I just run away?”

“You can move on!” He raised his voice. “If you run away you can live and not waste the life those people died saving.”

Her hands balled into fists. “I won’t cower in fear while my help is needed! Not like you!” Layva wished she could take the words back the second they escaped her mouth, but it was too late. Bruce flinched before his shoulders slacked downwards.

“Bruce…” She said quietly while reaching out a hand. “I’m sor-” 
“Don’t forget, Layva.” He said in a cold voice. “I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t bring themselves to fight at the observatory.” He finished the symbol and watched as a small portal began to form.

The blue rift between worlds quickly dissipated. “What?” Bruce tried again and again, each time the portal manifested to about the size of an apple before vanishing. “Why isn’t it working?” He asked Layva in desperation.

“That would be because my reltique disrupts your unbolts.” Came a voice from behind them. A shiver ran down Bruce’s spine as he whipped his head to the speaker.

Meridian stood on the roof, his long silver hair blowing faintly behind him. The zenith held a black pyramid with a swirling design carved into it. The creature smiled slightly as he pocketed the device.

“I had a feeling one of you might have tried this kind of stunt, so I took precautions.” He looked Bruce up and down. “But I never assumed it would be you… Mirror Soul.”

The boy looked around in confusion, before pointing to himself. “You talking to me?”

“Trying to play dumb is useless, Mirror Soul.” The nadir pointed at Miracle Step. “You couldn’t conceal that power’s tantalizing presence if you tried.”