The Other Side of The Mirror

Chapter 5

It was another day at the Annex, and Audrey never thought she would say this, but she didn't want to be in the Library anymore. After years of wishing they could get the place that stored the world's most extensive collection of magic, that wish finally came true. Now all she wanted to do was get out of it. It didn't help that she could never leave the Library. She was in another world, one that already had a version of herself here. Jenkins and Flynn said she should be fine so long as she doesn't meet herself, but she was unwilling to take that risk. Plus, she knew better than anyone else that meeting the other version of herself, a version from the past who knew nothing about magic, was anything but a good idea. It was a little maddening, but she remained in the Library, spending all her time in the books and artifacts.

So much time has passed since she fell through the mirror into this world. Time that makes her tear up whenever she thinks of those waiting for her on the other side. They couldn't attempt trying to contact anyone without the risk of the enemy intercepting the call, so she was stuck in the dark, and so was her team. No one on the other side knows if she's dead or alive. Most likely, they'd think she's dead. Someone disappearing and never coming back was a common occurrence in her world. They've had more than a few souls who lost their lives running missions. Their comms going completely dark, going days without hearing a single word or finding any signs of life. They would keep the search going for a few weeks and the hope that they were still alive longer, but after a while, you just gave up hope. You didn't want t,o but when you're at war, sometimes it was easier to move on and grieve than to keep hoping for a miracle. That was one of many reasons she was so desperate to return home. To reunite with her team, friends, and family and show them their hope was not in vain. If only she could find the right spell to do that.

"You know, that's a rather unseemly habit." Jenkins came to stand beside her, placing a freshly brewed cup of tea and platter of mini sandwiches next to her. She picked her head up from the old and giant book she had buried herself in when she noticed him pointing to her bottom lip; her teeth were chewing the skin raw. "You're going to cause some real damage to yourself if you keep that up." She laughed, feeling her shoulders relax from their tense position for the first time since she woke up this morning. "There are worse habits I could have. Besides, I can think of someone else wanting to cause me much more damage." Her eyes lingered on the mirror. After she had arrived, Flynn explained that he had caught glimpses of her in the reflection. That was why she had set up her research right here, in front of the mirror. Hoping that she could catch a glimpse of her world to see what was happening. To see if everyone she loved was still alive. Jenkins hummed, pouring himself his own cup of tea. "I understand very well what it's like dealing with a supercharged villain that believes they're a superior being." He stirred the tea slowly but precisely, watching as the milk and sugar blended until it became the color he wanted. "Although the being you are fighting is not actually Morgan Le Fay, I'm sure you're well aware of her abilities and what she's done." "More than you know," Audrey snorted but quickly apologized when he gave her that sharp look. Jenkins cleared his throat, "Yes, well..." he took a sip, skimming over the pages of notes and the pile of books that she had been reading since she first woke up that morning. "Although the evil you're facing has taken over Morgan Le Fey and isn't exactly like her, I'm sure it doesn't rule out the weaknesses that Morgan Le Fay herself dealt with.""What do you mean?" Audrey turned in her seat, facing Jenkins head-on. He nodded, picking up one of the little sandwiches that he had made. "All-powerful doesn't mean unbeatable. No one is invincible. No matter how much they try to make us believe they are," he sighed, a faraway look in his eyes before he straightened up and brought himself back to reality. "You said that this being took over Morgan Le Fay's body because they no doubt wanted her magic for themselves. However, I bet they didn't bother to think about the weaknesses they would inherit as well." He showed her his sandwich that he slowly started to take apart, piece by piece. "Everyone has a weakness if you pull back the layers enough. And Morgan Le Fay has a major one." "Which is iron," Audrey finished where he was going with this. "I know her magic comes from fae origins, and fairies can't do iron. That was our first course of action to deal with them, but there isn't enough in our world to make a weapon big or strong enough to fight against them." She sighed, a little disappointed."Did I ever say that it had to be a weapon," her head snapped up at his words: curiosity and a bit of hope blooming in her eyes. "You need only to subdue this evil. I believe Morgan Le Fay will do the rest for you." He walked away at that, taking another sandwich with him and his cup of tea. Audrey spun in her seat, watching him go with her mouth slightly open. How did he speak so much wisdom but end up confusing her all simultaneously? Shaking her head, she went to her reading to find a way home. A few moments passed before her mind wandered, subconsciously thinking more about what he said until it was like a lightbulb went off. With a shaky breath, she grabbed a pen and some paper. She had a lot of planning to do before she went home.