Echoes in the Glass

Chapter 7: Fractured Truth

As the light from the Nexus dimmed, something shifted within the mansion. The mirrors no longer seemed inviting. Instead of the saved souls, distorted reflections stared back, their expressions twisted in anguish.

Vivien, feeling a sudden weight in her chest, turned to Thomas, seeking reassurance. But the look in his eyes was cold, distant. "Thomas? What's happening?"

Thomas smirked, a dark amusement playing on his lips. "Oh, Vivien... or should I say Emily? It's all been a game, a delightful charade."

Emily, or the part of Vivien that was Emily, felt a rush of memories flood back. Moments of joy, pain, and betrayal. "What... what have you done?"

Thomas laughed, the sound echoing eerily throughout the mansion. "You see, this mansion, the mirrors, the Nexus... it's all a construct, a manifestation of your fractured psyche. You, dear Vivien, are Emily. And Emily... well, she couldn't handle the truth."

Vivien's eyes widened in horror. "The drugs... you drugged me."

Thomas nodded, his expression smug. "A little something to help you escape reality. But in the end, it only fractured your mind further. The mirrors, the trapped souls, they're all reflections of your inner turmoil."

Tears streamed down Vivien's face as the weight of the revelation bore down on her. "Why? Why would you do this?"

Thomas leaned in, his voice a sinister whisper. "Because it was fun. Watching you struggle, seeing you break... it was all so entertaining."

Vivien, her heart breaking, fell to her knees. The weight of her memories, the pain of betrayal, was too much to bear. The mansion around her began to crumble, the mirrors shattering one by one.

As the world collapsed around her, Vivien's last thought was of escape, of finding peace away from the torment and betrayal.

And in the real world, away from the twisted confines of the mansion, a lone figure stood over the lifeless body of a young woman, a syringe still clutched in her hand.