Mirrored In The Dark

Chapter 9

Scarlett takes the items from the chest, and prepares to leave the room. As she steps out into the hallway, she can't help but feel a little nervous. But she tries to keep her courage up. She looks down at the crumbs, and sees that they form a trail down the hallway. She follows the trail, and the crumbs lead her through the winding hallways of the building. As she walks, the walls and floors seem to shift and change around her.

The crumbs lead her through a large, open chamber, where the walls are lined with mirrors. She can see herself, reflected in hundreds of mirrors. She walks past the mirrors, trying not to look at them too closely. She can feel herself getting a little disoriented, and tries to stay focused on the crumbs. But then, something strange happens. The crumbs start to change, and they begin to lead her in a different direction. Should she follow the new trail, or continue to follow the old one?

Scarlett is faced with a choice. She could either follow the new trail, or continue to follow the old one. She doesn't know which one is the right choice, and she's afraid of what might happen if she makes the wrong decision. But she knows she has to keep going. She decides to follow the new trail, and as she does, the mirrors around her begin to change. She sees herself, distorted and twisted, and the image makes her feel sick. The images are so horrific that she can barely look at them.

She stumbles on, struggling to keep her eyes on the crumbs. The crumbs lead her into a large, round room, where the mirrors are so distorted that she can barely recognize herself in them. She tries to look away, but she can't help but see the images in the mirrors. She sees images of people she knows, but they're all horribly twisted and distorted. She sees her friends, her family, and even herself, all changed beyond recognition. And then, she sees something else.

She sees a figure, standing in the shadows. It's tall and dark, and she can't make out any features. But she knows that it's watching her, and it's drawing closer. She wants to run, but her feet are frozen to the ground. The figure steps out of the shadows, and as it does, she sees something that makes her heart stop. The figure is wearing a mask, and the mask is a perfect replica of her own face.

She can't move, and she can't look away. The figure stands before her, perfectly still, and the longer she looks at it, the more terrified she becomes. She feels a strange sense of familiarity, like she knows this person, even though she knows that it's impossible. The figure stands there, perfectly still, and then, it raises its arm. It's holding something, and as the figure brings it closer, she realizes what it is. The figure is holding a mirror, and as she looks into it, she sees her own reflection.

But it's not the reflection she expected to see. She sees herself, standing before the figure, but it's not the figure that's facing her. Instead, it's another version of herself, the version that she sees in the mirrors all around her. This other version of herself is smiling, and as she watches, the smile becomes a grin, and then a wide, horrible laugh. And then, her reflection begins to change. Her eyes turn black, and her skin becomes pale and waxy. She realizes, with horror, that she's looking at a corpse.

The corpse opens its mouth, and as it does, she hears a horrible, unnatural sound. It's not a human voice - it's something else, something ancient and evil. As the sound fills the room, the mirrors around her begin to crack. She looks at the figure, and it's beginning to change, too. Its skin is peeling away, revealing a thing made of shadows. And then, it speaks. Its voice is like the rasping of dry leaves, and as it speaks, its words cut through her like knives.

The figure speaks again, and as it does, Scarlett starts to feel as though she's being pulled into the shadows. "You want to know the truth?" it asks. "You want to know what I am?" She nods, unable to speak. "I am nothing and everything," the figure says. "I am the beginning and the end. I am the dark space between the stars, and the emptiness at the end of time. I am the void, the abyss, the oblivion.

"I am the embodiment of all that is unknown and unknowable," the figure continues. "I am the emptiness at the heart of all that exists. I am the answer to all questions, and the beginning of all stories. I am the end of all things, and the beginning of everything. I am..." The figure pauses, and for a moment, all is silent. Then, it speaks again. "I am Death." Scarlett gasps, and then she sees something else, something even more terrifying than the figure before her.

In the mirror, she sees herself, but not the corpse-like reflection that she saw before. Instead, she sees a version of herself that's twisted and distorted, a version that's filled with all the dark things she's ever thought or felt. It's a reflection of all her fears, her hatred, her anger, and her pain. And as she looks into the mirror, she starts to feel those things inside herself. It's as though the reflection is reaching out to her, pulling her in. And she knows that if she lets it, she'll be lost forever.

As Scarlett stands, frozen in terror, she feels something inside her that's stronger than fear. It's a sense of determination, of strength, of power. It's the feeling of someone who knows what they want, and is willing to do anything to get it. And suddenly, she knows what she must do. She reaches out, and she touches the mirror. The glass is cold, and it feels like ice against her skin. But she doesn't pull away. Instead, she pushes her hand through the mirror, and into the reflection.