Descendants: The rise of red

The lake of mirrors

The path leading to the Lake of Mirrors seemed darker and more ominous than they had expected. The branches of the trees creaked, and the shadows stretched menacingly under the leaden sky of Wonderland. Bridgette marched at the front of the group, her face pale and strained. Behind her, Red moved with long strides, frustration painted on her face. Every few steps, she turned to check on Chloe, who trudged silently with her head bowed and her eyes vacant.
Their mission was urgent: to reach the Lake of Mirrors and collect a vial of its magical water, the second of the three ingredients needed to restore Chloe to her human form. No one knew if they would succeed, but they had to try. The curse had taken the last thing she had left: her voice. Now, she could only watch them with a broken gaze, unable to communicate her suffering.
Naveen walked beside her, trying to support her without making her feel like a burden. The girl who had once been lively and cheerful now seemed only a shadow of her former self. When she stumbled, she quickly regained her balance, but no sound, no complaint escaped her lips.
"There's still hope, Chloe," Naveen murmured, his face tense. But Chloe didn't react.
Bridgette stopped abruptly, looking at Red. "How many ingredients are we still missing?" she asked, her tone unusually sharp.
"Two," replied Red, pressing her lips into a thin line. "The Water of the Lake of Mirrors and a tuft of fur from the Cheshire Cat's tail."
"Where can we find them?" asked Naveen, gently placing a hand on Chloe's back, as if trying to impart some strength to her.
Bridgette sighed. "The Lake's Water is right in front of us. But the Cheshire Cat is a mischievous creature that loves to hide."
No one spoke for a moment. The Water of the Lake of Mirrors was special: it could reflect the true essence of those who gazed into it, making it a powerful magical catalyst. But legends also said that taking it was dangerous. Each time someone touched the water, the reflection in the lake came to life, becoming a copy of the visitor. A copy that would try to protect the water and, if necessary, replace the original.
"We have no choice," said Bridgette, her voice calm but firm. "The water is essential for the potion that will break the curse. Without it, Chloe will remain trapped in this form forever."
The group continued in silence, crossing the last part of the forest until they reached the shore of the Lake of Mirrors. The surface of the water was perfectly still, smooth as glass, reflecting every detail of the surrounding landscape. Yet, there was something unnatural in that reflection, as if the images were alive, ready to detach and take shape.
"There it is," whispered Bridgette, her eyes fixed on the shimmering water. "The Lake of Mirrors. But we must be careful... every reflection here can become real."
Red nodded and approached cautiously. "Something's wrong..."
As if in response, the water began to ripple. From the surface, a shadow emerged, a distorted reflection of themselves. The figures materialized, identical to the group, but with empty eyes and stiff movements. The Living Mirrors, the ancient guardians of the lake, watched them with hollow stares.
Red drew the blade that belonged to Chloe, the red light crackling in the air. "I don't want to fight against copies of ourselves."
"We can't," murmured the Princess of Wonderland, nervously glancing at her own copy staring back from the opposite shore. "If we destroy the reflection, we harm ourselves. What do we do?"
"There's only one way," said Red, studying the silent copies. "They must believe we're only here to gaze at ourselves, not to steal the water. Someone will have to distract the reflection while the other fills the vial."
Chloe, still silent, took a step forward. Her eyes, darker and deeper in her monstrous form, scrutinized the lake. Then she raised a clawed hand and pointed to herself. She wanted to do it.
"Chloe, no!" hissed Red, but the girl didn't stop. With slow and determined movements, she approached the shore, kneeling in front of the lake.
The copies mirrored her every move, bending with her, and for a moment the lake shone with an eerie light. Suddenly, Chloe's monstrous reflection transformed, showing her human form. Chloe held her breath, feeling a mixture of sadness and nostalgia. The shadow creatures stared at her with wide eyes as if watching her every movement with rapt attention.
While Chloe held their gaze, contemplating her lost beauty, Naveen moved stealthily, a small glass vial in his hands. With a quick gesture, he dipped the vial into the water, filling the container with the shimmering liquid.
The copies didn't move at first, as if hypnotized by Chloe. But when the water poured into the vial, the shadows' eyes widened. A silent roar echoed through the clearing, and the copies lunged forward.
"Run!" shouted Red.
Chloe leapt back with agility, her monstrous legs carrying her away from the copies. Naveen clutched the vial to his chest and ran, followed by the others. The creatures pursued them, but as they fled, the shadows began to fade, dissolving like smoke. Chloe's eyes filled with tears at the sight of that shadow vanishing into nothingness, as if it were a message that everything was futile, and that the damage was done, leaving her beyond hope of ever returning to her former self.
"We did it," Naveen whispered, breathless. "We have the Lake's Water."
Bridgette nodded, staring at the vial's contents. "One less ingredient. Now we just need to find that strange cat. And we must hurry."
Chloe watched them, her monstrous eyes still fixed on the distant lake. She couldn't speak, but she nodded slowly, a sign of understanding. One more ingredient, and perhaps she could finally be free of the curse that had turned her into a monster.
Without wasting any more time, they set off again, heading toward the borders of the Whispering Woods, with the Lake's Water safely in Bridgette's hands and the hope that the next step would bring them closer to saving Chloe.