The Mirrors reflection

The Abyss Beckons

Elowyn's pulse thundered in her ears as she stood frozen in front of the mirror, her fingers still grazing its cool, rippling surface. Kaelen's dark eyes bore into hers from the other side, his expression as unreadable as ever. His presence stirred something deep within her, something primal and ancient, though she couldn't understand why.

"You're getting too close," he warned again, his voice low and filled with urgency. The shadows that clung to him shifted subtly, as if alive. "The mirror... it's not what you think. And neither is he."

Elowyn's throat tightened. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why are you in my dreams? Why are you warning me about Aiden?"

Kaelen's gaze softened for just a moment, a flicker of something almost... regretful, though it passed too quickly to be sure. "I'm trying to help you. You're tied to this world in ways you don't yet understand, Elowyn. But you're walking a dangerous path."

Before she could respond, something shifted in the air—a soft hum that reverberated through her bones. The surface of the mirror rippled again, this time more violently. Her reflection warped and twisted, stretching into something unrecognizable. The air around her grew dense, pressing in from all sides, and her breath caught in her throat.

Without thinking, she stepped forward, her hand plunging through the glass as if it were liquid. A cold, almost unbearable chill surged up her arm, but she couldn't pull back. Instead, she felt herself being drawn in, the world around her dissolving in a swirl of shadows and distorted light.

Then, with a final pull, she was gone.

Elowyn stumbled forward, her feet meeting solid ground, though the sensation was strange—wrong, even. The air was thick and heavy, laden with an otherworldly weight that made it hard to breathe. She blinked, her vision adjusting to the dim, shadowy landscape that stretched before her. The world she had glimpsed before now unfolded fully around her: a dark, oppressive sky hung overhead, the horizon lined with jagged, crumbling mountains, and the ground beneath her feet was cold and lifeless, a strange, shimmering black.

She turned slowly, disoriented. The silence was deafening, the air around her charged with an eerie, unnatural energy. It was like being in a dream, but everything felt too real—the cold, the weight pressing down on her chest, the faint, distant whispers that seemed to echo from the shadows.

"Where... am I?" she murmured, her voice sounding small and fragile in the vast, empty landscape.

"This is the world behind the mirror," came Kaelen's voice, low and steady, from somewhere behind her. She turned sharply, finding him standing there, his tall figure outlined by the faint glow of the dark sky. "You've crossed into the realm of shadows."

His presence felt different here, more powerful, more tangible than when he appeared in her dreams. The shadows clung to him like they were a part of him, swirling around his form like living creatures. And now, standing here in this place, Elowyn could feel the truth in her bones—he wasn't just some figment of her imagination. He was something much older, something far more dangerous than she had realized.

"You shouldn't have come here," Kaelen continued, stepping toward her. His eyes, dark as the void around them, locked onto hers. "This world isn't safe for you."

Elowyn's heart pounded, but she couldn't bring herself to look away. "You keep saying that," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "But you still haven't told me who you are."

Kaelen's lips twitched, but it wasn't quite a smile. "I am one of its rulers," he said, his voice like the sound of distant thunder. "I've been here long before you or your bloodline existed. And I've seen many like you fall victim to its pull."

Her bloodline? The words sent a shiver down her spine. Elowyn stared at him, trying to make sense of what he was saying. "My bloodline? What are you talking about?"

Kaelen's gaze darkened, and he took another step closer. "This place—this world—it's not just any mirror world. It's connected to your family, your ancestors. You've been drawn to it because it's in your blood. You are a part of it, just as it is a part of you."

Elowyn shook her head, her thoughts spinning wildly. "No. That's impossible. My family has nothing to do with—"

"They do," Kaelen interrupted, his voice sharp now, almost cold. "Your ancestors knew of this place. Some of them crossed into it, just like you have. And some of them never returned."

Her stomach lurched at the weight of his words. Everything was happening too fast—too much to process. "But why me?" she whispered, more to herself than to him. "Why now?"

Kaelen's expression softened just slightly, though his eyes remained dark and unreadable. "Because the veil between worlds is weakening. And you, Elowyn, are the key to its balance. You are tied to both worlds—this one and the one you know as reality. Your very presence here disrupts the fragile equilibrium."

She stared at him, the weight of his words settling over her like a suffocating blanket. "I don't understand... what does that mean? What am I supposed to do?"

Before Kaelen could answer, a sudden shift in the air caught her attention. A cold wind swept through the desolate landscape, and Elowyn turned to see figures emerging from the shadows—dark, twisted shapes that moved with an unnatural grace. They didn't have faces, only hollow eyes that glowed faintly in the darkness, and they were coming closer.