The Silent Paw and The Gentle Bark

Chapter 57: The Lockdown Protocol

The entire Reverb Core chamber began to tremble. Warning lights flashed red, alarms echoing through the underground facility.

⚠️ CORE LINK DESTABILIZING
⚠️ REFLECTIVE CROSS-NET AT RISK
⚠️ LOCKDOWN OVERRIDE REQUIRED

Catnap stood in front of the console, paws shaking slightly. The Mirrorborn was now fully awake, its false form flickering in the main mirror like it was waiting for him.

"You don't have to do this," Dogday said, gripping his arm. "We'll find another way—"

"There isn't another way," Catnap replied. "It's connected to me. My memories. My reflection. I'm the only one it can't copy completely, not while I'm still here."

Poppy stepped forward, eyes wide. "If you go in there and trigger the lockdown manually, you might never get out."

Catnap stared at the pulsing core, then back to Dogday.

"But I'd rather be stuck in that mirror forever than let it out into the world again."

Dogday's voice cracked. "You said we'd never run again. That we'd stay together."

"We still can," Catnap said softly. "If I do this... you get to live. You both do."

Dogday looked like he was about to cry—but instead, he stepped back and held Catnap's paw tight for one long second. "Then come back to me."

Catnap smiled faintly. "I'll try."

He entered the mirror chamber alone.
The door sealed behind him with a metallic clang.

The glass around him began to ripple. The Mirrorborn's voice coiled through the room like smoke:

"Brave. But pointless. I already know you. I am you."

"No," Catnap growled. "You're just a twisted copy."

He slammed the lockdown lever down.
The entire room shuddered.

⚠️ LOCKDOWN SEQUENCE INITIATED
MIRROR CORE SEALING...
60 SECONDS REMAINING

The Mirrorborn screamed, surging from the glass, its twisted body trying to lunge—but the walls of the chamber were turning solid white, freezing its form in place.

Catnap stumbled, the pressure intense. The walls were closing in. The light was blinding.

"This is your end," he whispered.

The last thing he saw before the chamber sealed—

Was Dogday's face, pressed to the small observation window.

And he smiled.

The door locked.
The core dimmed.
Silence.

🐾 Epilogue: 3 Days Later

Dogday stood alone outside the house—their house. The sky was quiet. Still. The mirror they brought back from the woods sat by the porch, covered in a tarp.

He hadn't touched it since.

Then—
A flicker.

Dogday turned.

He pulled the tarp off.

Inside the mirror...

Was a reflection.

Catnap.

Faint, but smiling.

Alive.

Trapped.

But fighting.