Before her stood a crystal full-length mirror, adorned with gold leaf and embossed frames. The reflection it bore resembled a dark and uncanny silhouette of herself, standing at the same height. The entire place was filled with mirrors, evoking a sense of an abandoned ballroom. The padded chairs, picture frames, and sconces hung on the walls; the metal-framed windows adorned with fancy curtains, the colossal dining table of exquisite quality, and the embroidered armchairs were all draped in spiderwebs and dust.
It was evident that no one had set foot in this place for an extended period. A strange sense of familiarity washed over her. Was she experiencing a fleeting moment of déjà vu, or had she stumbled upon someone else's memories?
This hall was once a place of joy, laughter, and merry-making. Distinguished guests conversed and danced to the melodious tunes of renowned bards, indulging in exotic and rare beverages. It was the legendary reception and dance hall situated in the east wing of Cahose Mansion's ground floor. Her aunt, Lena, had spoken of it numerous times.
"That's not her name!" A voice bellowed, shattering the eerie silence.
Allendra cast a fearful glance around the room, her heart pounding in her chest. She recognized that voice; it was as though it emanated from one of the mirrors, though she couldn't tell which one.
"Be wary, Allendra. Your thoughts are an open book to me. Perhaps you have but a single chance to halt me. But which mirror contains my visage?" The voice cackled, the sound ricocheting through every reflective surface.
"This can't be happening," Allendra murmured, quivering in trepidation. Her flesh prickled with a chill that permeated the room.
In an instant, the mirror before her misted over. The temperature plummeted to an icy degree, making her shiver uncontrollably.
"You brought me into existence, Allendra. Everything happened just as it was meant to. You made me do all of the unpleasant tasks."
"But that's not true," Allendra protested.
"What, pray tell, isn't true? Are you afraid to face your own darkness?" The laughter cascaded again, causing the mirrors to quake.
"I was merely safeguarding myself."
"All right then, why did you clandestinely infuse the lethal fungi into the ship's provisions?" inquired the voice.
"Later, I became repentant. I penned a missive and ensconced it in the drawer for my aunt to discover."
"Oh, how regretful. Indeed, you even inscribed a note of confession to your aunt. But, except for your aunt, everyone perished. You gave no thought to the aftermath, did you, Ally?"
"No, it shouldn't have happened this way. It was a momentary outburst of anger."
"The devil is adept at concealing itself within a moment of fury, Ally. But, now, we are allies," the mirrors quivered with a mirth.
Allendra was seized with an icy chill. She slumped to the ground, her mind in a state of blankness. She could not cogitate coherently.
"Come now, don't be like this. Together, we can do much more delightful things. Just admit that you revel in it." The voice in the mirror cajoled.
"I regret it...""I am remorseful..."
"Allendra, which act are you referring to? Was it the fire you started at the tender age of three, which engulfed the sacred Orion Temple?"
"N-no, I didn't mean to. My psychic powers were too wild to control at the time. I cannot be held accountable for that."
"And what about the black-cloaked priest? His sole duty was to escort you to Romdaht, yet you insidiously tampered with his fragile psyche. You forced your way into his mind, discovered his deepest aspirations, and exploited them to lead him to a forsaken temple in the unforgiving desert, where his fate was sealed."
The mirror reverberated with wicked laughter, while Allendra shuddered in the frigid air.
"I only..." the little girl's chattering teeth made it hard to speak.
"Don't be coy, Allendra. That vile man deserved his fate. He lashed and brutalized you countless times, taught you the twisted ways of the dark language, and raped your aunt. Though we could say that she deserved it." The voice in the mirror chuckled and continued,
"You are acutely aware of their intentions, Allendra. They sought to enslave you and exploit your abilities for their selfish gains. They are all vile, devilish hounds, nothing more. You yearn to defy them all, to bring them to their knees. And isn't it your unyielding ambition that keeps me thriving, that makes me even stronger?"
Allendra ground her teeth in frustration. "You are nothing but a leech," she bellowed with fierce intensity.
"Say my name, Allendra. Come now, scream it!"
"This is my vessel," the little one attempted to hold her ground.
"You must share it with me. You cannot elude me, Allendra. And in time, I shall possess you. For you are frail."
With fury raging inside her, Allendra rose to her feet and savagely smashed the mirror in front of her. The glass shattered into countless shards, slicing her hands and fingers as she cried out in agony, tears streaming down her cheeks.
The symphony of pleasure and cries of agony commingled, filling the room.
"Much like the blade you plunged into the priest's back, is it not? It grants you eternal ecstasy. To be consumed by the rapture of pain in the present," a voice resonated from a distant mirror, its tone twisted in sadistic and masochistic delight.
The voice grew louder from a nearby mirror. The temperature in the room had increased slightly. Allendra struggled to stand up, closing her eyes and striving to concentrate.
"Come on, Allendra. I am not the one you seek. The answer you seek lies in the past. And how fortunate you are to be in the Realm of Ideas. In this realm, mirrors serve as windows to the past. Wield your power and conjure the truth. The solution to your enigma awaits you. You already know it. Seize this opportunity. It will not always present itself."
Despite her reluctance to heed the chaotic voice, Allendra envisioned the past. She knew that mirrors could be potent enough to reflect history, especially in this metaphysical plane she inhabited.
The journey was perilous, yet the little girl surrendered to her curiosity. Armed with fragmentary knowledge, she visualized the former state of the place. The key to her query. Guided solely by her mind, she embarked on an odyssey through the brittle mirrors of veracity.
In the past, this ballroom was alive with the sound of laughter and the rhythm of dancing feet. The revelers were filled with hope and joy, even if their gaiety was a veneer masking their true emotions. The chaos of war raged on outside, yet it was of no consequence to them. Even as people in the city starved to death, they turned a blind eye. Wasn't this the root of her parents' misfortune?
Leandra lingered in the room, cloaked in an aura of darkness and disorder. A man stood by her side, his complexion as pallid and lifeless as a corpse. Their conversation was different from the others, enshrouded in a veil of mystery. It was as if a curtain had been drawn over them, shielding the dark silhouette lurking behind. The stench of decay suddenly filled the air, suffocating and putrid.
Allendra struggled to focus on the man hidden by the imaginary curtain. He pointed to a spot for Leandra and gestured towards a woman in the distance. Allendra's emotions surged as she recognized her mother, Alleyna, radiating a pure and unblemished beauty that contrasted with her aunt's. Alleyna's aura shimmered with light, and she smiled at those around her, exuding an aura of positivity.
The mirrors remained in the ballroom, and Allendra gazed into one of them in her mind. At that moment, the man strode past one of the mirrors, and the magical curtains surrounding him faltered for a brief instant against the mirrors of the past. A ghastly face, replete with a malevolent aura of negativity, glared back at her. The man's features were mottled with decay, his cheekbones protruding from his skin. His pupils shone like green emeralds, full of malice and malevolence.
Allendra quivered in fear, her gaze averted. She felt as if she were on the brink of death. She longed to flee, to put as much distance between herself and the situation as possible, but then her attention was caught by a movement.
The man was creeping closer to her mother, Alleyna, with a treacherous gait.
A scream erupted from Allendra's throat. "No!" she shouted. But it seemed no one heard her.
Alleyna and Leandra exited the room together, and the lifeless man stealthily trailed after them. Allendra endeavored to block his path, but it was to no avail. Some intangible force seemed to prevent her from reaching her mother. She could only pass by him.
Her aunt and mother descended into the cellar, where they lingered amid the aging wine barrels.
The man waited for a while. Then, without warning, he emerged from the shadows. Alleyna's back was turned to him.
Allendra's desperation to act intensified, and she felt a burning desire to shatter the world around her.
Leandra could see the man as well, but she only smiled wickedly. It was the first time Allendra had seen her aunt behave in such a vile manner. Suddenly, the man extended his fingers, and a sickly sphere of negative energy materialized before him. It hovered in slow motion before hitting Alleyna in the back, causing her to crumple to the ground. The man approached her prone form, a revolting and lascivious expression upon his decayed lips, and Leandra burst into fits of malicious laughter.
Allendra's mind was consumed with terror as she screamed once more, another mirror shattering into fragments. This time, the shards flew perilously close to her face, embedding themselves into her skin. Gazing into another mirror, she saw that her face was now unrecognizable, shattered beyond all hope of repair.
"Behold, you do comprehend my emotions at last," the voice spoke with a velvety tone imbued with genuine wrath and obscurity.
"Leandra must meet her demise," it declared with conviction.
"Indeed, Allendra. 'Tis what I have endeavored to articulate. She merits nothing less than a most excruciating death, full of unspeakable torment. For many months, she beguiled our mother and father, leading them to their demise. And yet, you still bestow upon this woman a chance at redemption and life. Wherefore, my dearest Ally? Forgiveness is impossible for such a heinous crime. The elderly sage erred, and you are aware of this truth."
"I shall recollect this until the day of retribution."
"I shall stand beside thee, wielding all my might. Together, we are invincible, my cherished Ally."
A solitary mirror adorned the dim chamber. The little girl reflected in it was cackling with merriment. She knew in her heart that her unrivaled castle of thoughts, boundless in its scope, was naught but a twisted reflection of actuality.
* * *