FINAL FLASHBACKS IN THE MIRROR
Catherine emerged from her lodge, her face pale, her eyes wide with fear. She clutched the fabric of her dress as she descended the staircase leading to the garden and male lodges. The eerie silence of the night unsettled her, and she glanced around, hoping to spot Damian. Her heart pounded relentlessly in her chest, driven by a deep sense of urgency.
As she approached the garden, she saw a figure standing in the shadows. It was Jayden. A wave of relief washed over her, and without hesitation, she rushed toward him, her voice trembling as she asked, "Please, have you seen Damian? It's urgent."
Jayden, or the person she thought was Jayden, stepped closer, his movements slow and deliberate. He leaned in, his voice low and unsettling. "Sorry, I lied. I don't know where Damian is... but I do know when you're going to die."
Before Catherine could process the words, she felt a sharp shove. She screamed as her body was violently hurled down the staircase, her limbs flailing as she tumbled helplessly. The world spun, and the cold stone steps hit her with sickening thuds. When she finally hit the ground, she lay there, gasping, her vision blurry.
Lamia and Damian, who had been watching from a distance, screamed as they saw the horrifying scene unfold. Catherine's body was sprawled on the stone floor, blood seeping from her mouth. She looked down at her hands in shock—her head wasn't bleeding. How?
The figure standing at the top of the stairs removed its mask. The face behind the mask wasn't Jayden. It was Emily.
"No! What have I done? No, Cathy, I didn't mean it!" Emily's voice cracked as she stared at the horror she had caused. She glanced around, panicked, realizing no one else had seen what transpired. Without a second thought, she turned and ran, her footsteps echoing in the stillness of the night.
Catherine's mind raced in disbelief. "Emily... Emily pushed me? Impossible." The words left her lips in a daze as memories flooded back—she remembered now. She had witnessed something she shouldn't have, a secret Emily had kept hidden. That's why.
Lamia rushed to Catherine's side, ignoring Damian, who looked equally shaken. He crouched beside her, his brow furrowed. "Cathy... I remember your head being badly injured that night. But I'm looking at you now, and your head's not bleeding. Something's not adding up."
Catherine winced, confusion clouding her mind. What wasn't she remembering? A sudden noise interrupted her thoughts. She and Lamia turned toward the sound, and emerging from the shadows was Abigail, stunning as ever, clad in a black dress and heels that clicked against the stone floor.
With a smirk, Abigail removed one of her heels, kneeling beside Catherine. "Sorry, loser, but I can't let you ruin my plans. Seems like you're catching Damian's attention, and that's something I won't allow. RIP."
Without hesitation, Abigail brought the pointed edge of her heel down on Catherine with vicious intent. Blood splattered across the floor as the strike landed with a sickening thud. Lamia flinched, recoiling in horror as Catherine cried out in pain.
Damian's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. "Emily pushed you, but Abigail finished the job..."
Catherine sobbed, clutching her side. "I almost died, Lamia. I hate them both. I want them punished." Lamia embraced her tightly, his heart breaking for her.
Damian watched from a distance, his fists clenched. Mina was right—he was slowly losing Lamia to Catherine. He felt powerless as the mirror around them shimmered, transporting them away from the scene.
They found themselves standing on the rooftop of the tallest building at Ivory High. Lamia's breath caught in his throat. He recognized this place. It was the night he almost died. He could see himself standing by the iron bar, gazing out at the horizon with a strange longing in his eyes.
Catherine stood beside him, her voice barely above a whisper. "Lamia, what happened here?"
Tears welled up in Lamia's eyes, and without warning, the figure in the hoodie appeared. It moved swiftly, charging toward the image of Lamia from the past, shoving him off the edge of the building. The onlookers gasped as the younger Lamia fell through the air, his scream echoing in the night.
But something was wrong. As the figure stepped back, it removed its mask, revealing the face of Emily once again. Lamia screamed in disbelief. "No! It can't be Emily again! Something's not right!"
Damian's anger flared. "It's time I return to Ivory High. Blood will spill. What did I ever do to Emily?"
Catherine, equally shocked, stood in silence, her mind reeling from the revelation. Before they could process what had just happened, the mirror flickered again, pulling them to another rooftop. This time, they witnessed Lucinda fighting desperately, her assailant trying to push her off the ledge.
Lamia rushed forward, hoping to intervene, but he froze when he saw the attacker's face—Abigail Lockwood.
Falling to his knees, Lamia sobbed uncontrollably. "I'm so tired of this life, Catherine. I can't take it anymore."
Before their eyes, Abigail plunged a knife into Lucinda's chest and, with a heartless shove, sent her falling to her death. The sight was gruesome, and Lamia's heart shattered. He turned to Damian, tears streaming down his face. "This is what you've been hiding from me? Why, Damian? I deserved to know."
Damian stepped forward, attempting to console him, but Lamia pushed him away violently. "Don't you dare touch me!"
Their argument was abruptly interrupted by a violent tremor. The world around them began to crumble.
Damian gasped. "Oh no... we have to leave, now! Either someone's trying to get to us, or we've overstayed our time in the astral world. Come on, we need to move!"
Catherine grabbed Lamia, who was still shaken and crying uncontrollably. Together, the three of them began to run as the entire astral world collapsed around them. The ground cracked beneath their feet, pillars of light burst from the sky, and the walls around them crumbled into dust.
The race for survival had begun, but as they ran, one question haunted all their minds: What had they uncovered?