As Alex and Zack stepped through the serpent's eye door, an overwhelming chill gripped them.
They entered a dim chamber, the air thick with the stench of decay. Stone sarcophagi lined the walls, casting long shadows in the flickering light. At the far end of the room, a massive, ornate mirror hung ominously, its surface reflecting something that made their hearts freeze.
A figure, cloaked in darkness, hung suspended within the mirror. Its coal-black eyes pierced into their very souls.
"Welcome to the Hall of Reflections," came a voice, echoing softly off the cold stone.
Arachne's voice.
"You must confront your greatest fears... your darkest secrets," she purred. "Only then may you proceed."
Duke Ryder's eyes narrowed. "What game are you playing, Arachne?"
The mirror shimmered, its surface rippling like disturbed water. Slowly, the figure inside began to shift, its features warping into a grotesque reflection of Alex's own face.
"Your greatest fear, Lady Scarlett," the voice whispered. "Your darkest secret."
For a brief moment, Alex's calm facade cracked, and a flicker of fear surfaced.
Zack tightened his grip on her hand. "We won't let this break us, Alex."
But the mirror morphed again, this time revealing a different figure—Zack's brother, who had been lost in a tragic accident.
"Duke Ryder's deepest regret," the voice murmured.
Zack's face contorted with pain as he stared at the reflection.
Arachne's laughter echoed through the chamber, cold and mocking.
"Face your demons," she taunted, "or remain trapped in the Hall of Reflections forever."
Alex and Zack exchanged a glance, desperation in their eyes.
Tears welled in Zack's eyes, threatening to overflow as he stared at the reflection in the mirror. There, standing before him, was his brother, Ethan—gone for so long yet so vivid now, his familiar smile tinged with sadness, almost as if mocking the years of pain that had followed his death.
Duke Ryder, always composed, always in control, felt his defenses crumble, the weight of his brother's loss pressing down on him like it had never lifted. His voice cracked when he spoke, barely above a whisper, raw with emotion.
"Ethan… oh God, Ethan…"
Lady Scarlett tightened her grip on his hand, trying to anchor him. Her voice was steady but urgent. "Zack, don't. Don't give in."
But Zack's mind had already begun to slip, falling into the dark chasm of his memories, the sharp edges of the past cutting into him. He could feel the cold steel of the car's dashboard beneath his hands, the crushing weight of the accident, the deafening silence that followed. His fault. It had always been his fault. No matter how many times he had told himself otherwise, the guilt clung to him like a second skin.
Then Arachne's voice came, soft and malevolent, creeping through the darkness like a snake.
"Your greatest regret, Duke Ryder. The burden of your brother's death."
The words coiled around Zack's heart, squeezing it tighter. His vision blurred as the tears finally spilled over, running down his face in hot, silent streams. He reached out toward the mirror, toward Ethan's image, his hand trembling with the weight of grief.
"I'm sorry, Ethan. I'm so sorry."
But the figure in the mirror began to distort, the image of his brother fading away, replaced by the scene that had haunted his nightmares for years—the twisted wreckage of the car, the mangled metal, the blood. The horror that had consumed him on that terrible night flooded back, threatening to drown him once more.
"Zack!" Lady Scarlett's voice was sharp, cutting through the oppressive weight of his guilt. "Snap out of it! We have to move forward. Now."
But Zack couldn't hear her. He was trapped, lost in the guilt and grief that had consumed him since the moment Ethan died. His mind was shackled to that fateful night, replaying it over and over. The pain was overwhelming, an endless tide that he couldn't swim against.
And then—Ethan's voice, soft and unexpected, whispered through the silence.
"Zack… let go. I'm at peace."
Zack's breath caught in his throat. His heart pounded wildly as his eyes widened in disbelief. He searched the mirror for a sign, any sign that it was real, that he wasn't just imagining it.
"Ethan?"
The mirror rippled once again, and this time, something new appeared. Crimson letters, scrawled across the surface like a message from beyond.
"Forgive yourself."
The words hung in the air, glowing with an eerie light, and for the first time, Zack's heart felt lighter. Could it be so simple? Forgiveness. Could he really let go after all these years of carrying the weight of his brother's death?
His breath came in shuddering gasps as he forced himself to meet his own reflection. The grief, the guilt—it was there, but so was something else now. The faint spark of hope, a possibility of release.
"I forgive myself," he whispered, the words trembling from his lips, a prayer for redemption. The tears came faster now, but they felt different—cleansing, not suffocating.
As if in response, the mirror's surface shimmered, and the terrible image of the accident, of Ethan, faded into darkness. The reflection was gone. The mirror now reflected only Zack, his face wet with tears, but something in him had shifted. The weight of his brother's death no longer sat on his chest, crushing him. The pain was still there, but it was lighter, no longer the unbearable burden it had once been.
Arachne's voice echoed through the chamber, this time with a tone of surprise, even admiration.
"Well done, Duke Ryder. You've passed the first trial."
With a deep groan, the stone doors at the far end of the chamber began to creak open, revealing a new path ahead. The air that seeped in from beyond the doors was cooler, almost inviting, but there was no mistaking that another challenge awaited them.
Lady Scarlett turned to Zack, her eyes shimmering with pride. "You did it, Zack," she whispered. "You faced it."
Zack stood there, his shoulders rising and falling as he fought to compose himself. He wiped the remaining tears from his face, his expression hardening once again, the mask of the Duke slipping back into place. The vulnerability of the moment had passed, but the fire that had been rekindled within him still burned.
"We're not done yet," he said, his voice steadier, laced with determination. "Not by a long shot."
Lady Scarlett nodded, her gaze lingering on him for a moment longer, before she turned toward the newly opened path. Together, they stepped forward, the shadows of the Hall of Reflections retreating behind them.
But as they moved deeper into the unknown, a chilling laugh echoed in the distance.
Arachne was far from finished with them. The trials had only just begun.