Adrian's breath hitched as the reflection stood in the doorway, its hollow eyes locking onto his. The dim light of the room cast eerie shadows across its face, highlighting the grotesque grin that never seemed to leave its lips. It was as though every part of this creature was designed to unsettle, to push the boundaries of what his mind could accept as real.
It stepped into the room, each movement fluid yet unnatural, as though it wasn't bound by the same physical laws as Adrian. The silence between them was deafening, broken only by the soft creak of the floor beneath the creature's feet. Adrian backed up instinctively, his hands clutching the edge of the desk for support. His mind raced, trying to comprehend how it had found him so quickly. He'd run as fast as he could, desperate to escape its clutches, but now, here it was, standing only feet away from him.
Adrian's eyes flickered back to the notebook, its words repeating in his head like a warning bell: "Beware the reflection, for it seeks to replace you."
But what did that mean? Replace him how? Would it kill him, consume him, or—worse—steal his very existence?
The reflection's twisted grin widened, as if sensing his confusion. It took another step forward, its form flickering in and out of focus, like a glitch in reality. Adrian's stomach churned at the sight, his instinct screaming at him to run again, but he knew there was nowhere left to go. Not this time.
"You're afraid," the reflection said, its voice distorted, a dark mockery of Adrian's own. "You're starting to understand, aren't you?"
Adrian gritted his teeth, his back pressing against the cold filing cabinets behind him. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice trembling despite his best efforts to keep it steady.
The reflection paused, tilting its head as if contemplating the question. Then it smiled, but this time it was different—not the malevolent grin that had haunted Adrian since the reflection had first appeared, but something more… satisfied.
"I don't want anything," it said, its voice a low, eerie whisper. "I already have everything. *You're* the one who wants something."
Adrian frowned, his mind struggling to keep up with the cryptic words. "What the hell are you talking about?"
The reflection laughed, a hollow, echoing sound that sent chills down Adrian's spine. "You came here, Adrian. You sought this out. The truth, the answers, the darkness that lies beneath everything you thought you knew."
The words hit Adrian like a punch to the gut. Deep down, he knew they were true. He had come to this cursed hospital for answers, driven by a desperation he hadn't fully understood. He'd wanted to know what had happened here, why the place had been abandoned, why the shadows whispered secrets in the dark. But now that he was face to face with the consequences of his curiosity, he wished he had never set foot inside.
"Is that what you think?" Adrian said, his voice rising in anger despite the terror coursing through him. "That I wanted this? That I wanted you?"
The reflection took another step closer, its eyes narrowing as it looked him up and down, as though examining him for the first time. "Yes," it whispered. "You've always wanted this. You've always craved the darkness. You just didn't know it."
Adrian shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts that the reflection's words planted in his mind. "No… no, that's not true. I just wanted to—"
"—To know the truth," the reflection finished for him, its voice soft yet insidious. "The truth is, Adrian, you've been living a lie. A façade. And now, the real you is finally coming to the surface."
Adrian's mind whirled as the reflection's words dug deeper into his psyche, unearthing long-buried thoughts and fears he hadn't realized were there. He'd always been the rational one, the one who never gave in to the superstitions and ghost stories others believed in. But now… now he was standing in a room with something that defied every law of reality he had ever known.
"I'm not you," Adrian said, his voice barely a whisper.
The reflection's grin returned, wider than ever. "No," it agreed, stepping even closer now, its face only inches from Adrian's. "You're just the mask I wear."
Adrian's breath caught in his throat, his heart hammering in his chest as the reflection raised a hand, its fingers curling in the air like claws. Adrian had the sudden, horrifying realization that it wasn't going to attack him—not in the way he had feared. No, this was something much worse.
The reflection's fingers reached toward his face, but not to hurt him. Instead, they hovered just above his skin, as though the creature was feeling the space around him, preparing for something. Adrian's mind screamed at him to move, to fight back, but his body remained frozen in place, paralyzed by fear and confusion.
"You don't have to be afraid," the reflection whispered, its voice soothing now, like a mother comforting a child. "It will all be over soon."
Adrian felt something cold brush against his skin, and in that moment, he understood. The reflection wasn't going to kill him—it was going to become him. It was going to step into his life, his world, his skin, and he would cease to exist. Or worse, he would be trapped, locked in the void where the reflection had once been, watching as it lived his life in his place.
"No," Adrian breathed, the word barely audible.
But the reflection's smile only grew wider.
Without thinking, Adrian acted on pure instinct. His hand shot out, grabbing the black notebook from the desk and swinging it at the reflection. The creature recoiled as the notebook struck its hand, the pages fluttering open as they made contact.
For a split second, everything froze.
And then, with a sound like shattering glass, the reflection screamed. Its body twisted violently, its face contorting in agony as it flickered in and out of existence. The air around it crackled with energy, the fabric of reality tearing apart as the creature dissolved into nothingness, leaving only a faint echo of its scream behind.
Adrian collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. His hands shook as he clutched the notebook to his chest, his heart pounding in his ears. The room was silent now, the oppressive weight of the reflection's presence gone, but the fear lingered. He knew this wasn't over. Whatever he had just done, whatever power the notebook held, it was only the beginning.
He glanced down at the open pages, his eyes drawn to the words scrawled in the margins in frantic handwriting.
‐---------------------------‐------------------------------------------------
"The reflection is just one of many. The mirror is the key. Break it, and you may survive."
‐---------------------------‐------------------------------------------------
Adrian's pulse quickened. He had to find the mirror, the one that had shown him his twisted reflection. He had to destroy it—before it was too late.
With a shaky breath, Adrian pushed himself to his feet. The reflection was gone for now, but the hospital still held its secrets, and he was far from safe.