Peace fell around the sanctuary like a shroud, driving out shadows, but unable to dislodge the unease that roiled in Lily's soul. Darkness stirred, it's said, in the sleep of shepherds, casting before them lost faces and ruined ancient temples. She kept it all locked within, afraid to disturb the fragile peacefulness that everyone labored so hard to bring.
One evening, as she got into bed, her glance moved over to the old mirror that somehow found its way into her bedroom from grandmother's collection. It is nobly framed in carved silver but held an uncanny feel in this dim light. She could almost feel a presence within it, watching her.
As she leaned forward to look closer, so did the blur and change of her reflection. Ripples raced across the face of the mirror, holding shadowy glimpses of dark landscapes and a face-she knew it was her own, but not in the expression: fear, mixed with something darker. A low, husky voice whispered from within the glass.
"Lily."
But nonetheless, she fell back, clutching her chest in pain as if it was pounding violently. She pushes herself from the mirror and merely asked herself if she was just so exhausted over everything they have been through. However, as the nights passed by, those things appearing inside the mirror became more poignant, more alive.
She knew she could not just let this happen, and she made up her mind to consult with Elysia, her newfound ally and mentor, on some guidance. Lily sat before Elysia and recounted to her the weird happenings.
Sounds as if the mirror were a conduit, Elysia mused, her eyes abstract. Certain objects, especially those that have borne witness to great happenings, can become. attuned to forces beyond our comprehension.
Lily frowned. "So you're saying this mirror is haunted somehow?
"Not exactly," said Elysia. "It's more like it's carrying a memory, an echo of something connected to you or to your family. It's possible the mirror was used in rituals or was close to someone who dabbled in darker arts. It could also be that something is trying to communicate with you through it."
Both of them agreed to do a cleansing ritual to ease whatever force might reach through the mirror. On that night, under the high-full moon, they chanted protective incantations around the mirror and burned sage while putting crystals at its base.
But it got very hot, charged with some electrical sort of static. Next moment, the mirror reflected its face, a shadow of a woman, dressed in floating robes, with great misery etched on her pale cheeks.
"Lily," said the figure in barely breathed whisper. "Beware Harbinger. It cometh nigh."
And next to nothing, she just seemed to disappear, sending both Lily and Elysia into stunned silence.
"She's who?" Lily managed finally in a shaking voice.
I don't know," Elysia said. "But this warning. the Harbinger, whatever it is, comes. And it seeks you.".