I stared at the tree outside the school, the leaves rustling gently in the breeze. It was a normal view, the kind I'd seen a thousand times. But then something caught my eye.
At first, I thought it was just a stray cat. It was perched lazily on one of the branches, its fur sleek and black against the green leaves. But then, to my disbelief, the cat's body began to shift. It twisted and contorted in a way that didn't look right—its form was warping.
Before I could fully comprehend what I was seeing, the cat was gone. In its place stood a girl, her figure slowly coming into focus, as if she'd materialized from thin air. She had long, dark hair and was wearing what looked like a school uniform, though I didn't recognize her.
I blinked rapidly, rubbing my eyes, unsure if I was seeing things. Did I just imagine that? I thought, but when I looked again, she was still standing there, looking directly at me.
I froze, my heart skipping a beat. Was I going crazy? My mind raced—could this have anything to do with the mirror world? Or was I just seeing things from stress? The girl, or whatever she was, simply stood there in the tree, her gaze unblinking.
I quickly looked away, focusing on the lesson again. I tried to push the thought out of my head, but the image of her lingered. Maybe I was losing it after all.
The world is so strange... or maybe I'm just weird... I thought, feeling the weight of it all settling on me. I stared blankly at the front of the classroom, attempting to refocus on the lesson, but the strange sight I had just witnessed kept creeping back into my mind.
***
By the end of the school day, I walked alone, the chill of the air biting at my skin as the first signs of snow approached. My footsteps echoed in the quiet street as I made my way home.
And then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her again. The girl. She was walking slowly, glancing around, her long dark hair swaying slightly with each step.
Should I talk to her...?
I hesitated, unsure. She wasn't acting like anyone I knew, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about her. But then again, maybe she was just like me—lost in this strange world that seemed to blur the lines between reality and... whatever else was out there.
"Hmm hmmm..." she hummed quietly to herself, walking aimlessly, her gaze lost in thought. Before long, a sound cut through the quiet—my voice.
"Hello," I said, unsure of what I was even going to say next.
She jolted slightly, clearly startled by my sudden appearance behind her. Her eyes widened as she turned to face me, her expression a mixture of surprise and something unreadable.
"Uh... hi?" she said cautiously, her voice soft, as though she wasn't sure how to respond.
"Are you a cat?" I asked, unable to help myself.
Her eyes blinked in confusion, and for a moment, she looked at me as if I had just asked the strangest question. "A cat?" she repeated, her voice tinged with amusement. "What do you mean by that?"
I felt my face flush a bit, but the image of her transformation earlier kept replaying in my mind. "Well... I saw you, uh, near the tree earlier, and you kind of... transformed. Didn't you?"
Her eyes widened for a brief moment, but then she quickly looked around, as though searching for an escape. "You've got the wrong person, sorry," she said, her voice tight.
I stood there for a moment, the awkwardness hanging in the air between us. She was acting strangely—like she was trying to avoid the conversation or deny what had happened.
"Uh, okay... sorry," I muttered, scratching the back of my head. "I must've been seeing things."
She gave me a quick, almost nervous smile, then turned her gaze elsewhere, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. "No problem," she said briskly, before starting to walk away.
I watched her go, still unsure what to make of the whole encounter. The way she acted... it didn't seem like she was just some ordinary person. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her than she was letting on.
"Do you know anything about a person who can go to a mirror world?" I asked, my voice blunt and without hesitation.
She stopped walking. She didn't turn around, but I could tell she had heard me. She stood there for a moment, frozen, as if weighing her options.
She remained still, not facing me, yet I could feel the tension in the air. For a long moment, she didn't speak. The silence stretched on, and I started to wonder if she was even going to acknowledge my question.
Finally, she spoke, her voice soft but firm, almost as if she was choosing her words carefully.
"Why do you ask about that?" she said, still not turning to look at me.
I hesitated, unsure how to explain what I had seen or how to frame the question. "I... I've seen things. Strange things. And I'm not sure what's real anymore. I thought... I thought maybe you knew something about it."
She let out a quiet sigh, as though resigned to something she had been avoiding. "Some things are better left unknown," she murmured, her voice distant, almost as if she were speaking more to herself than to me.
I stepped closer, trying to get her attention. "But I don't understand. What is it? What's going on with the mirrors, and why did I see you transform? You're not just an ordinary person, are you?"
She slowly turned her head, her eyes locking with mine. For the first time, I saw something in them—something serious, something that made my heart race. "You're asking things that can get you hurt," she said quietly. "And if you keep asking, you might not like the answers."
I swallowed hard, feeling both fear and curiosity surge through me. "I just want to understand."
She looked at me for a moment longer, then turned away, starting to walk again. "Some questions aren't meant to be answered," she called back over her shoulder, her voice fading as she walked away.
I stood there, staring after her, my mind racing. What was she trying to tell me? What had I stumbled into? The unease in my chest deepened as I realized that I might be closer to something far stranger and more dangerous than I had ever imagined.
"...I can take you into the mirror world, I swear. Just... tell me," I said.
She stopped mid-step, her back still to me. For a long moment, I thought she might keep walking, ignore me entirely, but then I saw her shoulders tense. Slowly, she turned to face me. There was something in her eyes—something unreadable, like she was weighing a decision that could change everything.
"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Her voice was soft, guarded.
I nodded quickly, feeling a surge of determination. "I don't know what's happening, but I can't keep pretending I haven't seen things. I need to understand. I need to know what's real."
She stared at me for a long moment, her gaze sharp, almost as if she was trying to assess whether I was ready for whatever she might reveal. Then, with a sigh, she seemed to relax, though only just a little.
"You asked for this," she said, her tone almost somber. "But I won't protect you."
"Protect me... from who?" I asked, confusion creeping into my voice.
"The almighty," she answered cryptically, her voice barely more than a whisper as she turned to walk away.
I started to follow her, walking beside her, eager to know where we were going and who The Almighty was. "Who is it? A god?" I asked, trying to make sense of her cryptic words.
She glanced at me briefly, her expression unreadable. "Not even a god... I'll tell you the story when we get to my place," she replied, her voice steady but carrying an edge of finality.
I nodded, trying to keep my curiosity in check. As we walked, I couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and unease. The streets seemed quieter than usual, and the air had a strange, almost tangible weight to it.
"So, where exactly is your place?" I asked, glancing around. The unfamiliarity of our surroundings made me uneasy, but I was determined to understand what was going on.
"Not far," she said simply, her pace unhurried. "Just keep up."
After a while, we arrived at a small apartment. She led me inside, and I expected to see something strange, but it was surprisingly normal—nothing out of the ordinary. As we entered, she started walking toward the living room, continuing to speak.
"It's been a long time since the age of Gilgamesh," she said, her voice tinged with sorrow. "Humans once wielded magic freely, but after Gilgamesh's death, everything changed. Enkidu… his closest companion… took control, and now he's 'The Almighty.' He's made magic a curse for everyone."
She paused, looking at me. "That's why I warned you. The Almighty won't tolerate anyone with the power to defy him."
To Be Continue.