Chapter 5: The Chamber of Lies
The massive door groaned as it opened, spilling a pale, cold light into the corridor. Renault squinted, his heart pounding as the light revealed a cavernous chamber beyond. The room was circular, its walls lined with towering mirrors that reflected distorted images of the three figures standing at its threshold.
Renault's reflection sneered back at him, its eyes burning with malice. Mara's reflection smirked, cruel and mocking, while Edric's simply stood still, its head tilted in eerie silence.
"This isn't right," Renault muttered, gripping his sword tightly.
Mara stepped into the chamber, her eyes scanning the mirrors warily. "It's a trap," she said. "The Haus is testing us again."
Edric followed, his gaze flicking between the reflections. "A trap, yes. But also an opportunity."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Renault demanded.
Edric didn't answer. Instead, he strode toward the center of the room, where a pedestal stood, its surface gleaming as though wet. On it rested an ancient book bound in black leather, its cover unmarked but pulsing faintly with an inner light.
"The Book of Lies," Edric said, his voice low and reverent. "It shows the truth about anyone who dares to read it—or so it claims."
Renault snorted. "The truth from the Book of Lies? Doesn't sound trustworthy."
Edric glanced back at him, a sly smile tugging at his lips. "The Haus loves irony."
---
As Renault stepped into the chamber, the air shifted. A faint whispering filled the space, the voices indistinct but growing louder with every step.
The mirrors began to change. Renault's reflection no longer mirrored his movements. Instead, it stepped forward, closer to the glass, its eyes boring into his.
"You think you're a hero," the reflection said, its voice a cruel mockery of his own. "But you're just a coward running from the truth."
Renault froze, his blood running cold. "What is this?"
The reflection sneered. "You betrayed them, didn't you? Left them to die so you could save yourself. And now you've convinced yourself it wasn't your fault."
"I didn't—" Renault began, but his voice faltered.
Mara's reflection spoke next, its voice dripping with venom. "And you, Warden. You tell yourself you're here to survive, but we both know the truth. You came back because you want to atone. You think saving them will save you."
Mara clenched her fists, her face pale but composed. "They're just reflections," she said, though her voice wavered. "They're not real."
Edric's reflection remained silent, its head tilted as it stared back at him. Edric approached the mirror, his expression unreadable. "You have nothing to say to me?"
The reflection didn't move.
"Curious," Edric murmured, stepping away.
---
The whispers grew louder, the voices overlapping until they were almost deafening. Renault staggered back, his hands pressed to his ears. "What do we do?" he shouted.
Mara's gaze fell on the book. "The Haus put this here for a reason. It wants us to read it."
"That sounds like a terrible idea," Renault shot back.
"Perhaps," Edric said, his hand hovering over the book. "But the Haus never gives without taking. The question is—what are we willing to lose?"
Before anyone could stop him, Edric opened the book. The whispers stopped instantly, the chamber plunging into an unnatural silence.
The pages of the book glowed, and words began to appear, written in a language none of them recognized. Edric's eyes scanned the text, his expression tightening with each line.
"What does it say?" Mara asked.
Edric didn't answer. His hands trembled as he slammed the book shut, the light from the pages extinguished in an instant.
"What did you see?" Renault demanded.
Edric's gaze was distant, his voice hollow. "Lies. Truths. Both. Neither." He turned to them, his face pale. "The book isn't for us. It's for the Haus."
Before they could question him further, the room began to shake. The mirrors cracked, their surfaces shattering as a low, guttural roar echoed through the chamber.
"It's waking up," Mara said, her voice urgent.
"Then we need to move," Renault replied, already heading for the far side of the chamber, where another door had appeared.
As the three of them fled, the shattered mirrors began to reform, the fragments coalescing into new shapes. The reflections were gone, replaced by shadowy figures clawing their way free from the glass.
The Haus had seen enough, and now it wanted blood.