The moon hung high over Tingen, its light struggling to pierce the thick fog that blanketed the city. Liam walked briskly, his mind consumed by the Codex's cryptic guidance. The whispers had grown stronger since his discovery of the Ebon Essence, urging him toward his next target: the Mirror of Reflection.
Unlike the Essence, the mirror's presence had an unnerving pull. Shadows twisted unnaturally in his peripheral vision, reflecting things that weren't there. The Codex assured him this was the mirror's influence. Its power wasn't confined to its surface—it rippled outward, distorting reality in subtle but disquieting ways.
---
The first clue had come from a faint murmur in the shadows, leading Liam to the lower districts of Tingen. As he passed through the fog-shrouded streets, he noticed strange occurrences: fleeting glimpses of his own reflection in puddles where it shouldn't be, whispers in alleyways that seemed to call his name.
It wasn't long before he overheard a conversation outside a dimly lit tavern.
"Old man Marius," a gruff voice said. "They say his mirror can show you things. Things you ain't supposed to see."
"Shows you nightmares, more like," another voice replied. "One look and you'll never sleep again."
Liam stepped closer, his presence unnoticed by the two men huddled in the fog.
"Where does he live?" one asked nervously.
"Up on the hill," the first man muttered. "That old mansion with the vines. But don't bother. No one who goes there comes back the same."
The conversation ended as the men walked away, their words lingering in Liam's mind.
---
Liam arrived at the mansion under the cover of night. The structure loomed above him, its crumbling facade veiled in ivy and shadow. The air around it was thick, oppressive, as if the building itself resisted his approach.
The Codex whispered faintly, urging him forward. He knocked on the heavy wooden door, and the sound echoed unnaturally, as though the house itself were hollow. Moments later, the door creaked open, revealing a tall, gaunt man cloaked in dark robes.
"You seek the mirror," the man said, his voice a low rasp.
Liam nodded, his eyes steady. "I do."
Marius stepped aside, his movements slow and deliberate. "Then enter. But know that what you seek is not without cost."
---
Inside the mansion, the air was colder, almost freezing. The walls were lined with faded tapestries and ancient artifacts, their once-vibrant colors dulled by time. In the center of the room stood the mirror.
It was enormous, framed in dark iron that twisted and curled like blackened vines. The surface of the mirror was cracked, its reflections warped and shifting. Liam could feel its power even from across the room—a pull that tugged at the edges of his consciousness.
Marius followed Liam's gaze, his expression grim. "The mirror doesn't just reflect what's before it. It warps the world around it. Even now, its influence leaks into the city. You must have noticed it—shadows that don't belong, reflections that show what shouldn't be."
Liam nodded. "That's how I found you."
Marius chuckled dryly, though there was no humor in it. "Of course. The mirror called to you, as it has called to others before. But most who come seeking it leave with their minds broken."
---
Liam turned to Marius, his curiosity piqued. "If it's so dangerous, why keep it? Why not destroy it?"
"Destroy it?" Marius said, his voice tinged with bitterness. "You think I haven't tried? This mirror is no mere object. It's alive in its own way. It feeds on the truths people hide from themselves, distorting reality until its wielder can no longer separate what is real from what is not."
"Then why let me take it?" Liam asked, his tone steady.
Marius's gaze bore into him, sharp and searching. "Because it's already rejected me. I've stared into it too many times, seeking answers I wasn't ready for. It has no use for someone like me anymore. But you… it seems to have chosen you."
"Chosen me?"
"Yes," Marius said. "You've felt its pull, haven't you? It doesn't just show you your reflection. It reveals what lies beneath. And it wants to show you something."
Marius gestured toward the mirror. "Take it. But understand this—what you see in its surface will not be a lie, but it may break you all the same."
----
Liam approached the mirror cautiously, the shadows around him thickening as if in anticipation. He gazed into the cracked surface, and the world around him seemed to shift.
At first, the reflection was normal—his own face staring back at him. But then it began to change. The image twisted and warped, showing him not just his face, but his fears, his doubts, and the darker aspects of himself he had long buried.
A shadowed figure emerged in the reflection, its form identical to his but darker, more menacing. It smiled at him, its expression mocking yet strangely inviting.
"You are not yet ready," the figure said, its voice a distorted version of his own. "But you will be."
Liam's heart pounded as the reflection dissolved, leaving only his own face staring back at him. He stepped away, his breathing uneven but his resolve intact.
---
Marius watched him silently, his expression unreadable. Finally, he spoke. "You didn't break. That's more than most can say. The mirror is yours."
Liam nodded, gripping the mirror's iron frame. Its weight was heavier than he expected, both physically and metaphorically.
As he left the mansion, the air seemed lighter, the oppressive aura lifting now that the mirror was no longer bound to the house. But Liam knew the true challenge lay ahead. The mirror was a tool, but it was also a test—a reminder of the path he had chosen and the price he would have to pay.