The study's air was heavy, almost suffocating, as if the very walls held their breath. Vivian's fingers trembled as she sifted through Sebastian's father's notes, her eyes scanning the frantic handwriting and cryptic diagrams. The symbols carved into the mirror's frame appeared over and over again, annotated with theories and warnings.
"A liar's reflection is a fool's prison."
"The doorway opens inward."
"It can't take what isn't offered."
Sebastian stood silently by the door, watching her as though he expected the room itself to swallow her whole. His presence was both reassuring and unnerving—he was the only other person who understood the danger she was in, yet there was a shadow of guilt in his eyes she couldn't ignore.
"Your father," Vivian said, breaking the silence. "How did he… how did the mirror take him?"
Sebastian's expression darkened, and for a moment, she thought he wouldn't answer. Then he walked to the window, staring out at the moonlit grounds. "He became obsessed with it," he said quietly. "He thought he could control it, bend it to his will. But the more he tried to understand it, the more it consumed him. He started seeing things—visions of my mother, who died when I was a child. He thought the mirror could bring her back."
Vivian's breath caught. "Could it?"
Sebastian turned to face her, his green eyes cold. "The mirror doesn't give life. It takes it. What my father saw wasn't my mother—it was something wearing her face, something that knew exactly how to break him."
The room seemed to grow colder at his words, and Vivian wrapped her arms around herself, trying to block out the chill. "And you think the same thing will happen to me?"
"It's already happening," Sebastian said. "You've felt it, haven't you? The pull. The whispers. The mirror is testing you, trying to find your weaknesses. That's why you need to be careful. It knows exactly what to show you to make you give in."
Vivian nodded slowly, though the knot of fear in her chest tightened. "And these notes," she said, gesturing to the desk. "Do they say how to stop it?"
Sebastian hesitated. "They… they give clues. But nothing concrete. My father believed the mirror has a… core. A heart, hidden behind its surface. If you can reach it, you might be able to sever its power."
"A heart," Vivian repeated, her brow furrowing. "How do I reach it?"
"That's the part he never figured out," Sebastian admitted. "The mirror won't let you in unless you give it what it wants. It's like a lock, and your memories are the key."
Vivian frowned, her mind racing. "So I have to give it pieces of myself just to get close enough to destroy it? How do I know it won't just take everything and leave me trapped like your father?"
"You don't," Sebastian said bluntly. "But if you don't try, it'll keep coming for you. It'll find you no matter where you go."
The weight of his words pressed down on her, suffocating in its finality. Vivian looked back at the notes, her eyes falling on a sketch of the mirror's frame. At first, it seemed like nothing more than an ornate design—twisting vines, delicate flowers, and sharp, angular shapes. But the longer she stared, the more she noticed the patterns. The vines formed spirals, the flowers bloomed into eyes, and the angular shapes looked almost like teeth.
"It's alive," she murmured, the realization hitting her like a punch to the gut. "The mirror isn't just an artifact—it's a living thing."
Sebastian nodded grimly. "That's why it's so dangerous. It thinks, it plans, and it knows exactly how to manipulate you."
Vivian's hands clenched into fists. The fear that had been clawing at her was now mingled with anger—anger at the mirror for invading her mind, anger at Sebastian for dragging her into this, and anger at herself for not running when she had the chance.
"What if I refuse?" she asked suddenly, her voice hard. "What if I don't play its game?"
Sebastian's gaze darkened. "Then it will take what it wants by force. The mirror doesn't need your permission to destroy you—it just prefers to make you think you have a choice."
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "So, either I play along and risk losing myself, or I fight it and still lose. Great options."
"It's not hopeless," Sebastian said, stepping closer. "My father's notes—there's a way to beat it. I know there is. But you have to be careful. The mirror will try to confuse you, make you doubt yourself. It'll show you things that feel real, but they're not. No matter what you see, you have to remember who you are."
Vivian looked up at him, her eyes narrowing. "And what if I don't know who I am anymore?"
For a moment, Sebastian didn't respond. Then he reached out, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Then we'll figure it out together. But you have to trust me."
She searched his face for a long moment, trying to decide if he was sincere or if he was just as lost as she was. Finally, she nodded. "Okay. What's the next step?"
Sebastian stepped back, his expression unreadable. "We go to the mirror. But this time, you don't just touch it. You step inside."
Vivian's heart skipped a beat. "Step inside? Are you insane?"
"It's the only way," he said firmly. "The mirror's heart isn't something you can see from the outside. You have to go into its world to find it."
"And what happens if I can't get back out?"
Sebastian's silence was answer enough.
Vivian's mind raced, every instinct screaming at her to refuse. But deep down, she knew Sebastian was right. The mirror wasn't going to let her go—not without a fight. And if she didn't confront it now, it would haunt her forever.
Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and met his gaze. "Fine. Let's do it."
Sebastian hesitated, as if he wanted to say something, but then he nodded. "Follow me."
He led her back down the hallway, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows on the walls. The door to the mirror's room loomed ahead, its dark wood gleaming like polished obsidian.
As Sebastian reached for the handle, Vivian felt the air shift around her. The whispers grew louder, more insistent, but she forced herself to block them out.
The door creaked open, revealing the mirror standing in the center of the room. Its surface shimmered like liquid, the dark glass rippling faintly as though aware of her presence.
Vivian took a step forward, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Remember," Sebastian said quietly, his voice steady. "It's not real. No matter what you see, it's not real."
She nodded, her eyes locked on the mirror. Then, with a deep breath, she reached out and touched the glass.
The world dissolved around her.
To be continued...