The posture of silence that followed Memory Maze hid important information.
She carefully opened her eyes because taking shallow breaths made her tired. Though the maze darkness vanished the heavy burden it created stayed with her. She examined the scene and saw Alison leaning against the obsidian wall while his gaze remained vacant. She lowered to his side, held back her shaking hands as healing lights appeared between her fingers. Dren kept his teeth sunk firmly into his hand while standing beside the group because the injuries on his forehead were from his own self-inflicted damage.
The creatures used their recollections as weapons against them. After returning they faced a terrible threat at home.
System Notification:
Memory Fragment Secured: 1/4 Continue the Abyss Trial. Each part needs to depart from the trial. The process will become permanent destruction if you only partially return your mind to its whole state.
The corridor around them flickered. Buildings with stone walls transformed into glass storm windows as they passed through. The energy source underneath their feet started to shake and stream abyssal power that ticked low using its blood rhythm. The hallway before Natasha took on new dimensions as endless mirrors surrounded her became visible.
Each mirror reflected their faces.
But not exactly.
Alison showed a genuine smile to herself in the mirror. That alone was wrong. His normal expressions never approached such peace and arrogance at once. Natasha carefully held the smaller boy in front of her as she stopped holding her sword while her face appeared undestroyed and free of need for help. His reflection showed no warmth as the ice ran deep in his core. His reflection gained extra height and bulged with muscular support like an experienced hunter.
Alison stepped forward cautiously. The environment here pretends to feel real and aspires to truly exist.
Then the mirrors moved.
Every impact on the glass produced numerous shattered images until four Mirror Selves flickered into existence. The four exact duplicates of their selves materialized in front of them with a quick lighting and darkening effect.
System Notification:
To complete this mission you must destroy your Mirror Counterpart Note: Your clone uses power versions of your skills that have become twisted.
The air grew heavier. The room floor responded positively to their presence entering the area. The shadows came alive.
____
Alison faced himself first.
"You're still pretending, aren't you?" The Mirror Self lifted his head to mock before continuing. The dedication of the team members means everything to you. Your belief the team means little to you compared to preserving the company.
Alison didn't speak. He couldn't. His body tensed up with clenched fists as the mirror moved towards him.
The company here achieves great success. No betrayals. No debts. No Natasha."
The mention of her name hit him where he was most vulnerable. Natasha.
First Alison rushed with his dagger but the Mirror Self greeted his attack with its own blade that collided and created fireworks. The mirror blocked every hit that he aimed at it. Every hesitation punished. Yet the voice next to me was the most painful to endure.
"You can have it all back. The way to my desired outcome is in the release.
Let go.
Of her?
Alison faked being injured as his body bowed to the ground. At that moment he drove his blade into the mirror to win but it failed to stop the attack.
"I already did that once," he whispered. "I won't do it again."
When the reflection hit itself the result became thousands of small sparkling droplets.
____
Natasha stood before her mirror.
The woman in the mirror held her younger brother while standing still. He was alive, safe, laughing. Her reflection looked peaceful, complete.
""You can have this," the Mirror offered. "A life where he never died. Where you never needed revenge. The Mirror told her to swap this condition for no combat duty.
Natasha's hand trembled.
I needed to make those relationships even if it meant letting my brother pass away.
The mirror tilted its head. "So what? Did obtaining a single life mean giving up my entire foundation.
The sense of guilt attacked her swiftly and strongly enough to make her feel suffocated.
She viewed Alison battling even as she stood there. Ira holding the team together. The burden of coping remained with Dren though others refused it. She saw her people. Her present.
"I want my brother back. Every day, I ache for that. By giving up my present I would surrender the friends who depend on me. I'd lose who I am."
She let her sword emit shining beams of illumination. The Mirror Self started attacking Natasha before the hero could stop her first. Single strike from her blade brought down the false image.
__
Ira faced silence.
Her Mirror Self didn't attack. She simply stood there.
The reflection tells her her people do not put their trust in her. "You hide things. You question yourself. You doubt your magic."
"Of course I do," Ira whispered. "Magic demands doubt. It punishes certainty."
Her reflection smiled cruelly. "And yet, you still lead. You assume others will support your leadership when they understand how hard you worked to gain your authority.
She remembered every torture she endured under her mentors and withheld information from the queen.
"Maybe not," she whispered. "But I'm still here. Still trying. That has to mean something."
Her mirror stepped forward. Ira didn't attack.
She extended her empty arms toward him. "I'm not perfect. But I'm real."
Her mirrored self made an attack but faded away since awareness sealed this space forever.
___
Dren's Mirror laughed.
"You're weak. You hesitate. The mirror laughs as you feel sad with nobody watching you. But look what I could be. What we could be."
He flexed his muscles and his body shined while bloodglow appeared from his eyes. "I could have saved them all. I could have become the supreme ruler of war. The Mirror Self demanded his sacrifice and offered power in return.
Dren took a step forward.
"Maybe you're right. Maybe I am weak. But you know what? I stayed human. I will endure any physical harm to maintain my human nature. I'll stay that way."
His fists ignited in flames. The battle was brutal. Fight broke out between flames and darkness along with living bodies against supernatural power. Dren stood above the mirror ruins after the fight while his hands bled from his recent blows.
___
They reconvened in the corridor.
Four shattered mirrors. Four trials overcome.
System Notification:
Mirror Trial Complete Memory Fragment Secured: 2/4 Proceeding to next phase...
The corridor pulsed one last time. Then silence.
A deep female voice with immense age emerged from silence.
"You passed the test of will... but are your hearts truly aligned?"
System Alert:
Bond Compatibility Test—Initiated.
Cracks raced across the floor. Their feet lost balance when the earth collapsed. The spinning collision of light and darkness dragged them towards the ground at increasing speed.
Both people extended their hands to touch one another.
Hands just missing hands.
Falling.
And then..
Darkness.