The Reflection's grin 3

The door swung shut with a soft thud behind the Stranger, though it was unclear whether she had closed it or if the room had done so on its own. Inside, the air grew colder, heavier, as if the walls themselves were pressing in, watching her every move. The mirror in front of her seemed to pulse, as though it were alive, breathing in rhythm with her own shallow breaths.

She stood motionless for a long moment, her eyes fixed on the reflection, which was no longer merely an echo of her actions. The reflection had shifted entirely, no longer matching her movements or gestures. It now held its position, its face twisted in an unnervingly wide grin. Its eyes were cold, vacant—lifeless.

“You’ve come for me,” the reflection whispered, its voice layered with something darker, something older. “Just like the others.”

The Stranger's lips barely moved, but her voice responded, a strained whisper that seemed to come from somewhere deep within her. “I’m not like them. I’m different.”

For a brief second, the reflection’s grin faltered, its eyes narrowing as if sizing her up. Then it smiled again, even wider, impossibly wide.

“Different?” it echoed, tilting its head. “You’ll see. You’ll become.”

The Stranger reached out, her fingers trembling as they brushed the glass. Immediately, the mirror rippled like water disturbed by an invisible force, and a cold wave of air washed over her. She stumbled backward, but her feet seemed to refuse to obey. The room seemed to tilt, the walls closing in around her.

Suddenly, the reflection in the mirror was no longer just a reflection. It began to stretch, its form twisting and warping as if it were trying to break free. The woman gasped as the glass began to crack once more, the familiar low hum returning, vibrating the air with an almost palpable intensity. The mirror shattered in an explosion of sharp glass, but the reflection

The shard in the Stranger’s hands seemed to writhe, its edges biting into her palms. Dark tendrils of smoke snaked out, wrapping around her wrists and pulling her closer to the shadowy figure before her. She struggled, but the shard pulsed with a force stronger than anything she had felt before.

“You were chosen,” the shadow said, its voice rising and falling like a sinister chant. “You carried the piece back to its home. The gate cannot stay broken.”

The Stranger’s breath quickened. Her mind raced, fragments of forgotten memories surging to the surface—whispers in the dark, fleeting glimpses of this room from long ago. She hadn’t just stumbled upon this place. She had been here before.

“I didn’t know,” she stammered, her voice shaking. “I didn’t remember.”

“You never do,” the shadow replied, stepping closer. “But you always return.”

The Stranger fell to her knees as the shard in her hands began to glow with a faint, eerie light. The smoky tendrils tightened their grip, forcing her hands to lift the shard toward the mirror’s empty frame. The room groaned, the air crackling with energy.

“No!” she screamed, trying to pull away, but the shard seemed to have a will of its own. Her reflection reappeared in the cracked glass, its expression full of malice and triumph.

“Let it be whole,” the reflection whispered, its grin spreading wider. “Let it be you.”

The shard flew from her hands, embedding itself in the broken mirror. The fragments on the floor rose, as though drawn by an invisible force, snapping back into place. The mirror repaired itself piece by piece, but its surface was no longer just a reflection. It was alive, writhing with shadow and light.

The Stranger tried to run, but the door was gone. The walls seemed to close in, the only escape now through the mirror itself. Her reflection raised a hand, beckoning her forward with an otherworldly smile.

“Step through,” it commanded. “Take your place.”

The Stranger hesitated, tears streaming down her face as the room shook violently. The shadow loomed behind her, its voice a harsh whisper in her ear.

“There is no choice.”

And with that, the mirror surged forward, pulling her in. The last thing she saw was her own face, grinning as the world turned to black.

To Be Continued...

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