Chapter 11: The Mirror of Truth

The path through the Abyss twisted and shifted, the landscape constantly changing around Aiden. One moment, he was walking through a barren wasteland; the next, he found himself in a dense forest, the trees twisted and gnarled, their branches reaching toward him like skeletal hands.

The golden thread continued to guide him, its glow faint but steady. Aiden kept his focus on it, knowing that if he lost sight of it, he would be lost in the Abyss forever.

After what felt like hours of walking, Aiden reached a clearing. At the center of the clearing stood a tall, smooth stone structure—like a monolith, but its surface was reflective, like a mirror. The golden thread pulsed in his hand, pointing directly toward it.

Aiden approached cautiously, his reflection growing larger as he neared the stone. But as he stared into the mirror-like surface, something strange happened. His reflection didn't move in sync with him. Instead, it stood still, watching him with a calm, unreadable expression.

Aiden's heart skipped a beat. The reflection looked like him, but something was off. The eyes… they were darker, colder, as if they held secrets Aiden had never known.

Without warning, the reflection stepped forward, out of the mirror, and stood before him.

"Who are you?" Aiden demanded, his voice tense.

The reflection smirked. "I'm you, of course," it said, its voice a perfect echo of Aiden's. "The real you."

Aiden shook his head. "No, you're not. You're just another trick of the Abyss."

The reflection tilted its head, its expression mocking. "Is that what you think? Or is that just what you want to believe?"

Aiden clenched his fists. "Get out of my way. I'm not playing this game."

The reflection laughed, a cold, bitter sound. "Oh, but you are playing, Aiden. You've been playing this game since the moment you arrived in this world. And the truth is… you're losing."

Aiden took a step forward, his jaw set. "I don't care what you are. I'm going to find the Anchor, and I'm going home."

The reflection's smile faded, replaced by a look of contempt. "Home? You think you still have a home to return to? You've been gone too long, Aiden. The world you knew doesn't exist anymore. You don't exist anymore."

Aiden's chest tightened. He tried to push the reflection's words out of his mind, but doubt crept in. How long had he been in this world? What if the reflection was right? What if everything he had known was already gone?

The reflection seemed to sense his hesitation. "You've lost everything," it said, its voice softening into a whisper. "You're nothing. Just a shadow wandering through a world that doesn't want you."

Aiden felt a surge of anger. "No," he said, his voice shaking. "I'm not nothing. I still have my will, my purpose. And I'm going to make it back. Even if the world's changed, I'll find my place in it again."

The reflection stared at him for a long moment, its expression unreadable. Then, slowly, it began to dissolve, its form fading into the air like smoke.

Aiden stood alone in the clearing, his heart pounding. He didn't know if the reflection had been real, or just another illusion of the Abyss. But he knew one thing: he couldn't afford to doubt himself anymore. If he was going to survive the Abyss and find the Anchor, he needed to believe in himself—no matter what.