The heavy door creaked open, revealing a long corridor lined with dozens of antique mirrors. Each mirror was different—some cracked, some fogged, some pristine as if they were waiting for someone to look inside.
Aarav and Maya stepped in cautiously. The air was colder here, their breath forming faint mist.
"Why are there so many mirrors?" Maya whispered.
"Because this place is built to trap souls," Aarav replied, his voice steady but low.
As they walked further, the mirrors started to whisper faint words, growing louder with every step.
"Aarav… murderer…"
"Maya… you will die soon…"
Maya stopped, shivering.
"Did… did you hear that?"
"Ignore them," Aarav said sharply. "They're trying to break your mind."
Maya accidentally looked into one of the larger mirrors. Her reflection was not her own—it was a version of herself with hollow eyes, blood dripping from her lips, and a rope around her neck.
"Aarav! It's me… but I'm dead!" she cried, clutching his arm.
"Look away, Maya! These mirrors feed on fear. Don't give them what they want," he ordered.
One mirror near Aarav suddenly showed him as a boy, standing in front of a burning house. He froze.
"No… that's not real. That night…"
Maya looked at him in shock.
"Aarav… what are you seeing?"
He didn't answer, his fists clenched, anger and guilt flashing in his eyes.
"These mirrors… they know everything," Aarav muttered.
Without warning, a hand made of black glass shot out of the mirror, grabbing Maya by her throat. She screamed as the glassy fingers began to cut into her skin.
"Aarav!"
"Hold on!" Aarav swung his iron rod, shattering the mirror hand into shards.
But every broken shard turned into tiny whispering faces, all chanting:
"Blood… blood… blood…"
As the whispers grew unbearable, one mirror began to glow faintly gold, revealing a key behind its glass.
"That key… it must open the next door!" Maya exclaimed.
"Then we have to break this one too," Aarav said, raising the rod.
But before he could strike, the mirror spoke in a woman's voice:
"Take the key, but leave the girl. Only one can pass."
Maya's face went pale.
"Aarav… what if it's true? What if you have to…"
"Don't say that," Aarav interrupted. "We both survive, or none of us do."
He smashed the mirror with a single strike. Black smoke erupted, but the key fell into his hand, cold as ice.
As they reached the end of the hall, a low voice echoed from all the mirrors together:
"Two souls entered… only one will leave."
Aarav looked at Maya, determination blazing in his eyes.
"They're wrong. We're leaving together."