Heart

Vivian stepped through the door and into a world that defied reality.

The chamber was massive, yet it seemed to close in on her. The walls pulsed and shifted like a living organism, covered in smooth, dark surfaces that reflected her image in strange and fragmented ways. Shards of light flickered overhead, casting chaotic patterns on the ground. In the center of the room stood the mirror—not the tall, imposing structure she'd seen before, but something warped, twisted. Its frame seemed to stretch endlessly upward, its edges curling like the roots of a gnarled tree.

And its surface…

The glass shimmered with an unnatural glow, alive with ripples and shapes that moved within, as if something on the other side was trying to break free.

Vivian's breath hitched as she stepped forward. The pull of the mirror was stronger now, like an invisible hand wrapping around her chest, dragging her closer with every second.

"Welcome," the voice from earlier echoed, though it no longer seemed to come from any one direction. It was everywhere. "You've come so far, Vivian. Do you understand now what you've entered?"

Her hands curled into fists as she glared at the mirror. "I understand that you've been feeding off me. Off everyone who gets close to you. You're a parasite."

The mirror's surface shimmered, and for a moment, Vivian thought she saw her own reflection smile back at her. "A parasite?" the voice repeated, amused. "Do not insult what you cannot comprehend. I am more than a mere object. I am a gateway, a judge, a reflection of all that lies within."

"Enough of the riddles," Vivian snapped. "Where is your heart? How do I destroy you?"

The mirror's surface rippled again, and this time, a figure stepped out of it. It was her—but not quite. The reflection was perfect at first glance: her green eyes, her auburn hair, her determined stance. But the closer Vivian looked, the more wrong it seemed. Her reflection's eyes were too bright, its smile too wide, its movements too fluid, as if it were mimicking her rather than being her.

"Destroy me?" the reflection asked, tilting its head. "You're already too late."

Vivian stepped back, her heart pounding. "What do you mean?"

The reflection grinned, and suddenly the room shifted. The floor beneath her feet turned into glass, and through it, she could see fragments of memories—her memories. Her brother's face, her parents' distant expressions, the emptiness she had carried with her for years. The glass cracked beneath her, splitting her memories apart.

"You don't understand, do you?" the reflection said, stepping closer. "You think you're here to destroy me. But I've been inside you all along. I am the cracks in your mind, the void in your heart. I am everything you've ever tried to forget."

Vivian's pulse quickened. "You're lying. You're just trying to confuse me."

The reflection laughed, a sound that sent chills down her spine. "Am I? Then why does this feel so familiar? Why do you think you were drawn to me in the first place?"

Vivian shook her head, trying to block out the words. "You don't know me. You don't know what I'm capable of."

"Oh, but I do," the reflection said, its voice softening. "I know your pain, your anger, your guilt. I know the moment you let your brother fall and never forgave yourself for it. I know the nights you spent wishing it had been you instead of him."

"Stop," Vivian whispered, her voice breaking.

"And I know," the reflection continued, its voice a whisper, "that deep down, you don't want to destroy me. You want to be me. Because I am free. I don't feel pain. I don't feel regret. I am everything you wish you could be."

Vivian stumbled back, her knees hitting the ground. The weight of the mirror's words crushed down on her, making it hard to breathe.

"No," she said, her voice shaking. "You're not me. You're just a reflection. A shadow. You're nothing without me."

The reflection's smile faltered for the first time.

Vivian took a deep breath, forcing herself to stand. The fear and doubt still clawed at her, but beneath it all, a spark of defiance burned. "You can twist my memories, my emotions, but you don't control me. Not anymore."

The reflection's eyes narrowed. "You think you're stronger than me? Than the truth?"

Vivian's gaze hardened. "I know I am."

The room trembled, the mirror's surface rippling violently. The reflection lunged at her, but Vivian stood her ground. As the figure came closer, she reached out, grabbing its arm.

"You're just a part of me," she said, her voice steady now. "And I'm taking you back."

The reflection screamed, its form dissolving into smoke. The mirror's surface cracked, and the glass beneath her feet shattered completely.

For a moment, everything was chaos. The world around her crumbled, the walls dissolving into shadows. Vivian felt herself falling again, but this time, she didn't fight it.

When she opened her eyes, she was back in the study. The mirror stood before her, but it was different now. Its surface was dull, lifeless, the carvings along its frame fading into nothing.

Sebastian knelt beside her, his face pale with worry. "Vivian? Are you okay?"

She took a deep breath, nodding slowly. "It's over," she said, her voice hoarse.

Sebastian's eyes widened. "You… you destroyed it?"

Vivian stood, her legs trembling. "Not destroyed. I took it back. It doesn't control me anymore."

Sebastian looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. "You did it. You actually did it."

But as Vivian turned to leave the room, she caught a glimpse of herself in a nearby window. For just a split second, her reflection smiled—a wide, knowing smile that didn't match her own.

And then it was gone.

To be continued...