The Mirror’s Reflection

Leticia flinched, and in the next instant, she choked on her soup. Where her own reflection should have been, the mirror showed Aya. A violent cough racked her body, and the hot liquid scorched her throat. Her mother rushed over, gripping her shoulders in concern.

— Leticia! Are you alright? Did you swallow wrong?

Her voice was tight with worry.

Leticia tried to calm down, gulping for air. She could only nod, still unable to speak.

— You need to lie down, dear. You're still weak — her mother said gently yet firmly, guiding her back into bed. — I'll bring you some warm tea. Just rest, alright?

Leticia wanted to protest, but realized it was pointless. She let her mother settle her under the blankets and watched her leave, closing the door behind her.

The moment her mother's footsteps faded, Leticia sprang up and hurried to the mirror. Her heart was pounding as though it might burst. She expected to see her own reflection; instead…

Aya stood before her.

Her golden hair fell softly over her shoulders, and her wide blue eyes reflected equal surprise. Leticia leaned in, scrutinizing the image, searching for some kind of pattern. The reflection did the same. She raised her hand—Aya raised hers. She tilted her head—the reflection mirrored the movement.

— What the hell… — Leticia muttered.

Then, from somewhere deep inside her consciousness, a timid, quiet voice:

—This is so strange…

— No kidding. It's like I'm seeing…you… — Leticia froze. — Who's there? — she demanded, turning her head left and right, scanning the room on instinct.

No one else was there.

Her gaze snapped back to the mirror. Aya was still in the reflection, and Leticia frowned.

— Is this some kind of joke? — she asked, struggling against a surge of panic. — Maybe I really am losing my mind…

— No, you're not crazy — came that voice again. — Though from the outside, it probably looks that way.

Leticia went rigid, a chill running down her spine. Her hands balled into fists.

— This is impossible… — she breathed.

She sucked in a shaky breath, eyes going wide.

— You…you're alive? How is that even possible? — Her voice quivered.

Aya blinked, managing a faint smile despite her confusion.

— I don't know… I…I'm not supposed to be here, but I am. You…feel it too, don't you?

— Feel what? — Leticia asked, frowning in bafflement.

— You and I…we're both here. In one body? Or… — Aya trailed off, as if too frightened to finish.

Abruptly, her expression changed. Fear twisted her features, and her hands began to tremble.

— Leticia… — Her voice cracked. — What if…I'm not supposed to exist? What if I was never meant to be here at all? — Her voice grew quieter by the second, shaking as though she'd realized something horrible.

Leticia tensed. She could see Aya growing paler in the reflection, terror filling her eyes.

— Don't talk like that, — Leticia said firmly. — You're here. You're real.

— But how? — Aya sobbed, voice catching in her throat. — I died…I was supposed to vanish…

— Yet here you are! — Leticia raised her voice, willing Aya to understand. — I can see you. I can hear you. Isn't that proof enough?

Aya pressed her lips together, tears pooling in her eyes. She turned her head, as though trying to avoid Leticia's gaze.

— I…I don't know, — she whispered.

Leticia drew in a deep breath, willing her own trembling to subside.

— Alright. Then we'll figure it out—together.

Aya nodded slowly, though fear still lingered in her eyes.

— Together… — she echoed.

Leticia slowly extended her hand toward the mirror. Aya did the same. Their fingertips almost touched, but Leticia snatched her hand back at the last second, her heart hammering in her chest.

— Tomorrow we'll find some answers, — she murmured, stepping away from the mirror. — Tomorrow.

Suddenly, Leticia felt a piercing sensation, as though someone were watching her. She glanced back at the glass and froze. In the reflection, a silhouette loomed at the doorway, peering in.