CHAPTER 14:The Path Beyond the Mirror

The golden bridge stretched endlessly before them, glowing faintly under the swirling silver sky. The seven walked in silence, their thoughts still tangled in the truths they had just faced.

Well, most of them were silent.

"So… we're just gonna ignore the fact that my reflection tried to punch me?" Zayn, the Warrior, muttered, rubbing his chin. "Pretty sure it had a stronger left hook than me."

Amara, the Seer, shot him a look. "Maybe because it knows you better than you know yourself."

"Or maybe because I haven't had breakfast," Zayn countered. "I fight better with food in my stomach."

Elias, the Scholar, sighed. "That explains why you never win in training."

Zayn gasped. "Betrayal. Right here on this sacred bridge."

The others ignored their bickering as they continued walking. But after what felt like an eternity of stepping over glowing gold, Lior, the Wanderer, groaned.

"I swear, this bridge is longer than my grandmother's bedtime stories. And she once spent three nights describing a single tree."

Rafa, the Keeper, who had been deep in thought, finally spoke. "It's not the bridge that's long. It's the place we're in—it's not normal space."

Lior blinked. "You're telling me we've been walking forever because space is broken?"

"Yes."

"Ah, that makes sense. I hate it here."

Suddenly, the air changed. The golden bridge rippled beneath their feet, and a thick mist curled up from the endless void below.

Zayn stiffened. "Uh. Is this normal, or should I start panicking?"

Elias, ever the calm one, adjusted his glasses. "Depends. Do you usually hear creepy whispering before breakfast?"

The group fell silent. A faint murmur, like voices on the wind, swirled around them. It was too soft to understand, yet eerily familiar—like someone was calling their names.

Amara frowned. "I don't like this.

Lior threw up his hands. "Fantastic. First, we get emotionally wrecked by a talking mirror, and now we're being haunted. Love this journey for us."

The mist thickened, forming vague, shifting shapes. Shadows flickered in and out of existence, watching them with unseen eyes.

Then—a deep, ancient voice echoed from nowhere.

"You seek the path forward. But some roads demand a price."

The golden bridge beneath their feet cracked.

"WELL, THAT'S NOT GOOD!" Zayn yelped, grabbing onto Lior.

The others barely had time to react before the bridge shattered completely.

And just like that—

They fell.