Through the mirror

Aralyn's POV

I ran until my lungs burned and my legs threatened to give up on me. My bare feet, scraped and bloodied, stumbled over the uneven cobblestones of Vasthral's alleyways, and my heartbeat thundered in my ears, each pulse reminding me of what I had done.

Darius was dead.

I had killed him, and now, I had nothing.

The realization hit me as I finally came to a halt, my body folding forward as I braced my hands on my knees, struggling to steady myself. It was only then that I noticed the way my thin, worn-out pajamas clung to my sweat-dampened skin, the fabric torn in places and stained with streaks of dried blood. Darius's blood.

A shudder wracked my body.

I had run with no plan, no thought of what came next, and now, I was paying for it.

I reached for the pockets of my pajamas—empty. Of course, they were. I had no money, no spare clothes, no weapon to defend myself if I was caught, and worse than all of that… I had nowhere to go.

Vasthral wasn't a place where one could simply disappear. The city was small, and the street was beaming with criminals who thrived off information, and it wouldn't take long before word spread. My uncle's men would notify the other gangs, and soon, the entire underworld would be hunting me.

I was a dead woman walking.

A sharp gust of wind sent a violent shiver down my spine, and I wrapped my arms around myself immediately, but it did little to stop the cold. My body was exhausted, my muscles trembling from overexertion. I couldn't keep running forever.

I needed to think.

A plan.

Some way to survive, but just as I took a deep breath, preparing to force my mind into some semblance of order, something on the ground caught my eye.

A mirror.

I blinked, my breath still ragged as I straightened slightly. It was lying just a few feet away, its glass face-up on the cobblestone street. It wasn't cracked, nor was it dusty, as if someone had just placed it there deliberately.

What in the world was a mirror doing here?

A part of me knew better than to question it. Vasthral was a city of strange things, filled with relics stolen from nobles and trinkets smuggled in from distant lands, but something about this mirror felt wrong.

Off.

Like it was waiting.

A strange, prickling sensation crawled down my spine, and I took a hesitant step forward. Then another. The mirror's reflection shifted, but not the way it should have. My own reflection didn't move as I did. It stood still, watching me with dark eyes, and a chill immediately ran through me.

I should walk away. I should ignore it, keep moving, focus on surviving the night, and yet…I couldn't.

I didn't know why, but an urge—a deep, inexplicable pull—demanded that I pick it up. My fingers twitched at my sides, my body moving before my mind could catch up.

I crouched down, reaching toward the glass.

The moment my fingertips brushed the surface, a cold shock jolted through my arm, racing up my spine like ice in my veins.

I gasped, and the mirror shifted.

The world around me twisted violently, the ground vanishing under my feet as a sharp force yanked me forward, dragging me into the glass with a power I couldn't fight, and I barely had time to scream before the darkness swallowed me whole.

***

One moment, I had been crouched on the damp streets of Vasthral, my fingers brushing a mirror, and the next, I was here.

I stood frozen in the middle of a long, empty road, my breath coming in quick gasps as I tried to make sense of what had just happened.

This wasn't Vasthral.

Gone were the crumbling brick walls and the choking scent of smoke and filth. Instead, I found myself on a perfectly paved road, surrounded by tall trees, and it wasn't nighttime anymore.

The air here was clean in a way I hadn't experienced since childhood—before my parents had died and before Vasthral had swallowed me whole.

I turned slowly, feeling utterly confused.

Where was I?

I swallowed, running a hand through my tangled hair, barely registering how shaky I felt. What in the world had just happened?

I had no answers, but standing here doing nothing wasn't going to help, so I started walking.

Each step felt surreal, like I was drifting through some fever dream. My bare feet padded against the ground, and my arms wrapped tightly around myself as I glanced around, half-expecting someone to appear.

I should've been terrified. I was terrified, but compared to the certain death that had been waiting for me back in Vasthral, this place—wherever it was—felt almost merciful. Still, I needed answers.

Was I safe, or had I stumbled into something worse? Minutes passed—maybe longer—before I finally spotted movement in the distance.

A car.

My heart leapt into my throat as I saw the sleek black vehicle speeding toward me. For a moment, I hesitated, my instincts screaming at me to stay hidden. But no—if I had any chance of figuring out what was going on, I needed to take it.

Raising my arms, I waved frantically at the car, stepping further into the road.

"Hey!" My voice cracked from exhaustion. "Stop! Please!"

The car didn't slow. A feeling of unease coiled in my stomach as I realized—it wasn't just driving toward me. It was coming for me.

My heart pounded as I staggered back a step, but just in time, the tires screeched against the pavement, bringing the car to a halt directly before me.

Then, the driver's side door opened, a man stepped out, and I froze at the sight of him.

He was tall. Inhumanly tall.

Easily seven feet, dressed in a black suit that clung to his broad shoulders like it had been made just for him, and as he took a step toward me, I instinctively backed up.

He stopped, tilting his head slightly. Then, to my absolute confusion, he bowed his head and spoke to me. "This way, my lady."

I blinked, unable to move.

My lady?

I glanced behind me, half-expecting someone else to be there, but the road was as empty as before, meaning that he was talking to me.

I took another step back as my heart started to beat really fast. "I—I think you've got the wrong person."

The man straightened, his face unreadable. "I do not," he said simply.

I swallowed hard, as my throat got dry, and my thoughts raced in every direction at once. This wasn't right. None of this was right.

I had just been in Vasthral. I had been running for my life, covered in blood, with nowhere to go, and then I had touched that damned mirror, and now… I was here, standing in front of a seven-foot-tall man who spoke to me like I was someone important.

I clenched my fists. "Where am I?"

The man regarded me for a moment before finally answering. "You have arrived in Eldrinth," he said, his tone calm, and patient. "And I have been sent to retrieve you."

Eldrinth? The name sent a shiver through me, even though I was sure I had never heard it before.

I stared at him, my instincts still screaming at me to be cautious. "Retrieve me for what?"

He didn't hesitate. "For your arrival, my lady. Everything is ready for your arrival, my lady.

Everything has been prepared.

His words chilled me more than they should have. It was like… like this had been expected, like someone had known I was coming.

My fingers twitched at my sides, my heart hammering so loudly I was sure he could hear it. I was exhausted, confused, completely out of my element, and now standing in front of a man who looked like he could snap my neck with one hand but spoke to me with nothing but creepy respect.

I needed answers, but more than anything—I needed to know if stepping into that car was a mistake.

I glanced down at my bloodstained clothes, then back at the road behind me. It stretched on endlessly, leading nowhere. I had no money, no supplies, and no knowledge of this world. I could walk and hope I found someone else, someone less intimidating, or… I could take the risk.

I lifted my gaze to meet his.

"Who sent you?"

The man studied me for a long moment. Then, with a small, almost knowing smile, he answered, "The High Priestess."