Reflections of Ruin

The mirrored forest hummed.

Not with life.

With malice.

Each shard of glass shimmered with potential—possible futures, forgotten memories, failed versions of them all. But only one moved with intention.

Kai's reflection.

It stepped fully from the mirror, solid and real, a perfect copy—except for the eyes.

The real Kai's were fierce, gold threaded with warmth.

This version's? Solid crimson, rimmed in black.

Empty of mercy.

[Mirror Spawn: Kai Draven (Unchained)]

[Attributes: Unknown – System Access: Corrupted]

[Directive: Eliminate the Original and Claim the Unbound Path]

[Warning: Reflection Possesses Access to Hidden Skills Kai Has Not Yet Unlocked]

The others drew weapons.

Lyra stepped into a flanking angle. "Tell me we're killing that."

Selis's eyes narrowed. "It's not that simple. The Tower doesn't manifest random shadows. This one means something."

Nayomi didn't wait.

She lunged.

Her fist caught the reflection in the gut—only for it to vanish in a shimmer.

Behind her, it whispered, "Always so predictable, kitten."

She spun—too slow.

A blast of energy hit her square in the back and sent her flying into a tree.

Kai's rage surged.

[Skill Activated: Emberstep]

[New Modifier Active: Unbound Path – Skill Effect Altered: Distance Doubled, Cooldown Removed]

He blinked behind the copy, blade raised—but the reflection moved just as fast.

Steel met steel.

Clash after clash.

Strike after counterstrike.

Each movement mirrored perfectly—but darker. Sharper.

More brutal.

Zaria unleashed a sonic snarl—only for her twin to lurch out of a nearby mirror and drag her into it.

[System Update: Multiple Mirror Spawn Now Active]

[Party Separation Imminent – Initiate Adaptive Combat Phase]

One by one, the forest claimed them.

Selis was swallowed by her past—forced to face the version of herself that never forgave the world.

Lyra was dragged into a world where she led the massacre she now mourned.

Only Kai and Nayomi remained—standing back to back, surrounded by versions of themselves.

"You good?" he asked.

Nayomi wiped blood from her lip, eyes burning. "Was about to ask you."

Her duplicate stepped forward.

This one wore a crown of bone.

And nothing else.

"Do you even know what you're holding back?" Mirror-Nayomi purred. "He doesn't want your loyalty. He wants your surrender."

Nayomi growled. "He already has both."

She launched herself again—this time with fire in her veins.

Kai had no time to watch.

His own copy struck again—ruthless, wild, without hesitation.

"I remember everything you buried," Mirror-Kai spat. "Every time you hesitated. Every second you doubted your pack. Every moment you feared becoming me."

Kai gritted his teeth.

"I'm not afraid of you."

"No?" the copy hissed. "Then why do you need them?"

The blade pierced Kai's side.

Real blood.

Real pain.

[HP –27%]

[Bleed Effect: Stacking]

Kai dropped to one knee.

And smiled.

"Because they're what make me stronger than you."

He roared—and his bonds flared.

Nayomi.

Selis.

Lyra.

Zaria.

[Passive Triggered: Soulweb Resonance]

[Party Members Responding to Bond Distress]

Selis shattered her mirror.

Lyra drowned her twin in shadow.

Zaria bit hers in half.

They returned in flashes of light—bleeding, gasping, furious.

Kai stood.

Blade in hand.

Blood down his arm.

"You're right," he told his reflection. "I could've been you."

He stepped forward.

"But I chose not to be."

[Ultimate Skill Unlocked: Sovereign Choice – Rewrite Outcome of Any One Battle Per Floor.

His blade ignited with system-breaking light.

He lunged and drove the sword through his double's chest.

The reflection screamed.

And shattered like glass.

[Trial Complete – Floor 38 Cleared]

[Unlocking Path to Floor 39]

[New Reward: Mirror Core Acquired – Allows Skill Copy Once Per Day from Any Ally or Enemy]

[Warning: Fracture Detected in System Integrity – Origin: Draven Bloodline Access Layer]

[Tower Instability at 9%]

The forest vanished.

They stood on the bridge to the next level.

No fanfare.

No music.

Just breathing.

And bleeding.

Nayomi limped to Kai, still glowing faintly from her brawl with herself.

She looked at him—really looked.

"You didn't just fight a shadow," she said. "You beat the part of you that might've betrayed us someday."

Kai nodded.

"I had to."

Selis stepped forward, holding a piece of cracked mirror.

It showed nothing now.

Just darkness.

"We're changing things the Tower never meant us to touch."

Zaria exhaled. "Good."

But before they could step forward—

The bridge cracked beneath them.

From below

Something rose.

Something massive.

[System Override Detected – Entity Manifesting Outside Trial Parameters]

[Source: Mirror Core Infection – Level 0 Origin Detected]

[Incoming: Warden-Class Anomaly – NAME: NULL-KAI]

And from the abyss—

A third version of Kai emerged.

Malformed.

Glitched.

A nightmare born from corrupted code and unchecked potential.

It didn't speak.

It screamed.

To be continued…