Chapter 6 : Shadows of The Past

The door led into a narrow corridor carved from black stone. Strange whispers echoed from the walls, but no one else was there. Only the journal's glow lit our way.

Suddenly, the hallway widened into a circular room with mirrors all around. As soon as we stepped inside, the door behind us vanished.

Zeeshan looked around nervously. "Is this... a trap?"

Before I could answer, the mirrors began to shimmer. Our reflections changed. They didn't copy us—they showed different versions of us. One where I was older. One where Zeeshan was missing an eye. One where everything seemed... darker.

Then one mirror cracked—and from it, a shadow stepped out.

It looked like me, but its eyes were hollow, its smile twisted.

"I am what you fear," it whispered. "I am what you could become."

It lunged at me.

I ducked just in time, and the journal flew open mid-air. A beam of light burst from it, striking the shadow. It screamed and disappeared.

Each mirror began to crack one by one, and more shadows poured out. Zeeshan and I stood back-to-back.

"We have to close the room!" I shouted.

The journal flipped pages furiously until it stopped at a page with a seal.

"Say the words!" Zeeshan yelled, pointing.

I read the strange symbols aloud. The mirrors shattered into dust, and the door reappeared.

Panting, we stepped out.

Zeeshan looked at me, shaken. "What... what was that?"

I didn't know how to answer. But deep down, I knew this was just the beginning. The journal wasn't only a guide—it was a test.

And we still had a long way to go.