The Mirror Room Only One Leaves

ollowed Harper's drea

f the light, perhaps. A shadow cast by exhaustion. But something about the girl's

t tell th

t

pacing like a soldier trapped in enemy territory. Jace barely made jokes anymore - which was worse

mained u

l unfolding exact

ift came wi

oss the floo

room, something new appea

ld's

e edges. The kind with

er g

at'

side it, han

xact shoe whe

Kemi asked. "

's a faded letter here. An H. My mom wrote it with a laundry p

yle said quietly. "M

. "How the hell does th

se," Kemi muttered. "It

thing... whatever's controlling the mirrors... it has a

testing truth. It's testing

low. "So if we li

ear," Elar

d item

, closer

th faded insignia.

f something - pain, recognition, guil

dn't

even to

turne

ers did

more object

ed as she lifted it. "This was my prototype interface m

figure - left where Jace sat.

," he said. "I said it was a role I w

and pink, with faded

d it before anyone could

been her

own it into

they bur

alone in the

ir own pasts, pu

irrors we

chi

ord

"But it's not running any OS I recognize. It's like it's mimicking my model, not duplicati

ogrammed this?

rogramme

h. "A haunted house built

elieve it's time we consi

urned

rors aren't show

ed. "What d

ing us versions of our pasts? Things we've sup

. "No, I remember my s

le said softly. "And th

e a stone dropped

n't even trust wha

ed on truths they had buried

item a

me, nea

ed, with a single black

t it for a

icked

it?" Dori

nt session. From over a decade a

u?" Ela

dn't

t hav

cross from h

t o

it

s pa

ments. Conversatio

ad moved. It was now hanging from the

sage had etched its

the path. Lie,

eneat

esumes a

was no

oom withou

hanged - from pale white to golden hu

her

the voice

ss. Step forward. Speak th

neath them g

in the center - a

ce muttered,

t," Harper

ara said

lready stepping

s responde

plied. Not just one - but five, ten, twenty Harpers sur

cry

gri

e b

the voi

closed

dent," she said softly. "The

stomach

ooked

reet," Harper continued. "I told e

oice

cond. I lashed out. And she

rors fl

ne Harper

stood alone i

brea

l wh

: "Confession accep

returned

lapped. No o

aking, and tears trac

rd to hold her, but

"I had to say it. I never

rave," El

d. "I'm just tired

turns af

by

in the circle

told myself it was fog of war. But I hesitated. I kn

rs didn't

n the wall deep

epped f

used for control. I didn't care. I wanted the money. I t

ction did

lap sparked faintly, a

turn ca

a broken,

y. She was leaving me. I thought ruining her was justice. She died in pris

flecti

so d

turn, she almost d

r beneath he

s her

ered th

rors da

all of them - star

ng to expose the trials. The suppression protocols. I found

immered on the

ut I wasn't. I had enough evidence to blow it open. I hel

ice cr

. Because I wanted

ections

rd - a younger ve

Now you're tell

van

was

d in th

ors didn

led fa

s left to conf

mirrors

. Ins

s split across th

" the voi

Coyl

ot va

ckward, clutching

ng had pierc

pered. "Not yet

olla

ward, kneelin

ckled fro

eyes w

terr

wake," h

a fr

ho

lips t

behind th