Deep within the World of Mirrors, a mysterious figure sat upon a towering black throne.
His features were hidden behind the massive back of the throne, leaving only his voice echoing through the hall.
That man was Guardian Ildar.
Five figures stood silently on either side of the throne: Malcar, Karion, Dravin, Oryth, and Sylvar.
Malcar stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
“Our plan has succeeded, my lord.
Adrian is now inside the Guardians’ World.”
Silence filled the hall for a few moments before Ildar’s laughter echoed through the darkness.
“After thousands of years of trying to reach my world, I couldn’t send anything through.
Not a voice…
not even a whisper.
So I had only one choice—to make someone from that world open the gate for me.”
Oryth stepped forward.
“But, my lord…
the Guardians would never have allowed anyone to enter their world.”
Ildar smiled.
“I know.
That’s why I didn’t deceive them…
I made them deceive themselves.”
Silence returned to the hall before Ildar continued in a cold voice.
“That boy still believes his mother managed to escape the Soul Mirror and steal a portion of my power.
But the truth is…
everything that happened was part of my plan.”
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“I was the one who ordered his mother’s death, without causing any harm to her body.
I knew that once her soul was freed, the Guardians would never suspect a thing.”
He continued, “I was the one who freed her soul.
I was also the one who planted a portion of my power inside her and made her believe that she had taken it from me.
Then she passed that power on to the boy herself.”
A cold smile appeared on his lips.
“She thought she was saving her son…”
He paused.
“But in reality, she was carrying out the very first step of my plan.”
Malcar raised his head.
“So that’s why you ordered me to provoke the boy by killing his family?
You wanted to make him angry?”
Ildar replied calmly, “I needed the Dark Energy inside him to awaken.
The angrier he became, the more power it would release.
Once that happened, the Guardians would believe my plan had worked and take him to their world themselves.”
His laughter echoed through the hall once again.
“And the best part?
They never suspected a thing.
They saw exactly what I wanted them to see, and believed exactly what I wanted them to believe.”
Ildar slowly rose from his throne.
For the first time, his tall shadow appeared behind him.
His voice echoed throughout the World of Mirrors.
“And now…
I will finally return to my world.
But this time, I won’t return alone.
I’ll bring an entire army of Dark Souls with me.”
He continued, “I’m very close now.
There’s only one step left—to open the gate at the exact same moment as him.
I’ll be on this side, and he’ll be on the other.
Once that happens, the Dark Souls will begin crossing between the two worlds.”
Malcar raised his head.
“But, my lord…
You’re a Guardian, but Adrian is still just a boy.”
Ildar smiled.
“That’s why I transferred a portion of my Guardian power to him.
He may not be a complete Guardian, but the gate will recognize him.”
Silence filled the hall for a moment before Ildar continued.
“However, because the power he carries is incomplete, the gate won’t be able to open fully.
That’s why the Dark Souls won’t be able to cross over directly.
Instead, they’ll slip through the reflections.”
The others looked at him with interest.
Ildar continued, “Every mirror, every pool of water, every surface that reflects this world…
will become a gateway for the Dark Souls.”
Ildar slowly closed his eyes.
Silence spread throughout the World of Mirrors.
Then his lips moved, and a single word escaped them.
It came out slowly, carrying an eerie sense of dread.
“Adriaaaan…”
At that moment, Adrian was sitting beside Dan’s bed, watching his sleeping friend while struggling to stay awake.
Everything in the room was quiet, but suddenly, something made his body tense.
His eyes widened as he quickly got to his feet and cautiously looked around the room.
“Who’s there?!”
No one answered.
Everything remained still, as if the voice he’d heard had been nothing more than a hallucination caused by exhaustion.
But a few moments later, the voice called out again.
“I am…
your master, Adrian.”
Adrian’s expression changed instantly.
“I have no masters.
Who are you?”
A brief silence followed before a cold laugh came from somewhere inside the room.
“I am…
the one whose power was stolen from me—the power you now carry.”
Adrian’s fists tightened, anger and contempt burning in his eyes.
“So you’re the one behind everything that happened.”
He paused before speaking through clenched teeth.
“And I swear you’ll pay for what you did to my family.”
Silence filled the room for several seconds.
Then the voice returned.
This time, it was calmer, but there was something in its tone that sent a chill down Adrian’s spine.
“I’m not the one who will make you suffer, Adrian…
It’s the place you’re in right now.
Here, you’ll learn what true suffering really means.”
Adrian narrowed his eyes, staring into the darkness around him without moving.
“What do you want?”
Silence followed for a moment.
Then the voice echoed directly inside Adrian’s mind, as if it were no longer coming from the room at all.
“I want you to bring my daughter back.”
Adrian’s brows furrowed.
“Your daughter?”
The voice answered calmly:
“I think you know who she is.”
“Our memories…
have become connected.”
The moment Ildar finished speaking, memories flooded Adrian’s mind once again.
and a man holding her gently, promising that he would never leave her.
Adrian froze for a moment.
Then he remembered Valdrin’s words.
“The exiled Guardian…
had a wife and a daughter.”
“His wife was executed…”
But Valdrin had never mentioned anything about his daughter.
Adrian returned to reality and stared coldly into the darkness.
“Why would I help you get your daughter back…
when you’re the one who killed my family?”
Silence followed.
Then Ildar’s voice came calmly.
“Because the reason I need to get my daughter back…
is the same reason that will make you help me.”
Adrian narrowed his eyes.
“What do you mean?”
Ildar answered with a single word.
“Philip.”
Adrian’s eyes widened, and his breathing quickened.
“What did you say?”
Ildar continued calmly.
“Your brother’s soul…
is still in my possession.”
Adrian violently shook his head.
“You’re lying.”
He continued angrily:
“The souls of children can’t be controlled by the Soul Mirror.
That’s why you use children as food.”
A quiet laugh came from the darkness.
“Whoever told you that…
only told you half the truth.”
Silence filled the room for a moment before Ildar continued.
“It’s true that the Soul Mirror cannot control the souls of children…
but that doesn’t mean it can’t imprison them.”
Adrian felt the weight of those words as he listened.
Then Ildar’s voice came slowly, as if he wanted every word to sink deep into Adrian’s mind.
“Think carefully, Adrian.”
“Either you save your brother’s soul…”
He paused.
“Or you leave him trapped inside the World of Mirrors…”
Silence followed for several seconds.
Then came his final words:
“Forever.”
The voice suddenly cut off.
At the same moment, the dark aura surrounding Adrian disappeared, and the heavy sensation inside his head vanished as if the person speaking to him had suddenly left his mind.
Adrian remained standing where he was, staring into empty space without blinking.
Ildar’s words kept echoing through his mind.
Was he telling the truth?
Or was this just another trick to make Adrian help him get his daughter back?
Adrian remained lost in his thoughts until a familiar voice broke the silence.
“Adrian…”
He quickly turned around.
Dan had woken up.
He was sitting up in bed with some difficulty, staring at Adrian in confusion.
Then he asked:
“What are you doing standing over there?”