Dante slowed his steps and turned slightly toward Airam.
He remained silent and allowed her to continue while the sickly green flames cast shifting shadows across the ruined hospital corridor.
“Our mother was pregnant with twins,” Airam said.
“Maria and I were born on the same night, but there was something wrong with my body.” Her voice remained calm.
She spoke as though she were recounting the life of a stranger rather than describing her own death.
“Dan had already built his entire life around beauty and perfection.
He took one look at me and decided that I was a disgrace.” Airam’s expression hardened as an old hatred surfaced in her eyes.
“He abandoned me on the night I was born.” Dante said nothing.
Dan Brennan’s obsession with physical appearance had always been cruel, but leaving his newborn daughter to die revealed a darkness far beyond his constant criticism of Maria.
“My body died,” Airam continued.
“My resentment didn’t.” She looked toward the cracked mirror beside them.
A faint image of a crying infant appeared in its dark surface before fading again.
“My spirit became trapped inside the mirrors.
For years, I could only watch Maria live the life that should have belonged to both of us.” Airam walked forward again.
Dante remained beside her while rusted hospital doors passed on either side.
“I watched Dan criticize every part of her appearance.
I watched her classmates humiliate her and saw Lily pretend to be her friend whenever it was convenient.” Her hands slowly clenched.
“Maria became quieter every year.
She stopped defending herself and began disappearing inside her own fear.” The bitterness in Airam’s voice grew stronger.
She had envied Maria’s living body, yet watching her sister suffer had also created a complicated form of sympathy.
“One day, Maria finally saw me.” Dante glanced toward her.
“She was frightened at first, but she didn’t scream.
We started speaking whenever she stood in front of the mirror.” Airam’s expression softened for a brief moment.
“I told her who I was and what Dan had done.
Maria believed me.
Part of her even thought she owed me the life I never received.” Dante considered everything she had revealed.
“So you made a deal.” Airam gave him a sidelong look.
“She proposed it.” A humorless smile appeared on her lips.
“Maria said she was tired.
She didn’t want to face Dan, Mark, Lily, or anyone else who had made her life miserable.” Airam’s voice became quieter as she repeated her sister’s request.
“She wanted me to take her place.
She asked me to fight back and do everything she had always been too afraid to attempt.” Dante imagined Maria standing before the mirror while surrendering control of her own body.
Years of pressure had left her desperate enough to choose imprisonment over another day of living as herself.
“And Maria wanted to stay inside the mirror,” he said.
“She called it peace.” Airam stared ahead as the floating flames reflected in her dark eyes.
“She thought the mirror would protect her from the world.
I agreed because I wanted a life, and she wanted to escape hers.” Dante stopped and drew in a sharp breath.
He widened his eyes and placed an exaggerated look of realization on his face.
“So that’s the truth.
You aren’t Maria at all.
You’re her long-lost twin sister, Airam.” Airam stared at him for two silent seconds.
Then she burst out laughing.
The sound echoed through the abandoned corridor.
Dante’s expression slowly returned to normal while she shook her head in amusement.
“Dante, that was terrible.” “What was?” “Your performance.” Airam wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of her eye.
“You’ve suspected me since the moment I approached your locker.” Dante rubbed the side of his nose.
“Was it that obvious?” “Your eyes gave you away.” Airam stepped closer and looked directly into them.
“You weren’t looking at me like an ordinary classmate.
You watched every movement as though you had discovered a dangerous animal and wanted to see what it would do next.” Dante gave her a relaxed smile.
“I prefer the term interesting mystery.” “You looked at me like prey.” “That sounds far less polite.” Before Airam could respond, an unbearable chill swept through the corridor.
The green flames bent toward the far wall.
Every mirror began shaking as a violent presence moved through the glass.
Dante’s smile disappeared.
The main mirror at the end of the corridor turned completely black.
Its surface swelled outward as something enormous forced its way through.
A massive ghostly claw emerged from the darkness.
Countless twisted human faces formed its fingers and palm.
Their mouths opened in silent agony while the claw reached toward Airam’s back.
“Watch out!” Dante’s eyes flashed.
Telekinesis EX erupted through the corridor before he even turned around.
The enormous claw stopped less than two feet from Airam.
Its fingers continued stretching toward her, but an invisible field held every part of it in place.
The mirror demon roared.
The sound shook dust from the ceiling and caused cracks to spread through the surrounding walls.
Faces inside the claw screamed as the creature struggled against Dante’s psychic grip.
Airam turned and stepped away from the frozen attack.
Surprise appeared in her eyes when she realized how close it had come to taking her.
Dante finally faced the creature.
“Is that your best move?” He raised his right hand and spread his fingers toward the restrained shadow.
“Purification.” A sphere of white light formed above his palm.
The glow was gentle and warm to Dante and Airam, yet the mirror demon reacted as though a second sun had appeared inside its world.
The creature released another furious scream.
Streams of Purification shot from Dante’s hand.
They transformed into brilliant bands of light that wrapped around the claw and continued into the black mirror.
The mirror demon fought harder.
Dante tightened his telekinetic field and prevented it from retreating.
The Purification bands contracted around its body and began burning through the darkness.
Black smoke poured from the claw.
The screaming human faces started separating from the shadow.
One after another, they dissolved into pale lights and floated away with expressions of relief.
The demon cursed in a language that twisted the air around them.
Every mirror in the corridor shattered at once, but the attack could not break Dante’s concentration.
He kept one hand raised and slowly closed his fingers.
The psychic pressure increased.
The enormous claw collapsed inward while Purification consumed the shadow forming it.
The demon’s screams grew weaker until they became no more than a fading echo.
Airam watched without speaking.
The creature had controlled an entire world of mirrors and enslaved hundreds of dead souls.
Dante destroyed it by raising one hand.
His expression remained calm throughout the struggle.
He did not look frightened or exhausted.
He seemed almost disappointed that the battle had ended so quickly.
The last section of the shadow dissolved beneath the sacred light.
Silence returned to the corridor.
Nothing remained of the mirror demon’s resentment.
The final trapped faces disappeared with peaceful expressions before the black smoke cleared.
A transparent crystal floated where the claw had been.
It was roughly the size of Dante’s fist and shaped like a diamond.
Faint silver light moved through its center while the crystal slowly descended.
Dante extended one hand.
The object landed in his palm.
Its surface felt colder than ice and smoother than polished glass.
Dante turned it beneath the green flames and studied the energy flowing within.
“Well, that takes care of the demon.” He glanced around the unstable corridor.
“Now we only need to figure out how to leave this place.” Airam did not answer.
Her eyes remained fixed on the crystal.
Dante noticed the desire burning in her expression.
It was stronger than simple curiosity and carried enough intensity to make her breathing quicken.
“This crystal…” Airam stepped closer.
“Let me absorb it.” Dante raised an eyebrow.
“Absorb it?” “The demon used this as the core of the mirror world.” Airam looked from the crystal to the surrounding glass.
“If I take its power, I can open a path out of here.
I may also gain the ability to move freely through every mirror.” Her fingers curled with anticipation.
“I would no longer be tied to Maria’s reflection or trapped behind one piece of glass.” Dante understood what the crystal represented.
It was not merely a way to escape.
It could free Airam from the limitations that had controlled her entire existence.
He tossed it toward her without hesitation.
“Then what are you waiting for?” Airam caught the crystal with both hands.
She looked at Dante as though she had expected questions, conditions, or a demand for something in return.
“You’re giving it to me?” “You need it more than I do.” “Aren’t you afraid of what might happen?” Dante folded his arms.
“What do you mean?” Airam’s gaze dropped toward the power pulsing inside the crystal.
“This energy belonged to a demon strong enough to create an entire world.
I could lose control after absorbing it.” Dante smiled.
“I’m only afraid of things becoming boring.” He raised one finger and pointed it toward her forehead.
“If you lose control, I’ll pull you back.” Airam’s heart skipped.
The complete confidence in his voice affected her more than any careful reassurance could have.
Dante did not believe she was harmless.
He simply believed that he could stop her if necessary.
For some reason, that certainty made her feel safe.
Airam lowered her eyes and tightened her grip around the crystal.
Crack!
The diamond-shaped core shattered between her fingers.
Thousands of silver fragments filled the corridor.
Instead of falling, they transformed into points of light and circled Airam’s body.
The glowing particles formed a brilliant river.
Then they rushed into her.
Airam released a muffled cry as her body jerked backward.
The power entered her soul with enough force to tear apart an ordinary spirit.
Her knees almost buckled.
A dark wave spread through her eyes until both pupils became completely black.
Her hair rose around her face as invisible energy exploded from her body.
The mirror world reacted immediately.
The floor split beneath them.
Long cracks raced across the walls while sections of the ceiling collapsed.
The floating green flames flickered as the false world began losing its structure.
Dante did not move.
Telekinesis formed a protective field around his body.
Broken stone and rusted metal struck the barrier before being thrown aside.
His attention remained fixed on Airam.
The mirror energy surged through her in violent waves.
Her body rose several feet above the floor while light and darkness alternated across her skin.
Airam clenched her teeth.
The power tried to tear her identity apart and absorb her into the endless reflections.
She forced every fragment under her control through sheer determination.
Dante watched with growing approval.
Airam possessed far more willpower than he had expected.
Any ordinary vengeful spirit would have shattered beneath the pressure.
She endured.
The silver river continued entering her body until the final points of light disappeared.
The tremors spreading through the corridor slowly weakened.
For one brief moment, everything became silent.
Airam descended toward the floor.
Her boots touched the cracked tile without making a sound.
She opened her eyes and revealed countless mirrors reflected inside her black pupils.
The images moved like windows into other rooms and distant places.
Airam raised one hand and studied her palm.
She could feel every reflective surface connected to the strange world around her.
She gently closed her fingers.
Snap!
A full-length mirror beside her shattered into fine dust.
A confident smile spread across Airam’s face.
She was no longer a vengeful spirit dependent on Maria’s mirror.
The absorbed core had connected her to the vast network of reflections surrounding the living world.
Airam had become a true Queen of Mirrors.
“How do you feel?” Dante asked.
“Better than ever.” The darkness in her eyes faded until they appeared human again.
She turned toward Dante while a dangerous excitement remained in her smile.
“This place is collapsing.
We need to leave.” Another section of the ceiling crashed behind them.
The corridor began folding inward as the mirror realm lost the energy maintaining it.
Airam reached for Dante’s arm.
“Hold on.” She pulled him toward a wall covered in broken glass.
The fragments melted together and formed a dark opening before they reached it.
Dante allowed her to lead him into the void.
The ruined hospital disappeared around them.
Countless mirror fragments rushed past like silver meteors.
Each one contained a different image from the living world.
Dante saw bathrooms, bedrooms, stores, cars, and dark hallways before they vanished into the distance.
The sensation differed from ordinary flight.
There was no wind or clear direction.
They moved through a space built from reflections instead of physical distance.
Dante looked toward Airam.
“Where are we going?” “Home.” Her voice remained clear despite the strange world surrounding them.
A bright mirror appeared ahead.
Beyond its glowing surface was a familiar bedroom with pink walls, a white vanity, and several stuffed animals resting on the bed.
Maria’s room.
Airam tightened her hold on Dante and accelerated toward it.
“Brace yourself.” They struck the mirror.
The surface gave way like a cold curtain of water.
Dante felt the world turn around him before gravity suddenly returned.
He and Airam fell from the full-length mirror into the bedroom.
They struck the soft carpet and rolled together.
Dante ended up on his back while Airam landed directly above him.
She placed both hands on the floor beside his shoulders to keep from crushing him.
Their faces stopped only inches apart.
The remaining chill of the mirror world clung to Airam’s hair.
Beneath it, Dante could smell the faint perfume she had worn for their date.
Airam stared down at him.
Her heart beat rapidly against his chest.
She had never been this close to a man before, and the realization brought unexpected heat to her cheeks.
Dante looked up with an amused smile.
Airam’s eyes moved across his face and lingered for a moment longer than she intended.
At that distance, she could see every detail of his expression.
The room became strangely quiet.
Neither of them immediately moved.
A timid voice came from the full-length mirror behind them.
“What are you two doing?” Dante and Airam froze.
They slowly turned their heads toward the mirror.
Maria stood behind the glass.
Her pale face filled the reflection while her wide eyes moved between Dante and the sister lying on top of him.
Shock and confusion appeared first, followed by a trace of unmistakable hurt.
Maria’s lips trembled.
No second question came out.
Even Dante felt his scalp begin to tingle.
Fighting the mirror demon had been much easier than explaining this.