The screeching of the bus as it halted cut through Duy An's wandering thoughts. The mysterious woman had vanished into the crowd of passengers. An remained standing there, his eyes fixed on the bus window, which had just reflected the image of a chilling dark figure and a terrifying warning. "The things inside... they know your name."
Those words echoed in An's head all the way to university. He tried to focus on the lecture, but the images of the "mirror stains" flickered persistently. Distorted faces, despairing eyes, and the lurking shadow demons... They were like spreading ink blots on An's canvas of reality, and he couldn't wipe them clean.
Classes ended, and Duy An walked through the corridor like a ghost. His mind reeled with countless questions. Why was he seeing these things? What were they? And what did that woman's warning mean?
An decided to return to the hospital where he had woken up after the accident. Perhaps there was something special about that place. Or perhaps, he was simply desperately searching for an answer.
The hospital in the afternoon was quieter than in the morning. Duy An went straight to the restroom where he had first seen the "mirror shade" of the strange man. He stood before the mirror, taking a deep breath. Nothing. Only the pale, exhausted reflection of An stared back.
He let out a sigh of relief, telling himself he might have been overly paranoid. But just as Duy An turned to leave, a faint sound reached his ears. The soft swish of a broom.
A middle-aged woman, dressed in a pale blue janitor's uniform, was bent over, cleaning a secluded corner. It was the same woman who had warned him at the bus stop this morning!
An approached her. "You... you are..."
The woman looked up, her sharp eyes meeting An's. Her face looked tired but still conveyed a sense of alertness.
"What are you doing here again? I told you, don't look into the mirrors for too long." Her voice was a little hoarse, but resolute.
"Who are you? You know what I see, don't you?" Duy An couldn't contain his curiosity.
The woman put down her broom and stood upright. She scrutinized An from head to toe, as if evaluating him.
"My name is Thanh Lam. I used to be like you. No, to be precise, I used to work with people like you."
Duy An was stunned. "Like me? You... you also see those shadows?"
Thanh Lam didn't answer directly. She glanced at the mirror. "This mirror... it's one of the oldest ones here. It has witnessed many departures. And... sometimes, souls don't want to leave."
She turned to Duy An, her gaze filled with solemnity. "What you see isn't just the 'mirror shades' of the dead. Behind them... are much worse things. They are predators. They crave to be seen. And your Inverse Eye is what they desire most."
"The Inverse Eye?" An repeated, feeling a jolt run down his spine.
"That's right. Only those with the Inverse Eye can clearly see both spirits and shadow demons. And they... know how to exploit that." Thanh Lam sighed. "You should be glad that accident didn't kill you. Otherwise, your soul would have been dragged into their world."
A chill ran down Duy An's spine. That accident... it truly wasn't accidental.
"You... what do you know about them? About the disappearances, about that mirror game online...?" Duy An pressed, hoping to find an answer to the fears tormenting him.
Thanh Lam looked at An for a long moment, as if contemplating something. Finally, she exhaled. "I'm no longer involved with them. But I know you're in danger. And perhaps... I owe you an explanation."
She pulled out a small business card, quickly writing an address on it. "Don't come here again. It's too dangerous. Come to this place tonight, after I finish work. I'll tell you what you need to know."
An took the business card, his hand trembling slightly. The address was a small café, tucked away in an old alley in District 1.
"Who are you... who are you, really?" An asked, but Thanh Lam had already turned away, resuming her cleaning duties as if nothing had happened.
Duy An stared at the business card. A new, terrifying door had just opened before him.