Elara didn't sleep that night.
The sealed book lay beside her pillow, still warm. She kept looking at the mirror across the room. It was tall, with a black wooden frame and a small crack in the corner. It had always been there- ordinary.
But now, it felt… alive.
Every time she blinked, she thought she saw movement.Like someone standing just behind her.When she turned, nothing was there.Just her reflection. But not quite.
In the morning, she looked pale. Her eyes had dark circles under them. She got ready for the day's activities and tried to act normal, but her hands were shaking. She felt like something was following her, not with footsteps, but with a stare.
At breakfast, no one sat beside her. Even the teachers looked away.
Only Cassian passed her table, holding an apple, and said, "Nice of you to steal from the basement."
"I didn't."
He gave her a slow smile. "Relax. I'm not here to report you."
He leaned closer. "But I hope you didn't open it."
"I didn't-". She started.
"Good. Not yet."
In Potions class, she sat next to a girl named Brin. They'd never spoken much before. Brin had short, curly hair and a soft voice, like every word was a secret.
Brin leaned over and whispered, "Did you hear about the mirror in West Hall?"
Elara froze. "What mirror?"
"They covered it this morning. Said it cracked itself. People say it's haunted."
Elara swallowed. "Did anyone see anything?"
Brin shrugged. "They say a girl's face appeared in the glass- but it wasn't her reflection. It was… wrong. All black eyes. And smiling."
Elara's heart thudded.
Last night. Her mirror.
She had seen something too.
That night, she didn't go to her dorm.
Instead, she crept through the halls, the sealed book wrapped in her cloak. She walked toward West Hall. The torches on the walls flickered as she passed. The air was cold and dry, like the whole building was holding a breath again.
She reached the mirror.
It was tall and covered with black cloth now, tied tightly with red string.
She stared at it for a long moment. Then she reached out and pulled the cloth down.
The mirror was cracked — a sharp, thin line across the middle. Her reflection stared back.
But there was something else.
A second Elara.
In the mirror, she smiled — a little too wide.
The real Elara didn't move.
But the mirror version did.
She raised her hand slowly.And placed her palm on the glass.
Elara's breath caught.
On the mirror, a mark appeared beneath her hand- the same shape that had appeared on her skin on the day Maris disappeared- a spiral with sharp edges.
Then a voice, soft and cold, echoed in her head:
"You belong to the page now."
Elara stumbled back, her heart racing. The mirror went dark- just plain glass again.
She turned and ran.
Back to her room. Back to her bed. Back to the warm, dangerous book.
She opened it.