Kael Veyron was in the small, dark cabin when he stepped through the mirror.
Sunlight struck his face like a hammer. He raised his hand to shield his eyes. The sword at his side felt reassuring.
He opened the cabin door.
Cabins stretched side by side, all identical to the one he had just left. His gaze went forward—and froze.
A wide field lay ahead, covered in green grass… streaked with blood.
Kael gasped and fell to the ground.
The sound of his fall stirred the others. Cabins creaked open. People stepped out, blinking against the sunlight.
Almost twenty of them. Ten high school kids, two elderly couples, six office-going adults—three of them women.
They stared at Kael, then at the blood-soaked field.
"Uh… hi?" a boy called out nervously. Lucas Becker, cocky but clearly shaken, waved a hand.
"Hi… I'm Lucas," he added, trying to sound confident.
"Lucas? I'm Maya," a quiet girl said, stepping forward. She studied the others carefully.
"I'm Lena," said another, adjusting her glasses. "So… we're all… in the same situation?"
"Looks like it," muttered Hiro, rubbing the back of his neck. "Anyone else from… school?"
"I'm Kai," said a boy at the back, arms crossed. "And Ethan… that's me."
Kael observed silently, noting the tension in their postures, the fear in their eyes. He didn't speak—he had no time to waste on introductions.
The adults looked equally confused.
"I… I'm Olivia," said a woman in a blazer. "What is this? Some kind of… team-building exercise?"
"Yeah… right," muttered Felix, arms crossed. "Because exploding heads and blood on the ground is totally normal for HR."
George Hensley, the elderly man, whispered, "Martha… maybe this is some sort of… heaven."
Martha clasped his hand tightly, trembling.
Kael scanned them all. Ten high school kids, two old couples, six working adults. Fear, confusion, curiosity—all mixing in the air like a storm.
Suddenly, the air shifted.
A small, grotesque figure appeared above the field. Its eyes were sharp, empty, and glinting with malice.
"I am… Being," it said, voice grating, unnatural. "Your first trial… begins."
The group froze.
Sophia stepped forward, her voice trembling but defiant. "Wait—what is this? Why are we here?"
"Yeah! Explain!" shouted Ravi, fists clenched.
Being tilted its head. "You are here to play. Your task… your survival depends on it."
Without warning, Being raised a hand.
Pow!
Sophia's head exploded. Blood sprayed across the field.
Silence.
The office workers froze, expecting a simulation. George and Martha crossed themselves, thinking it was heaven. Kael swallowed.
No one had known the rules. No one ever returned from the mirror world.
"Your first task," Being continued, voice sharp, "is to identify the real one."
From the shadows, dozens of dogs appeared. Fierce. Snarling. Deadly.
But only one was real.
A timer appeared: 2 hours.
Fail, and you die.
Weapons appeared before each participant:
Broken sword
Dull knife
Wooden sword
Wooden shield
Metal dustbin lid
F-rank. Mostly useless.
Desperate hands reached for the weapons. Kael, however, calmly picked up the wooden sword, leaving his main sword at his side. He didn't need raw power. Strategy mattered more.
"Anyone… anyone have any idea what's going on?" whispered Emma, glancing at the others.
"Nope," Kai muttered. "This is insane. What kind of… sick game…"
Lucas raised the wooden sword he had picked up. "We just… fight the dogs? Or… identify the real one?"
Kael focused. He activated his skill: Perception of Desire.
The illusions flickered and twisted. Only one dog's desire pulsed clearly—its hunger, its instinct, its will to survive. The rest were hollow copies.
Kael's lips curved slightly. He had found the real one.
"Stay calm," he said quietly to himself, scanning the group. "Panic will get you killed."
The elderly couple huddled together, trembling. George whispered, "Martha… we're going to die, aren't we?"
"No," Kael said softly, not looking at them. "Not if we think clearly. Focus, everyone. Watch and observe."
Harper Lin, the empathetic adult, whispered to Olivia, "We… we can't just attack blindly. We need strategy."
Kael's eyes never left the dogs. He could sense which was the real one, which were illusions. Two hours. Life and death.
Kael tightened his grip on the wooden sword.
He was ready.
Character Summary
MC – Kael Veyron
Age: 21
Appearance: Black hair, piercing blue eyes, athletic build.
Personality: agitated, analytical, timid.
Skill: Perception of Desire – can sense the true desire of living beings.
Weapon Choice: Wooden sword (leaving main sword at side).
Side Characters:
High School Kids: Lena, Kai, Sophia, Ravi, Emma, Hiro, Maya, Lucas, Nina, Ethan
Elderly Couples: George, Martha
Adults: Olivia, Daniel, Tara, Felix, Harper, Aaron
Weapons: F-rank, mostly broken or wooden.Task: Identify the real dog.Time Limit: 2 hours.Failure: Death.