She studied the shard. The faint glow responded to her touch, flickering like a heartbeat.
"It's not a message," she said quietly. "It's a warning."
"From who?"
Her gaze lifted to meet his. "From something that knows me."
For a moment, neither spoke. The silence between them wasn't awkward — it was heavy, charged, like thunder waiting to break.
Finally, Perry said softly, "Then it seems your past followed you home."
Emily's lips curved. "And you're still following me."
He smiled faintly. "Maybe I'm just curious what happens next."
---
Outside, the last rays of sun faded. In one of the academy's top-floor windows, a faint reflection lingered — Emily's face, smiling back at her…
Only this one didn't stop smiling when she turned away.
Night had settled over the academy like a velvet shroud. The corridors were silent, except for the distant hum of the old ventilation system. Emily's footsteps echoed softly as she made her way to her dorm, the shard of the shattered mirror still in her pocket.
Every reflective surface seemed to ripple slightly as she passed — not with her own reflection, but with something that watched. She could feel eyes tracing her movements, waiting, patient.
She stopped at her dorm room door and paused. The note's warning whispered again in her mind:
> "Don't trust the one who smiles in your reflection."
Emily's lips pressed together. Whoever—or whatever—was behind this was clever. Precise.
---
Inside her room, she set the shard on her desk and leaned against it. The glow from the red eye mark pulsed faintly, almost like a heartbeat. Then she saw it: a flicker in the mirror above her dresser. Her reflection moved — but her own body did not.
It smiled.
The smile was slow, deliberate, and wrong. The corners of its mouth stretched wider than her own could. Its eyes glimmered with something dark and knowing.
Emily's fingers gripped the desk. Calm. Control. She whispered, "Show yourself."
The reflection's smile vanished, replaced by a cold, neutral stare. Then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone.
A soft knock came at her door.
"Emily?" Perry's voice. Calm. Smooth.
She didn't answer immediately, simply walking toward the door. When she opened it, he was leaning against the frame, one hand casually in his pocket, the other resting lightly on the door.
"You saw it too," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"I did," she admitted softly. "But I didn't react."
"Good." He stepped inside, glancing at the shard on her desk. "This isn't a simple warning. Whoever sent it… they know more than they should. And they've already begun testing you."
Emily's gaze sharpened. "Testing me for what?"
He shrugged lightly, but his gray eyes were serious. "Whether you're strong enough to survive."
She picked up the shard, turning it over in her hands. Faint crimson light flickered across her fingers.
"And if I fail?" she asked.
Perry's gaze softened, almost imperceptibly. "Then they take more than just your life. They take everything you've ever had."
Emily's lips curved faintly. "Then I won't fail."
He studied her for a long moment, then stepped back, giving her space. "Good. Keep your wits about you. And Emily…"