Page 28 of Tangle of Lust and Lethargy

I clutched my glowing compass tighter, its familiar weight anchoring me to reality in this void. As I stood frozen in place, a chilling thought crept into my mind. Had I walked willingly into a trap? If so, what dangers lurked in the shadows around me?

The needle on the compass twirled, a frantic dance in the golden glow. My heart raced in time with its spinning until suddenly, it snapped to a stop, pointing decisively.

I sucked in air, the sudden intake sharp in the stillness. To my shock, the sound didn’t dissipate but grew, echoing offunseen walls. The whisper of my breath multiplied, bouncing back and forth as if I were standing in a massive canyon.

My fingers, still numb from the bitter cold outside, fumbled clumsily inside my backpack. I held my breath, afraid if I moved too suddenly, the darkness might swallow me whole. Finally, I felt the cool, smooth surface of the mirror beneath my fingertips.

With hope and trepidation, I slowly pulled it out.

The moment the mirror cleared the opening of my pack, everything changed.

It was as if someone had flipped a cosmic light switch. A soft, pearlescent glow emanated from the mirror’s surface, pushing back the oppressive darkness. The light spread outward in gentle waves, revealing my surroundings bit by tantalizing bit.

I gasped as the room came into view. Gone was the featureless void, replaced by a vast chamber that defied logic. Walls of ice stretched upward, their surfaces rippling like water frozen in mid-motion. They reflected and refracted the light from the mirror, creating a dazzling display of colors that danced across the room.

The floor beneath my feet, which I’d imagined to be solid, was a mosaic of countless tiny mirrors. Each step spread ripples of light outward as if I were walking on the surface of a luminous pond.

Hanging in the air, suspended by nothing I could see, were fragments of larger mirrors. They rotated slowly, catching and throwing light in ever-changing patterns. Some reflected the room, while others seemed to display places and times far removed from where I stood.

As my eyes adjusted to this shimmering new reality, I noticed something else. The air seemed alive, with tiny motes of light swirling around me like curious fireflies. They brushed my skin, leaving trails of warmth in their wake, gradually chasing away the lingering chill in my bones.

I stood with my mouth agape, trying to process the transformation. The mirror in my hand pulsed gently as if pleased with what it had revealed. I forgot about the hourglass, about Maci and her demons, about everything except the wonder surrounding me.

Then, as if responding to my thoughts, the suspended mirror fragments aligned, forming a path through the chamber. The tiny lights swirled more insistently, urging me forward.

The mirror rippled again. I held my breath, anticipating what came next. My mother’s soft voice emerged from the glass, a sound I’d grown both comforted and unsettled by throughout my journey.

“Follow the tiny lights, Sawyer,” the mirror urged. “They will lead you to the truth.”

I closed my eyes, letting the familiar cadence of her words wash over me. No matter how many times I heard it, the mirror’s recreation of Mom’s voice never failed to stir complex emotions within me.

“Only by finding the truth will you discover the hourglass,” the voice continued. “Trust your instincts.”

I drew a deep breath, tightening my grip on the mirror, and determined to trust my gut. This was a test. I could feel it in my bones. If I failed, I would lose everyone I loved.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The crystal path stretched before me, a ribbon of light winding deeper into the heart of the pulsing structure. The path seemed alive, responding to my presence with subtle shifts in color and intensity.

As I ventured farther, the walls came alive with movement. Prisms of light danced across their surfaces, swirling and coalescing in mesmerizing patterns. They never quite formed complete pictures, but they hinted at shapes and scenes beyond the edge of recognition.

One moment, I thought I glimpsed a forest of crystalline trees, their branches reaching toward an unseen sky. The next, it morphed into what could have been a storm-tossed sea, waves of light crashing against invisible shores. Each time I tried to focus on a specific image, it would slip away, replaced by new, equally tantalizing visions.

The air seemed charged with energy. The tiny motes of light swirled in eddies as I passed as if trying to whisper secrets. The faint hum that had been present since I entered the structure grew stronger, pulsing in time with the shifting lights on the walls.

As I continued along the path, I still couldn’t shake the feeling I was being watched. Not in a menacing way, but as if the essence of this place was aware of my presence, observing and evaluating my every move. The prisms on the walls seemed to follow my progress, their dance becoming more intricate and urgent the deeper I went.

The path ahead curved sharply, disappearing around a bend. What lay beyond was hidden from view, but the intensity of the light and the urgency of the humming suggested I was approaching something significant. I drew a deep breath, tightened my grip on the mirror, and pressed forward, ready to face whatever truth or challenge waited around the corner.

Pit-pat-pit-pat-pit-pat.

With each step, dread and anticipation pumped through me. Either ultimate success or utter failure awaited me. I could scarcely breathe.

The trail abruptly ended, leaving me standing at the threshold of an octagonal room. The sudden transition made me stumble, and my boots scraped against the now-smooth floor. As I regained my balance, I took in my surroundings with wide eyes.

The octagon’s walls shimmered with an inner light, but the one directly in front of me caught my attention. It rippled and swirled like water, reminiscent of the Mirror of Aethereal. As I watched, transfixed, I realized it wasn’t a wall but an enormous mirror.

My breath caught as a face formed in its depths. It was unlike any face I’d ever seen. Neither definitively male nor female, ageless yet ancient. It reminded me of the evil queen’s mirror from the Snow White tale. My heart felt heavy, as if the seven dwarves had walked across it.

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