A mirror.

Its frame was tarnished with age, its edges worn by time, yet its glass gleamed unnaturally, untouched by dust or decay. It wasn't just reflecting light-it was calling to her.

A strange pull settled in her chest, a whisper of something she couldn't name.

She couldn't look away.

It hypnotized her. The world around her faded, the sounds of the bus engine, the murmurs of other students-everything became distant, insignificant.

She rose from her seat, her movements slow, almost mechanical, her eyes locked onto the mirror as if breaking its gaze would shatter something deep inside her.

she stepped off, her feet carrying her forward without conscious thought.

She walked straight toward the small antique shop

The shop's wooden sign creaked in the wind, the door slightly ajar as if waiting for her.

As she opened the door, a soft chime rang through the dimly lit space.

The shopkeeper glanced up from behind the counter, his sharp eyes taking her in.

"Welcome! What can I-" he started, but his words faded into silence.

She didn't hear him.

She didn't hear anything.

Her entire focus was on the mirror.

Her breath hitched as she took slow, measured steps toward it.

Closer.

And closer.

.......

He sat on his bed, lost in thought, wondering when-if-he would ever be free.

Then, suddenly, a strange sensation washed over him.

It was subtle at first, like a whisper in the wind. It wasn't pain, nor was it the cold emptiness he had long grown used to. It was something else. Something soft. Something dangerously warm.

Something like... love.

His brows furrowed. It made no sense. Love was not something he had ever known, not something he had ever felt.

And yet, it was there. Tugging at him. Wrapping around him like an unseen thread.

His breath hitched as his body moved on instinct. His gaze lifted, drawn toward the mirror in front of him.

The mirror.

Not just any mirror-his mirror. His only window to the world beyond. The only thing that connected him to life outside this cursed existence.

And through it, he saw her.

Time stopped.

For a moment, he forgot everything-who he was, where he was, why he was trapped. All that mattered was her.

...

She moved closer, the same pull guiding her steps.

For a moment, she simply stared-at the mirror. At him.

...

His breath grew unsteady as their eyes met.

Locked. Held. Bound.

But she had no idea.

No idea that her gaze had reached through the veil of worlds and tangled with his.

She lifted her hand, hesitating for a mere second before her fingers brushed the glass. A delicate touch. Almost hesitant, as if she, too, felt something beyond reason.

His chest tightened.

Her hand was small. Fragile. The kind of softness he had never known, never been allowed to touch.

A need-primal, inescapable, all-consuming-rose within him.

Without thinking, he lifted his own hand, placing it against the glass.

Her delicate fingers against his monstrous ones. Her warmth against his eternal cold.

The size difference was staggering-his palm dwarfed hers, ten times the size. And yet, it felt... right.

Neither of them moved. Neither of them spoke.

They simply stared.

Trapped in the silent pull of something neither of them understood.

........

Just then, the shopkeeper stepped closer, breaking the trance.

"Do you like it?" he asked, his voice pulling her back to reality.

Venus blinked, shaking off the strange haze that had wrapped around her. "It's..." she started, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Hypnotizing," he finished for her.

She exhaled. "Yeah," she admitted.

"Do you want it?" he asked.

She finally tore her gaze away from the mirror and turned to him. "How much?"

"10,000 dollars," he said smoothly.

Venus's eyes widened. "10,000?! That's insane!"

"It's an ancient artifact, girl. It has to be expensive," he said, crossing his arms.

She turned back to the mirror, unable to help herself. Something about it still called to her, like an unspoken whisper brushing against her mind.

"Are you going to buy it?" the shopkeeper pressed.

She hesitated. "I don't have that much money... and yeah, it's attractive, but not enough for me to spend a fortune on it," Venus said. "Thank you, though."

She sighed and turned to leave.

...

Beyond the Mirror...

His gaze never wavered from her, even as she started walking away.

A slow, dark rage coiled within him.

She couldn't leave.

She wouldn't leave.

Raising his hand, he let his power seep through the glass, tendrils of invisible energy stretching beyond his prison, slithering into the air of her world.

...

The shopkeeper froze.

His pupils dilated, his shoulders stiffened, and for a fleeting moment, a shadow passed over his face.

Then, he spoke.

"Take it for free," he said, his voice eerily calm.

Venus halted mid-step.

Slowly, she turned back. "...What?"

"If you want it, take it," the shopkeeper repeated, his tone unnervingly neutral.

A chill crawled up her spine. Something about his voice felt... off.

Her fingers clenched into fists. "I don't take things for free," she said carefully.

The shopkeeper blinked, as if shaking something off. He cleared his throat. "Fine. 500 dollars."

Venus frowned. That was a ridiculously huge price drop. Almost too good to be true.

"...Then I can buy it," she murmured.

"Shall I wrap it?"

She hesitated. "Actually... I'm on a college trip. Carrying it now would be difficult."

"We can have it delivered," he offered, already moving toward the counter.

"You really can?" she asked.

"Of course." He picked up a notepad. "Just give me your address."

Venus hesitated for a moment before reciting it.

"And your name?"

Venus opened her mouth, her lips parting slightly, as if compelled to say the name. But then she blinked, shaking the strange sensation off.

"Venus," she answered instead.

For a split second, the shopkeeper's fingers twitched, and a strange flicker passed through his eyes-but it was gone before she could question it.

"Alright. It will be delivered to your address in two days. How will you be paying?" he asked.

"Online transaction," she said.

"Alright."

Just then, a voice called out.

"Venus!"

She turned. Crystal stood outside, waving.

"We're about to leave!"

"Coming!" Venus called back.

She turned to the shopkeeper one last time. "Is cash on delivery possible?"

"It is," he confirmed.

"Then I'll pay when it arrives," she decided.

"Sure."

Venus smiled lightly. "Thank you."

But as she turned to leave, her gaze was drawn back-one last time-to the mirror.

Her stomach twisted with something unexplainable.

She wanted to go.

And yet...

She wanted to stay.

To keep looking.

To keep feeling.

But she had no idea-someone on the other side felt the same.

.......

The Lingering Presence

She left, but his gaze remained fixed on the spot where she had stood.

His fingers twitched at his sides, his chest rising and falling in uneven breaths.

What was this?

His eyes flickered down to his hand, the one he had pressed against the mirror. He curled his fingers, flexing them as if trying to grasp something unseen.

That feeling.

It was unfamiliar-unnerving.

Warmth.

Softness.

Things that did not belong in his world.

.......

As Venus walked out of the shop, the power that had held the shopkeeper in its grasp slowly faded.

A shudder ran through the old man's body, and he stumbled, gripping the counter for support.

His dazed expression quickly twisted into one of shock as he glanced down at the receipt still clenched in his trembling hands.

"What?! Only 500 dollars?!" he practically screamed.

His voice cracked through the quiet shop as he whipped around to glare at the mirror.

"Are you really cursed or something , you made me say that right ?" he hissed, narrowing his eyes. "Because there's no way I would ever sell you for so little! 500 is nothing!"

Inside the mirror, the demon rolled his eyes.

Pathetic.

The shopkeeper clenched his fists. "I'm not selling you at this rate. No. Never-"

Before the old man could even blink, the objects around the shop began to tremble.

Then-CRASH!

Glass shattered. Shelves shook violently. Trinkets and antiques tumbled to the floor, breaking upon impact.

A suffocating rage filled the air.

The shopkeeper froze, his breath hitching as terror clawed up his spine.

His lips parted, but no sound came out.

The demon didn't speak.

He didn't have to.

His silent fury crackled through the air like an unspoken warning.

The shopkeeper swallowed hard. He didn't know why, but suddenly, the very thought of touching that mirror again sent icy dread curling in his gut.

.........

The bus rumbled down the road

Venus sat by the window, her gaze absently fixed on her own hand, fingers grazing her palm as if trying to remember something.

That feeling.

That warmth.

Her brows knitted together.

Why... why did it feel like someone touched me back?

Her fingers curled slightly, almost instinctively.

It didn't make sense. The mirror had been cold. Just a smooth, lifeless surface.

And yet... when she had placed her palm against it, she had felt something.

Not just the glass.

Something else.

Something... alive.

She exhaled slowly, trying to shake off the strange, lingering sensation.

"Come on, guys, get up! We've reached!" Teacher called from the front of the bus.

Students stirred, stretching and gathering their things.

But Venus remained frozen, her mind still trapped in that moment.

"Venus. Venus!"

A hand shook her gently, pulling her back.

She blinked, glancing up to see Crystal looking at her with a confused frown.

"Come on, let's go," Crystal urged. "We're getting off."

Venus nodded slowly, forcing herself to stand.

But even as she followed the others off the bus, her mind remained far away-still lost in the feeling of an unseen touch that should not have been there.

.........

He sat with his friend, his expression unreadable, but the turmoil in his eyes was undeniable.

"You can't be serious," his friend said, his voice low but urgent. "Tell me you're not actually saying this."

He didn't reply. He didn't need to.

"You can't make the same mistake your brother did," his friend continued, frustration lacing his tone. "You can't fall in love with a human."

He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his dark hair. "I can't help it."

His friend slammed his hand on the table. "Do you realize what this means? What if your brother comes back? What if he finds out?"

A smirk tugged at his lips, something between amusement and defiance. "All these years, he hasn't returned. Why would he now?"

His friend shook his head. "You're playing with fire."