Her eyes snapped open, breath ragged, heart hammering wildly inside her chest. For a moment, she couldn’t move—frozen in the lingering terror of the dream. The room around her was quiet, bathed in the pale gold of early morning. Sunlight slipped through the curtains, gentle and warm, painting soft shadows on the floor.
It was morning.
She blinked rapidly, trying to calm her breathing. Her alarm buzzed on relentlessly until she finally reached over and turned it off with trembling fingers.
6:00 AM.
Just a dream. Just a stupid, messed-up dream.
But her body didn’t believe it. Sweat clung to her skin. Her T-shirt was damp at the back, and her fingers were still curled tightly into the bedsheet.
She sat up slowly, rubbing her face with both hands.
"What the hell was that..." she whispered.
Bits of the nightmare clung to her memory—whispers, darkness, that eerie voice, the feeling of being watched. A cold hand grabbing her wrist. The mirror—
She glanced across the room.
The mirror stood perfectly still. No cracks. No voice. Just her reflection staring back: tired eyes, messy hair, pale skin.
Reality.
Ordinary, quiet reality.
She let out a shaky breath and gave a nervous laugh, running a hand through her tangled hair. “God, that was horrible…”
Nightmares always felt real in the moment. But this one—this one had shaken her more than usual. She still felt the chill of it, like it had burrowed under her skin.
Getting out of bed, she walked barefoot to the window and pushed the curtain aside. The sky was soft blue. A few people were out for a morning walk. Life was normal. Calm. Safe.
She leaned her forehead against the glass.
“It wasn’t real,” she reminded herself again.
It didn’t matter how vivid it felt. It was just a nightmare. A twisted illusion from her subconscious, nothing more. She wasn’t being watched. No one was calling her from inside mirrors.
She turned around, her room suddenly comforting in its plainness. Her books were in their usual mess. Her desk had a half-full coffee mug from last night. Her backpack lay half-zipped on the chair.
Ordinary. Grounded.
She picked up her phone and opened a music app, letting a soft playlist fill the silence as she headed to the bathroom. A hot shower sounded perfect right now. Something to wash off the clinging memory of that dream.
And maybe, by the time she stepped out, she’d finally stop feeling like that voice was still echoing in the back of her mind.
***
The surface of the mirror pulsed like a heartbeat.
Arzial stood on the other side, his form shifting in the shadows—less man, more curse given shape. Ancient symbols burned faintly across his chest and down his arms, pulsing with a magic too old for this world.
Another failed attempt .
One of many he'd whispered to across the years—centuries, maybe. Some had resisted. Some had screamed. Some never even made it to the mirror. But she… she came close.
So damn close.
The second her fingers touched the glass, his power stirred. The seal cracked just enough to let him reach. Shadows curled around her like claws, tugging, urging, begging without words.
He whispered, louder this time, pushing harder. The curse trembled. He could feel the veil thinning. She was slipping through.
Almost there.
His freedom was right there—inches away.
She crossed the veil.
The mirror had lured many, but she… she had stepped fully into the darkness, her soul brushing against his prison like a spark striking dry wood.
Arzial watched her hit the ground, breathing, trembling, alive. His head tilted as he emerged from the shadows, a shape barely formed, his face flickering like a flame behind smoke.
No recognition passed through his gaze.
He didn’t know her.
Didn’t want to.
She was a key—nothing more.
Another wandering soul drawn to the bait he’d been whispering for decades, centuries. “Come to me,” he’d said, over and over, hoping one would come close enough, believe enough… break enough.
And this one did.
She touched the mirror.
She entered the realm.
She felt the shift in reality.
His power surged the moment her foot touched the cursed floor. His heartbeat—long silent—thundered back to life. The seal cracked. The chains around his spirit loosened. One more step… just one more—and he'd be free.
But then—
The mirror fought back.
The curse, bound by ancient rage and blood magic, snapped taut like a whip. Light blazed through the darkness, cutting him off. His shadows recoiled. His grip slipped.
She was snatched from him—ripped back into her world.
No—NO!” he roared, slamming both hands against the glass.
She was yanked back.
Ripped out of his reach.
Returned to her world like nothing ever happened.
Gone.
Just another one who got away.
The mirror went still. The air fell silent. His body trembled—not from sadness, but fury.
He had used every trick.
Every lie.
Every whisper.
And yet again, the curse held.
But he was close. Closer than he’d ever been.
His eyes narrowed.
“She'll forget,” he muttered. “They always do.”
But not forever.
The seal was weakening. Piece by piece. Soul by soul.
One day, one of them wouldn’t get pulled back.
And when that day came, Arzial would be free.
And the world would remember why it cursed him in the first place.
Arzial’s roar shook the cursed air. He slammed his hands against the sealed gateway, the mirror’s surface shimmering with the aftershock.
He stared into the now-still glass. Her image had vanished. But the echo of her still lingered.
“She went further than the rest…” he muttered, voice like stone grinding.
And for the first time in ages, he didn’t whisper come to me.
He whispered something darker.
“She have to come back ”
Not because she wanted to.
Because now… she was linked.
And next time, she wouldn’t wake up.
***
Venus sat quietly in her seat, her chin resting on her hand as she stared blankly at the blackboard. The lecture carried on, but her mind was stuck somewhere else—lost in the nightmare that still clung to her like morning fog. She hadn’t slept well, not after that. It felt too real, too visceral.
A mirror.
A voice.
A hand that had clamped around her wrist, rough and cold, pulling her in.
She blinked, her breath catching for a moment.
Across the classroom, Leon leaned back in his chair, arms crossed loosely as he studied her. His gaze hadn’t left her since the lecture began. He hadn’t even pretended to listen to the professor. His entire focus was locked on her—the way her fingers fidgeted, the crease in her forehead, the way her eyes kept flitting to the window like she was half-expecting something to jump through it.
The bell rang, snapping Venus from her thoughts. Students shuffled out for their break, buzzing in pairs and groups. She gathered her notebook, still distracted, when Leon approached her from the side.
“You okay?” he asked casually, though his eyes searched her face deeply.
Venus forced a small smile. “I guess.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You were lost the entire time. I was watching you.”
Venus blinked, caught off guard. “Yeah, I noticed. You kept staring at me.”
Leon didn’t deny it. “You looked tense.”
She hesitated, biting her lower lip. Then, finally, she spoke.
“I had a nightmare,” she admitted quietly, keeping her voice low so others wouldn’t overhear. “It was about that mirror I bought. I—it felt so real, Leon. The mirror literally pulled me inside. There was this… this voice. Rough and haunting. And then something grabbed my wrist. So tightly I could still feel the pressure when I woke up.”
Her voice trembled slightly as she added, “It really shook me up. Like I wasn’t dreaming at all.”
Leon stiffened.
Because it wasn’t a dream, he thought. It was the beginning.
She waved a hand in front of his face. “Leon? Where did you go just now?”
He blinked and gave her a half-smile. “Nowhere.”
Venus frowned slightly but didn’t press. She started walking beside him as they made their way to the courtyard.
Leon walked beside her silently, his mind spinning.
I need to find the right opportunity soon… before the curse starts pulling harder. Before my brother senses her again.
Just then, a teacher clapped her hands loudly at the front of the courtyard, drawing attention.
“Everyone, listen up! I have a fun announcement. This Friday night, we’re organizing a night campout for all seniors at the Pine Ridge Forest! It’s going to be a night under the stars—bonfire, games, and some well-earned time to relax before finals!”
Excited chatter erupted instantly. Students exchanged looks of disbelief and joy. A group cheered behind them, already planning tents and snacks.
Venus lit up with curiosity. “A night campout? That sounds kinda fun.”
Leon’s lips twitched in a faint smile.
Perfect.
This was the opportunity he’d been waiting for. A night outside, away from the protections of school walls, under the open sky where old magic breathed freer. No distractions. No teachers watching too closely. No one to pull her away when he made his move.
He turned to her, keeping his tone casual. “You’re going, right?”
She shrugged. “If crystal go, sure. Why?”
He smiled faintly. “Just asking.”
---
Later That Day
Venus sat with her friends in the cafeteria, laughing at something Aria said, but the shadows of her dream still lingered at the back of her mind. She kept glancing at her wrist, half-expecting to see bruises, even though there were none.
Leon watched from across the room, eyes narrowing with every movement she made.
He could sense her soul still tethered to the other side.
The mirror had begun the pull, and his brother—the cursed one—was likely stirring now, sensing her presence, sniffing out the faint thread of energy that tied her to him.
Leon’s jaw clenched.
I can’t let him have her. I won’t.
He had to perform the ritual before his brother broke free. The night campout would be the perfect moment—away from wards, from rules, from everything that protected her.
To My Lovely Readers,
I just want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for your love, support, and constant encouragement. Every read, vote, comment, and message means the world to me. You’re the reason I keep writing, keep creating, and keep believing in the stories I tell.
Your support turns my words into something more—it gives them life. Whether you’ve been with me since the beginning or just joined recently, know that you are deeply appreciated. This journey wouldn’t be the same without you.
Let’s continue growing together, exploring new emotions, falling in love with characters, and diving into stories that stay with us long after the last chapter.
With all my heart,
– Your Author, primpetal ❤
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