ack re

t where he'd stood-the fractured line across the mirror wall refused t

oke for a

nervous chatter had f

ed into disjointed versions of herself. The crack didn't just distort her face - it

finally whispered,

mi said flatly, but her

it might attack again. "He said he painted murals in

m down," Elara recalle

ured. "Or maybe he lied about his name. Or some

ot fair at all. If this place punishes pe

dn't f

l thinking t

rvive a place tha

es pa

crawling through her chest like static. The floor didn't shimmer again.

f. "Lie once, mirror cracks. Lie twice, you

y "death." It d

More accurate. A deletion

body just disappears. There's a mech

ped. "'Cause all I saw was a kid van

don't gain anything panicking. The trial said one of us lied. It di

," Elara said. "To see if

e rep

racked mirror with gloves made from strips of her own blazer, mumbling about surface tension, electrom

mirror, you might trigg

clear: Do not

crying in the corner that the

, shuddering sobs, trying t

hout a word. Sometimes c

o L.A. I saw that mural. The one with the silve

om is broken

ifting her tear-stre

ted at t

flections wa

hey ar

easured in this eternal mirrored

sn't

e annou

ntdown

room c

se she was staring into her o

t

lection

he di

eath c

move. Jus

blinked again.

di

?" Kem

he whispered. "

one t

panel, Elara's reflection moved half a second aft

hing wat

it sm

a wasn't

backed a

r whi

ll is that?"

"The mirror is no longer r

better!" Dor

g reaction times. Our awareness. P

s on the smiling v

t we could become," she said

e mirro

bl

to no

on moved per

had neve

ey all

as only

ried t

ss. No change in t

med to himself. Harper murmured quietly in her sleep. Dorian sat

did no

ed them

d to sleep, bu

hing inside it. She hadn't connected it before, but now it burned

appeared in the foot

to the init

e whispered

answered w

thing ha

ath Harper shi

ped open. She lun

stirred

arm and yanked her

vanished

Dorian

was

ara said, breathing h

htmare. "I-I was dreaming. Of him. Teo. He was

ha

ldn't hear. He mouthed someth

d closer. "

d for the first time, Har

id. "He mouth

stiff

m turne

t possible

mbling. "Something for them. For the pl

her mouth,

e was w

ors were

onc

uld de

she l

on interface. Years ago. For a private contrac

w?" Ela

architectural. It's... a digital framework. Simul

sh?" Jace

e built out

rrors

t o

a hea

cknowle

scrolled slowly acr

will break mor

ly slept a

ms had grown louder - murmured nam

ifted into un

still w

, pa

fists

e corners of the mirrors, as

ross the mirrored floor and

er

rep

ss gaze of her

cond - she thought she saw a s

ttle

r. Blan

just be