"My, my, haven't you grown strong since I last saw you," Kalrina purred. Gone was her accent, and despite the hideous injuries to her face, the old flirtatious tone returned to her voice.

Meera lunged for the witch, gripped her throat, and slammed her against the mirror door hard enough to crack it. Spider webs of cracks arced out from where Kalrina's head hit the door.

"Where is my chakram, witch?" Meera squeezed and had to resist the urge to activate Druvis Power.

"A little rough, don't you think?" Kalrina smirked, and then winked. "I like a girl who plays rough."

"You have two seconds before I squish your throat permanently," Meera hissed.

"P-Please don't fight," Verna stammered.

"Verna, get away. This woman is worse than a poisonous snake."

"Oh, and why would you say such a thing," the witch replied. "Is it because I sent you to the wraith-infested cave?"

"Are you going to play dumb now?" Meera barked. "What about kidnapping all the men of Cliffmere village, then converting them into your golems? What about ruining countless lives, running torturous experiments on animals and people with that sick freak Edwyn Toller."

Kalrina's demeanor changed. Gone was the flirtatious, self-assured look in her eyes. "Oh, so you know about that. If you are here, then, of course, you would have learned some things. Say, were you able to find the Crystal of Darthin?"

Meera tightened her grip. "What the fuck are you on about? I gave it to you."

The witch frowned. "First, I would lower my tone, dearie. Those things up there can still hear us despite this mirror door. Second, we never met after I sent you to the Cave of Wraiths, and lastly, remove your hand from my throat, or you and I will have a little disagreement."

Meera gritted her teeth and didn't remove her hand. Instead, she pulled off two level 2 chakrams from her back using Mirror Wing, making little Verna yelp.

Kalrina raised an eyebrow. "Oh…"

Meera felt a force pushing against her chakrams, trying to take control of them, but like last time, Kalrina failed, as they were divine and belonged to Meera.

Meera shook her head. "No, that's not going to work." She banged Kalrina's head against the mirror door again. "Did that jog your memory, or do you need more bangs to the head?"

The witch's eyes were unfocused for a moment before glaring at Meera. She gritted her teeth. "You're too sure of yourself for a little pup."

As she talked, she had formed three small daggers out of mirrors. Meera exerted her will upon them using Mirror Wing. Kalrina's anger faltered when they stayed hovering in the air.

"Please don't fight," Verna squeaked as she backed away from them. Both Meera and Kalrina ignored her.

"I'm not the same as I was the last time we fought." Meera's chakrams inched closer to her face.

"Okay, I admit to the Cave business, but all I remember is sending you to the Cave, and then a few days later, I…I heard the news that the hunters from Akhessai had found out about me, so I packed up shop and ran."

"I don't believe you for one second," Meera replied. "I returned from the Cave and gave you your Crystal. We even played that sick game of yours using your master's mirrors. When I broke them, we fought, and you took my chakram. I want it back."

"I have no idea what you're talking about…" Kalrina paused and stared. "How did you know about the Mirrors of Dorheia?"

"Like I said, we played with—"

"How about we play again," Kalrina said. "It'll prove which one of us is telling the truth." She reached into her belt and pulled out two mirrors.

[Mirrors of Dorheia]

Meera frowned and slowly removed her hand from her throat. "What is this? You shouldn't even have them. I smashed them to pieces."

"And I'm telling you, love. You never returned to me with the Crystal of Darthin." Her eyes squinted a little. "Did you end up using it for yourself?"

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Meera rolled her eyes. "You know the answer to that."

The world shook again upstairs, but the tremors seemed far off. But it was enough of a reminder to tell them that the dragon mother was still hunting them, and the two dragonlings must've returned as well.

Kalrina waved a hand, and a tall table made of mirrors appeared in the center of the room. "Let's play."

As she moved to set the mirrors on the table, the cracks on the mirror door vanished on their own. Verna, who had looked on the verge of tears all this time, seemed to have calmed down a little.

Kalrina shuffled her hair as she passed. "It's okay, little one. We're just playing a game, that's all. Go sit and rest for a while."

Meera took up position opposite the witch.

"Now, you just need to smear—"

"I know how it's played." Meera cut her off. She looked in the mirror. "I'm a toad."

Her reflection's eyes became bloodshot, and she ended up bleeding tears of blood. Meera felt a sharp pain behind her eyes, and blood streaked out from her eyes.

"I am Meera Singh, born on Earth and came here looking for my brother." Meera quickly said. The pain lessened with each word until it finally stopped, and her eyes returned to normal. She quickly wiped the blood from her face.

"How…" Kalrina stared. "You're supposed to wipe your blood on the mirror."

"Told you, we've played it before. I'll go first. Tell me what happened after I left your hut when I gave you the Crystal of Darthin."

Kalrina's eyes flitted from the mirror to Meera, expecting something gruesome.

"Nothing's going to happen. I'm telling the truth. I did return the Crystal of Darthin to you."

The witch took an unsteady step back from the table. "What sorcery is this? No magic strong enough can trick the mirror's blood contract."

"This is no trick. I'm telling the truth. It's about time you start speaking it, as well."

Kalrina was no longer so sure of herself. "I waited for you for three days in my hut, but on the fourth, I heard the news of the Daughters of Aksha—the hunters of the Sorceresses of Akhessai—coming for me. So, I freed the men and ran. Though, I have no memory of freeing them or how I received the news of the Daughters."

"I told you to free them in exchange for the Crystal of Darthin."

Again, the witch stared, bewildered as to why nothing was happening to Meera. Meera would've found this amusing if not for the constant threat of death by dragon fire, and they had locked themselves in a basement with no alternate escape route, thanks to the genius sorceress.

"If you did, then why don't I remember it," Kalrina mused. "I've felt a gap in my memory for some time. I've been on the run for the past six months, stumbling from one place to another, barely keeping one step ahead of the Daughters, but if what you're saying is true, then maybe I…I didn't need to run from Cliffshield Valley."

"I really do not care what happens to you, one bit. Ask your question. If you don't have any, you have two seconds before I smash your mirrors again."

"Tell me everything that happened when you returned to me with the Crystal of Darthin," Kalrina said. There was a hunger in her eyes. For once, she talked like she looked—a desperate woman, hungering for more than just food.

Meera told her everything that had happened. From Meera giving her the Crystal of Darthin to her freeing the men and then playing this game. Kalrina had told her of the Great Prophecy of Doom, but Meera left out the part that it was flawed, nor did she tell her about the part that she was from another world. Thankfully, the Mirrors of Dorheia were satisfied with this concise version of events.

Once Meera was done, Kalrina rested her elbows on the table and gripped her hair. "Why can't I remember any of this?"

"That is not something I can answer," Meera replied.

Kalrina bolted upright. "It was those two. It had to be them. As I started packing up, I saw these two men using the Gateway Mirror. At first, I thought they were the Daughters' informants, but I think…no, it had to be them. They must've taken my memory. Quick, ask me if they took my memory."

"How can you answer truthfully if you do not know."

"I may not know the truth, but the mirror does. It knows the absolute truth."

Meera squinted her eyes. "But if it does know the absolute truth, then why weren't you coughing blood or dying when you spoke all those lies before? Because they would be lies even if they did indeed alter your memory."

"It was my truth. I wasn't lying back then because that is what I thought happened," the witch replied. "But if they did take my memory, then technically, I will not be lying now either, as it did happen, even if I don't remember it. To be honest, I'm not even sure if it will work. It's just a hunch. Just humor me, please. If I'm lying, you get to watch me bleed or suffer some horrible curse."

Meera sighed heavily. "Those two men you just mentioned, did they take away your memory?"

"Yes…"

Kalrina had her eyes glued to her mirror, and Meera had her eyes on Kalrina, hoping to see her in pain. She was not a sadistic person, but this woman deserved far worse than momentary pain for what she did in pursuit of power.

A second passed, then a whole minute, and nothing happened.

Kalrina finally looked up. "So, it's true…they altered my memory. Made me forget that you ever came back. They must've taken the Crystal of Darthin and your chakram."

"Great. And since you don't remember who they are, you have no idea who took my chakram." Meera had the strong urge to give Kalrina another black eye.

Something also told her they were the same people who issued Narikas his prophecy and left him at death's doorstep. If I hadn't called Narikas? He would've died, and Erenyx would've been unleashed right then and there.

"But don't you see, this proves it. I wasn't losing my mind." Kalrina chuckled. "All this time, I thought I blocked off that portion of my memory, but someone altered my memory of that encounter. Oh, this is the greatest news."

"Still a fucking asshole. Well, you have fun with that great news. I'm going as far away from you as I can." Meera headed for the door.

"You're going to go out there while three dragons are hunting you?" The witch asked.

"I'll take my chances."

"I know of the only safe haven in the city for us humans. I'm taking the girl there. You can tag along unless you're bent on ending up in a dragon's belly."

A small hand gripped Meera's. "Please don't go. They'll hurt you."

Meera smiled as she bent down to be at eye level with Verna. "Okay, I'll come with you to this safe haven, and then I'll put a world's distance between me and this wretched creature."