Riven stood frozen in the glass kingdom, the eerie stillness wrapping around him like a suffocating veil. The mocking words of his reflection echoed in his mind: Save them, or save yourself.
He glanced at his sword, its glowing runes dimming as the last of the shadowy wraiths dissolved into the still air. Ahead, the spire of the Eternal Mirror loomed, its jagged edges slicing into the fractured sky like a wound.
“This world feels... wrong,” Riven muttered to himself, gripping the sword tighter.
As he moved deeper into the city, he found himself in a sprawling marketplace. Once vibrant, it was now frozen in time. Stalls displayed shimmering glass fruits, weapons etched with intricate designs, and glowing trinkets. Yet, none of it moved.
Then he saw them—the people of the kingdom.
They stood encased in translucent glass, their faces frozen in expressions of terror, arms reaching out as if trying to escape. Their reflections in the mirrored surfaces around them moved freely, clawing and pounding against their prisons. The sight sent a shiver down Riven’s spine.
One figure, a woman clutching a glassy bundle in her arms, caught his eye. Her reflection wasn’t screaming like the others—it was staring directly at him, its expression unnervingly calm.
“Help us.”
The whisper echoed in his mind, faint but desperate. Riven stepped back, his heart pounding.
“Who said that?” he called out, his voice breaking the oppressive silence.
The air shimmered, and a faint light flickered in front of him, coalescing into the form of a young boy. The child’s body was translucent, his hollow eyes glowing faintly.
“You’re the Custodian,” the boy said, his voice soft but steady. “You’re supposed to save us.”
Riven stared at the boy, unsure if he was real or just another illusion. “What happened here? Why are they trapped like this?”
“The Eternal Mirror,” the boy said, pointing toward the distant spire. “It cursed us. Promised us everything we wanted but took everything instead. Now we’re prisoners of our own reflections.”
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“And what am I supposed to do about it?” Riven asked, his frustration bubbling to the surface.
The boy’s gaze didn’t waver. “You have to shatter the mirror. Break the curse.”
Riven hesitated. The thought of facing the mirror again sent a wave of unease through him. He remembered the reflection’s predatory grin, its taunting voice.
“What happens if I fail?”
The boy’s form flickered, his expression darkening. “Then the Void will take us all. Even you.”
Before Riven could ask more, a low, resonant hum filled the air. The glass structures around them began to tremble, and shadows stretched unnaturally from every corner.
“They’re coming,” the boy whispered, fear creeping into his voice.
The ground beneath Riven rippled like water as jagged, humanoid shadows emerged. Their bodies glimmered with shards of glass, their movements unnaturally fluid.
Riven instinctively raised his sword. The glowing runes brightened, pulsing in rhythm with his racing heartbeat.
[Enemy Encounter: Shard Wraiths – Level 2]
The first wraith lunged at him, its clawed limbs slicing through the air. Riven dodged and countered, his blade cutting cleanly through the creature. It shattered into shards of light and darkness, but two more wraiths took its place.
They moved faster than before, their strikes relentless. One managed to graze his arm, sending a cold, burning sensation coursing through his body.
[Status Update: Void Corruption – 10%]
The notification flashed in his vision, but he pushed it aside. His movements became sharper, more precise, as if the blade itself was guiding him. He struck again and again, each wraith dissolving into mist.
Finally, the last one fell, its form disintegrating with a haunting wail.
Riven dropped to one knee, his breath ragged. The boy reappeared, his form flickering like a dying flame.
“The closer you get to the mirror, the stronger they’ll be,” he said softly. “You can’t fight them all. You have to resist the Void.”
Riven nodded, though doubt gnawed at the edges of his resolve.
As they approached the spire, the air grew heavier, the hum of the Eternal Mirror growing louder with each step. The boy stopped abruptly, his form trembling.
“I can’t go any further,” he said. “It’s too strong here.”
“What do you mean? You’re coming with me,” Riven said, turning to face him.
The boy shook his head. “I’m just a fragment. If I go any closer, I’ll disappear.”
Before Riven could protest, the boy began to fade, his voice a whisper carried by the wind. “Don’t lose yourself, Custodian.”
Riven turned back toward the spire, his heart heavy. The mirror stood before him now, its surface rippling like liquid silver. He saw his reflection again—pristine, regal, and cruel, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
“Welcome back,” the reflection said, stepping out of the mirror.
The glass around Riven shattered, forming a cyclone of jagged shards. His reflection stood opposite him, a blade identical to his own in its hand.
“Let’s see if you’re worthy of rewriting this story.”