As they leaned against the rooftop wall, the cool night breeze brushed against them. The city's lights stretched far into the horizon, painting the dark sky with a glow that flickered like distant stars. The atmosphere was calm—almost too calm.

"There's something dangerous that will happen soon," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

He turned his head slightly, brow furrowing. "Huh? What did you just say?"

She exhaled, staring ahead, as if watching an invisible force moving through the streets below. "...I think after I failed to kill Ayami, Ishtar is now coming after me."

His eyes widened. "Wait, what?!" He pushed himself off the wall, looking at her with disbelief. "You’re saying the goddess Ishtar is after you now?"

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she closed her eyes, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her sleeve. "I underestimated how much Ishtar wanted her dead... and now that I failed, I’ve become the next target."

The weight of her words settled in. The realization that a goddess—one of the most relentless and vengeful—was now hunting her down sent a shiver down his spine.

"What are you gonna do?" he asked.

She smirked bitterly, though there was little amusement in it. "I don’t know yet. But if she’s really coming for me... I have to be ready."

"It's bad… should we tell Ayami?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

She let out a small, dry chuckle, tilting her head back against the wall. "Probably… She's the only reason I'm still alive today."

Hikaru looked at her, then glanced around, feeling the cold night air from the rooftop. “This is getting complicated…”

“Always…” she replied.

Lina looked up, catching a glint of light reflecting in her vision. Her eyes widened as she realized where it was coming from—a building near the school.

Her heart pounded. She grabbed Hikaru’s hand and yanked him behind the wall. “Come on!”

“W-Woah—!”

Bang!

In the distance, a sniper perched on the company’s rooftop clicked his tongue in frustration. “Tch… Almost got it.”

Hikaru pressed his back against the wall, his breath unsteady. “What the hell was that?!”

“A sniper,” Lina muttered, peeking cautiously around the corner. Her sharp gaze traced the distant rooftop where the shot had come from. “They were aiming for me.”

Hikaru swallowed hard. “You sure about that? Because I’d rather not find out the hard way.”

Lina exhaled through her nose, her mind racing. “We need to move—now.”

Another shot rang out, the bullet striking the wall just inches from where Hikaru’s head had been moments ago.

“Shit—okay, yeah, let’s go!” He didn’t hesitate this time.

Hikaru frantically looked around for a mirror or any reflective surface, but there was none in sight. Desperate, he grabbed her face gently but firmly.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"Let me see the reflection in your pupil!"

Lina blinked, startled. "Y-You really need my pupil to enter the Mirror World?"

"Yes! At least we'll be safe there!"

Lina hesitated for a split second before nodding. She locked eyes with Hikaru, trying to steady her breathing as he focused intently on the reflection in her irises.

The city lights shimmered faintly in them, distorted yet clear enough. Hikaru felt the familiar pull of his ability activating, the edges of reality rippling like water.

Just as another gunshot rang out, the world around them warped. The rooftop, the sniper, the cold night air—all of it melted away into a distorted version of itself.

They stumbled into the Mirror World, their surroundings now a warped, eerily silent reflection of reality.

Lina exhaled sharply, glancing around. "Damn… You actually did it."

Lina peeked around the wall to check for the sniper. "How does your Mirror World work again?" she asked.

"It's... a mirror of the actual world, but empty," he replied.

"So right now, we're safe from the sniper?" Lina asked, her eyes scanning the twisted landscape of the Mirror World.

Hikaru nodded, though his expression remained tense. "For now. Nothing from our world can touch us here."

"Great, let's go to Ayami's apartment. We should leave now."

"Alright... oh, by the way, can we take some stuff?"

"What stuff?"

***

Ding! The convenience store door opened.

Inside the store, Hikaru grabbed handfuls of snacks, along with raw meat, vegetables, and other supplies.

"You... you really need to steal all of this?" she asked.

"If it's free, it's free. Want to take something?"

"...Sure."

"Don't worry, it won't affect the real world."

Lina stared at a bag of chips, turning it over in her hands. The packaging looked exactly like the real thing, but something about it felt... off. Like looking at a photo that had been slightly warped.

"How long can we stay here?" she asked, pocketing the snack.

Hikaru was busy stuffing more food into his backpack. "Not too long. I just want to take these snacks since the ones at home have been gone for a while."

She looked away. "Aha... sorry I ate all your snacks at home."

He finished packing the stuff in his bag. "Let's go to Ayami's apartment."

As Hikaru slung the backpack over his shoulder, he turned toward Lina. “Alright, let’s go before something weird happens.”

Lina glancing at the warped reflection of the city outside the store.

They stepped out onto the empty streets of the Mirror World, the city stretching before them in eerie silence. No people, no sound—only the twisted reflections of reality. The neon signs flickered dimly, and the glass windows rippled like water when they passed by.

“We should be able to make it to Ayami’s place without any problems,” Hikaru said, keeping his pace steady.

Lina, however, wasn’t convinced. She frowned. “I don’t like this.”

“What?”

“This place is too quiet.”

“It’s always quiet here.”

Hikaru just said, "Well... I mean, that's better, I think. This place is quiet, no one will hunt you."

"I mean, yeah, but... have you come here often?"

"Honestly, no...? But sometimes, if I want something, I take something from this world, if I don't have money."

They arrived at Ayami’s apartment, slipping inside with quiet urgency. Without hesitation, they headed straight to her bedroom, where a large mirror stood against the wall—their gateway back to reality.

Hikaru extended his hand toward Lina. “Hold on. We’ll step through together.”

She grasped his hand, and the world around them rippled like water. The warped silence of the Mirror World faded, replaced by the familiar sounds of the real world the distant hum of the city, the rustle of fabric

As they emerged, their feet landing on solid ground, they were met with an unexpected sight.

Ayami stood in her room, hurriedly buttoning up her shirt.

“Ayami-san!” Hikaru blurted out, relief and urgency mixing in his voice.

Ayami jolted, spinning toward them with wide eyes. “Wha—? You two?!” She quickly composed herself, though a hint of fluster lingered. “What are you doing here?” She glanced at them, taking in their unchanged school uniforms. “And why are you still in your school clothes?”

Lina and Hikaru exchanged a glance before turning back to Ayami. The weight of their arrival, of what they had just escaped from, pressed down on them.

Lina took a slow breath, stepping forward. “I need to tell you something,” she said, her voice steady despite the tension lingering in the air.

Ayami, still adjusting her shirt, sighed and sat on the edge of her bed. She rested her elbows on her knees, fingers laced together as she looked at Lina. “I’m listening.”

Lina hesitated for only a moment before speaking. “Ishtar’s after me now.”

Ayami didn’t react right away. She merely nodded, as if she had expected those words.

“I figured this would happen,” Ayami murmured. Her eyes studied Lina with an unreadable expression. “The moment you failed to kill me… it was only a matter of time before she turned her attention to you.”

To Be Continue.