The crystalline patterns creeping across the mirror trembled, vibrating faintly as Elias stepped through the jagged opening. He didn’t notice the shift at first, his thoughts too consumed by the torrent of anger, confusion, and fear coursing through him. But then, with a sharp, echoing crack, the entire mirror splintered.

Elias froze, his breath catching in his throat as the glass fractured in slow motion, shards breaking free and hanging in the air like frozen droplets of water. The faint hum of energy filled the room, the sound resonating deep in his chest.

“What’s happening?” he asked, his voice shaking as he turned to the Oni.

She didn’t respond. Her sharp eyes were locked on the mirror, her hand drifting to the demon mask on her waist. The towering man tensed, his fists clenched as if ready for an attack, while the older man took a cautious step back, his expression unreadable.

The shards began to move, drawn toward Elias like iron filings to a magnet. He stumbled back, his arm raised instinctively as the glowing mark on his palm flared to life. The shards spun around him in a mesmerizing cyclone of jagged light, the fractured reflections casting warped images of the room around them.

“Elias, stay calm,” the Oni said sharply, her voice cutting through the noise. “Don’t fight it.”

“Don’t fight what?” Elias shouted, his chest heaving as the shards pressed closer. The light from the mark grew brighter, more intense, until the edges of the room were swallowed in a blinding glow. He clenched his fists, the crystalline veins on his arm pulsating in rhythm with the shards’ movement.

And then, with a final pulse of energy, the shards converged, disappearing into the mark. The room fell silent, the hum vanishing as abruptly as it had begun. Elias stood frozen, staring at his hand. The mark glowed faintly, its angular lines now more intricate, as if the mirror had etched itself into his skin.

“What the hell was that?” he demanded, his voice trembling as he turned to the Oni.

“That was the artifact reacting to your emotions,” she said, her tone calm but edged with urgency. “It’s part of you now. The mirror was just another fragment of its energy, drawn back to its source.”

“You mean me,” Elias muttered, his gaze dropping to his hand.

The older man cleared his throat. “We need to move. Now.”

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They exited the building through a side door that led into a shadowed alley. The night was unnervingly quiet, the distant hum of the city muffled as if the world itself were holding its breath. A sleek black SUV waited at the curb, its windows tinted so dark they reflected nothing but the faint glow of the streetlights.

“Get in,” the older man ordered, opening the front passenger door. The towering man climbed into the driver’s seat without a word, his massive frame making the vehicle seem smaller than it was.

Elias hesitated, his gaze darting to the Oni. She gave him a small nod, gesturing toward the back seat. “Come on. You’re safe with us.”

Safe. The word felt meaningless, but Elias didn’t argue. He climbed into the back seat, the soft leather cold against his skin. The Oni slid in beside him, closing the door with a quiet click.

The SUV pulled away from the curb, its engine humming softly as they merged into the empty streets. Elias stared out the window, his mind racing as the city lights blurred past. The mark on his hand still pulsed faintly, a constant reminder of how far his life had spiraled out of control.

The silence in the car was suffocating, each second stretching into an eternity. Elias clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he fought to steady his breathing.

“Relax,” the Oni said softly, breaking the silence. She leaned back in her seat, her posture casual but her sharp eyes watching him closely. “I know this is a lot. But freaking out isn’t going to help.”

Elias shot her a glare, his voice tight. “You think I’m freaking out? My life’s been turned upside down, I’ve got something alien fused to my body, and I just watched a mirror shatter and get sucked into my arm. Freaking out doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

The Oni smirked, her expression softening. “Fair enough. But for what it’s worth, you handled yourself pretty well back there.”

“Back there?” Elias scoffed. “You mean when I nearly blew up the room?”

“You didn’t,” she pointed out. “And that’s a start.”

Elias leaned back, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “I don’t even know your name,” he muttered. “I don’t know who any of you are.”

The Oni tilted her head, studying him for a moment before answering. “You can call me Kaida,” she said. “The big guy up front is Ronan. And the one in the passenger seat…” Her tone shifted, a hint of amusement creeping in. “That’s Director Vasquez. He’s the boss.”

“Director,” Elias repeated, his voice flat. “Great. So I’m stuck with a boss, a mountain, and someone who keeps breaking into my apartment.”

Kaida grinned. “Technically, I broke in once. And it was for your own good.”

Elias didn’t respond. He stared at his hand, the glow of the mark faint in the dim light. “What happens now?” he asked quietly.

Kaida’s grin faded, her expression turning serious. “Now, we figure out what Axiom put in you. And how to make sure they don’t take it back.”

Her words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. Elias glanced at her, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. “And what if I don’t want to be part of this? What if I just… want to be normal again?”

Kaida’s gaze softened, but her tone was firm. “You don’t get that choice anymore, Elias. None of us do.”

The SUV rolled on, the city lights growing dimmer as they left the heart of downtown behind. Elias stared out the window, the weight of her words pressing down on him like a stone.

Normal. He wasn’t sure he even remembered what that felt like.