Chapter 27: In The Mirror
Lena didn't sleep.
She tried.
God knew she tried.
But every time she closed her eyes, she heard the name.
That impossible name.
The one the girl had whispered.
The one she couldn't fully remember no matter how hard she tried.
It hovered just beyond reach.
Like a dream disappearing the moment you woke up.
Like smoke slipping through your fingers.
She remembered hearing it.
She remembered understanding it.
And yet now...
Nothing.
Only fragments.
Only the strange certainty that the name belonged to her.
Not Lena.
Not the girl she'd been her whole life.
Someone older.
Someone forgotten.
Someone buried deep inside her.
The thought alone was enough to make her stomach twist.
Outside, rain hammered against the windows.
Thunder rolled across Blackwood.
The storm had finally arrived.
Lena sat up in bed.
The digital clock beside her read 2:17 a.m.
Everyone else in the house was asleep.
The darkness felt heavier tonight.
Almost crowded.
As if unseen eyes were watching from every corner.
She rubbed her face.
Maybe Caleb was right.
Maybe she was losing her mind.
Maybe none of this was real.
Maybe visions and silver-eyed girls and ancient names were exactly the sort of thing people imagined before getting dragged away to psychiatric evaluations.
A small laugh escaped her.
It sounded hollow.
Even she didn't believe it.
Too much had happened.
Too many things she'd seen with her own eyes.
Too many questions without answers.
Lightning flashed outside.
For a split second her room turned white.
Then darkness returned.
Lena froze.
Someone was standing beside her mirror.
Her heart stopped.
The figure vanished instantly.
The room was empty again.
Silence.
Thunder boomed overhead.
Lena slowly stood.
Every instinct screamed at her not to look.
She looked anyway.
The mirror reflected her room.
Her bed.
Her desk.
Her window.
Nothing else.
She released a shaky breath.
"You're imagining things."
The words sounded pathetic.
Weak.
Desperate.
She turned away.
The mirror moved.
Lena stopped.
Every muscle in her body locked.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
She looked back.
The reflection wasn't copying her anymore.
It was still standing there.
While she wasn't.
Cold rushed through her veins.
The girl stared back at her.
Silver eyes.
Dark hair.
Her face.
Exactly her face.
The same girl from the forest.
The same girl from the visions.
The same impossible girl.
Lena couldn't move.
Neither could the reflection.
For several seconds they simply stared at one another.
Then the girl smiled.
Not cruelly.
Not warmly.
Sadly.
As though she were looking at someone already doomed.
"Lena."
The voice came from inside the mirror.
Soft.
Clear.
Real.
Lena took a step back.
The girl took a step forward.
The glass rippled.
Like water.
"Oh, hell no."
Lena immediately stumbled backward.
The girl actually looked offended.
"Really?"
Lena blinked.
"What?"
The girl folded her arms.
"I finally manage to establish contact and that's your reaction?"
Lena stared.
The girl stared back.
The situation somehow became even more ridiculous.
"You're in my mirror."
"Technically."
"Technically?"
"You're focusing on the wrong issue."
Lena pointed at the mirror.
"YOU ARE IN MY MIRROR."
The girl sighed.
An actual sigh.
Like she was exhausted.
"You're difficult."
"I'M DIFFICULT?"
Thunder exploded outside.
Neither of them reacted.
Lena suddenly realized something.
The storm had gone silent.
The rain had stopped.
The entire world seemed frozen.
Even the clock beside her bed wasn't moving.
2:17.
2:17.
2:17.
The realization sent another chill through her.
The girl noticed.
"Now you're paying attention."
"What did you do?"
"Nothing."
"Everything is frozen."
"Not everything."
The silver-eyed girl tilted her head.
"Just time."
Lena nearly sat down.
"Just time."
"Yes."
"JUST TIME?"
The girl looked confused.
"Is that supposed to be impressive?"
Lena actually laughed.
A slightly hysterical laugh.
The girl definitely wasn't human.
No normal person said things like that.
The silver-eyed girl studied her carefully.
For the first time her expression softened.
"You really don't remember."
Something about those words hurt.
Lena wasn't sure why.
The girl looked heartbroken.
As if she'd hoped for a different answer.
"Remember what?"
Silence.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then the girl stepped closer.
The mirror rippled beneath her feet.
Silver light spread through the glass.
"You remember pieces."
Lena swallowed.
The girl continued.
"The wolves."
A flash appeared in Lena's mind.
Silver eyes.
Ancient forests.
Moonlight.
The girl nodded.
"As I thought."
"Who are you?"
The question came out sharper than intended.
The girl didn't seem offended.
Only sad.
"Someone who failed you."
Lena frowned.
"What does that mean?"
The girl's eyes darkened.
For the first time genuine guilt appeared on her face.
"A long time ago, I made a choice."
The room suddenly felt colder.
"A terrible choice."
"What choice?"
The girl looked away.
"I thought I was protecting you."
Protecting.
The word echoed strangely.
Protecting who?
Protecting Lena?
How?
Why?
Nothing made sense.
The girl's gaze returned.
"This world isn't supposed to know you exist."
Lena blinked.
"What?"
"The wolves."
"The hunters."
"The shadows."
"The creatures waking beneath the earth."
The girl shook her head.
"They should never have found you."
Lena's heart pounded harder.
"What am I?"
The question hung between them.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
The girl didn't answer immediately.
Instead she stared at Lena.
As though searching for traces of someone else.
Someone hidden beneath the surface.
When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.
"You are the last."
The room seemed to tremble.
Silver light flickered inside the mirror.
The girl's expression tightened.
As though she'd already said too much.
"The last what?"
Silence.
"Lena."
"The last what?"
The girl looked genuinely frightened now.
Not of Lena.
Of something else.
Something watching.
Something listening.
Then Lena heard it.
A growl.
Deep.
Distant.
Coming from somewhere beyond the mirror.
The girl's eyes widened.
"No."
The growl came again.
Louder.
Closer.
The mirror darkened instantly.
Silver light vanished.
The girl spun around.
Fear exploded across her face.
Real fear.
Raw fear.
Lena had never seen anything like it.
"What is that?"
The girl's voice became urgent.
"You have to wake up."
"What?"
"You have to wake up now."
The growl shook the room.
Cracks spread through the mirror.
Black veins crawled across the glass.
Something was coming.
Something enormous.
Something angry.
The girl's panic intensified.
"It found me."
Lena's pulse thundered.
"What found you?"
The girl looked directly into her eyes.
And for the first time Lena saw desperation.
Pure desperation.
"If it reaches you before you remember..."
The mirror shattered.
A massive claw slammed through the darkness beyond the glass.
Lena screamed.
The girl screamed.
Silver light erupted everywhere.
For one horrifying second Lena saw something moving behind the mirror.
Something impossibly large.
A shape made entirely of darkness.
Two silver eyes opened.
Ancient.
Monstrous.
Hungry.
The creature looked directly at her.
Not at the girl.
At Lena.
Recognition flashed inside those eyes.
Recognition.
And something far worse.
Affection.
The realization hit her like a truck.
The thing knew her.
The thing had always known her.
The creature began forcing its way through the broken mirror.
The room shook violently.
The girl turned back toward Lena.
"WAKE UP!"
Everything exploded.
Lena bolted upright.
A scream tearing from her throat.
Sunlight flooded her room.
Birds chirped outside.
Rain was gone.
The storm was gone.
The mirror stood untouched beside her bed.
No cracks.
No darkness.
No silver eyes.
Nothing.
Her chest heaved.
Sweat soaked her skin.
A dream.
It had been a dream.
Hadn't it?
A knock sounded at her door.
Before she could answer, Caleb entered.
One look at her face and his expression darkened.
"You saw her again."
Not a question.
A statement.
Lena's stomach dropped.
"You know about her."
Caleb didn't answer.
Which was answer enough.
She climbed out of bed.
Heart pounding.
"Who is she?"
Still silence.
"Caleb."
His jaw tightened.
"Tell me."
The tension inside the room became unbearable.
Finally Caleb spoke.
Very quietly.
Very carefully.
"As long as I've known you..."
His eyes locked onto hers.
"She's been trying to find you."
Every hair on Lena's body stood on end.
"What do you mean?"
Caleb looked toward the mirror.
For the briefest moment fear crossed his face.
Then he said the last thing Lena expected.
"The question isn't who she is."
Lena felt dread coil inside her chest.
"The question," Caleb said softly, "is why she's terrified of what happens when you remember her name."
And before Lena could ask another question, something moved inside the mirror behind him.
A silver eye opened.
Then vanished.