บท 37: Chapter 36: The Mirror of Souls
Adrian opened his eyes to find himself standing in a hall of mirrors. Each pane stretched endlessly upward and outward, reflecting his face back at him from a thousand different angles. The air was thick with a palpable tension, as if the very atmosphere was holding its breath, waiting for him to make his next move. Every surface shimmered with a cold, silvery light that gave the impression of standing on the edge of reality itself.
He moved cautiously, his footsteps echoing hollowly against the marble floor. The reflections around him shifted with each step, some showing him as he was, others distorting his features into grotesque versions of himself. He could see fragments of his life in those mirrors—his past, his regrets, the things he'd tried to bury deep within himself.
In one mirror, he saw a young version of himself, the hopeful surgeon fresh out of medical school, eager to make a difference. In another, he was standing in the operating room, blood on his hands, his eyes hollow and haunted. Each reflection felt like a piece of his soul, splintered and scattered across time.
"What is this place?" Adrian murmured, his voice swallowed by the eerie silence.
A figure moved in the distance, its form barely visible through the maze of mirrors. It wasn't Elara this time—this presence felt darker, more malevolent. Adrian followed the shadow, winding his way through the labyrinth, his reflection trailing him at every turn.
The further he walked, the more distorted the reflections became. Faces twisted into grimaces of pain, eyes darkened with sorrow, mouths open in silent screams. The mirrors seemed to mock him, showing him not just what he had been, but what he had feared becoming.
Finally, he reached the center of the maze, where a large, ornate mirror stood alone. Unlike the others, this one was smooth and clear, its surface undisturbed by any reflections. Adrian stared into it, expecting to see his own face staring back at him. But there was nothing. The mirror was empty, a void.
And then, a voice echoed through the hall—low and resonant, like the rumble of distant thunder.
"You have come far, Adrian Weiss."
Adrian's heart raced as the shadowy figure stepped into the light. It was a man, tall and gaunt, his face a pale mask of something beyond human comprehension. His eyes, black as the void, seemed to pierce through Adrian's very being. He wore a long, tattered coat that fluttered slightly, as if caught in an unseen wind.
"Who are you?" Adrian asked, his voice barely a whisper.
The figure smiled, a cold, eerie smile. "I am the one who watches. The one who knows. The one who holds the truth you seek."
Adrian clenched his fists, feeling a surge of defiance rise within him. "I've seen enough truth. What more could there be?"
The figure stepped closer, his presence growing more oppressive with each passing second. "The truth you have seen is only a reflection of what you already knew. But the real truth—the truth that binds you to the void—lies here."
He gestured to the empty mirror before them. Adrian's eyes flicked toward it, his pulse quickening. The mirror remained blank, its surface smooth and untouched.
"What is this?" Adrian asked, a chill creeping down his spine.
"This," the figure said, his voice low and menacing, "is your final choice. What you see here is what you choose to be. This is the mirror of souls. It reflects not what you are, but what you will become."
Adrian swallowed hard, his mind racing. The void had already shown him so much—his failures, his regrets, his past mistakes. What more could there be to uncover? And yet, he couldn't deny the pull of the mirror, the sense that something waited for him within its depths.
The figure's voice became a whisper, barely audible but carrying a weight that pressed down on Adrian's chest. "Look into the mirror, Adrian. See what lies beyond the surface."
Adrian took a hesitant step forward, his breath shallow. His reflection did not appear. Instead, the mirror's surface rippled, as though it were made of liquid glass. Slowly, an image began to form, like a fog lifting to reveal something buried deep within.
At first, it was faint—a silhouette, blurred and indistinct. But as Adrian stared deeper, the image sharpened, revealing a figure standing in the darkness. It was him.
But not him.
The Adrian in the mirror was older, his face lined with exhaustion and grief. His eyes were hollow, empty of the fire that had once driven him. His hands trembled, covered in blood—not the blood of a patient, but of something far worse. The void had consumed him entirely.
"No…" Adrian whispered, stepping back from the mirror.
The figure behind him chuckled softly, the sound sending shivers down Adrian's spine. "This is what you will become if you continue down this path. The void will claim you, just as it has claimed so many before you."
Adrian shook his head, his heart pounding in his chest. "There has to be another way."
"There is always another way," the figure said, his voice smooth and seductive. "But the cost is steep. Are you willing to pay it?"
Adrian's mind raced, the weight of his decisions pressing down on him. He had come so far, fought so hard to uncover the truth. But was he ready to face the consequences? Was he ready to accept the price?
The figure's eyes gleamed in the dim light. "The choice is yours, Adrian. Embrace the void, or defy it. But know this—once you choose, there is no turning back."
Adrian stared into the mirror once more, his reflection fading into the shadows. The weight of the choice hung heavy in the air, the void swirling around him, waiting for his decision.
With a deep breath, Adrian stepped forward, his voice steady as he made his choice.
"I will not be consumed."
The void trembled, the air around him crackling with energy. The figure's smile faltered, his eyes narrowing.
"Then you will fight," the figure said, his voice filled with both admiration and contempt. "But know this, Adrian Weiss—the void never lets go."
And with that, the figure vanished, leaving Adrian alone in the hall of mirrors, his heart pounding in his chest. The mirrors around him shattered, the sound of breaking glass echoing endlessly in the emptiness.
Adrian stood in the silence, his reflection gone, the void no longer pulling at him. But he knew the battle was far from over.
The void had shown him his future. Now, it was up to him to change it.
And for the first time, in what felt like an eternity, Adrian felt the stirrings of hope.
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