Through the Frosted Mirror

The medbay's sterile silence was deafening. Ellen lay motionless, her face pale and damp with sweat. Her body twitched violently, her breathing uneven as she sank deeper into the nightmare. There was no one there to hold her hand or watch over her—no one to wake her from the torment gripping her mind.

The screams clawed at her consciousness, starting faint and distorted, growing louder and sharper with each passing second. The sound was unmistakable now—a child's anguished cries. Mira's cries.

Ellen's vision shifted again, dragging her into the depths of the dream. She was small, vulnerable, and strapped to the cold, unforgiving surface of a metal table. Looming figures surrounded her, their faces hidden in darkness, their movements slow and methodical, like predators toying with their prey. The light above her was blinding, casting long shadows across their forms as they leaned closer.

"Stop…" Ellen whispered weakly in her dream, but the word felt hollow, swallowed by the suffocating air of the room.

The cold bite of a blade tore through her—no, Mira's—flesh, and Ellen convulsed in her cot, gripping the blanket in a deathly hold. Every cut, every probe, every wave of Ether surging through Mira's fragile body resonated in Ellen's own. The pain was unbearable, the helplessness suffocating.

"May the Creator refine you," a shadowed figure murmured. The words felt like a death sentence, each syllable dripping with cruel finality.

Ellen's vision shifted once more. She was no longer on the operating table but trapped in a containment cell. Mira was hunched in a corner, her small body trembling. Thick tubes jutted from her spine, pulsating with an ominous glow as Ether was forcibly pumped into her veins. The once-bright child Ellen had come to care for was now a shadow of herself, her form twisted into her oni-like Ethereal state.

"Mama…" Mira whimpered, her voice breaking as she clawed weakly at the tubes. Her eyes, with desperation, locked onto the cell door. "Save me… please… Mama…"

Ellen's breath hitched, her heart shattering at the sound of Mira's pleading voice. Her body burned with anger, a rage so primal and consuming that it made her chest ache.

Suddenly, the nightmare shattered, and Ellen's eyes shot open. The world around her was blurry, her senses dulled, but one thing was crystal clear—Mira's cries still echoed in her ears, and they wouldn't stop.

Her breathing was ragged, her chest rising and falling erratically as she sat up in the cot. Her mind was blank, her thoughts overridden by a single, overpowering instinct: Save Mira.

Ellen swung her legs over the edge of the cot, her body trembling as she stood. The pain in her limbs, the weakness in her muscles—none of it mattered. All she could hear were Mira's final words, and they replayed in her mind like a cruel taunt.

"Mama… please… save me…"

Something inside her snapped. The anger bubbling within her erupted into something feral, something primal. This wasn't the sharp, focused anger she sometimes felt—it was far worse. It was instinctual, animalistic. Her teeth clenched, her nails digging into her palms as her vision turned crimson.

Her body moved before her mind could process what was happening. The door to the medbay burst open, the metallic clang echoing through the empty halls. Her bare feet hit the cold floor, but she didn't feel it. Her senses were dulled to everything but the driving need to find Mira.

Ellen's surroundings blurred as she began to run, her pace unnaturally fast. The air whipped past her face, her movements a blur of speed and power that shouldn't have been possible for someone in her condition. But she didn't care. Her body was no longer hers—it was a vessel for the overwhelming fury consuming her.

Her mind was singular in focus: Find Mira. Kill them all.

Her breath came in short, sharp bursts as she tore through the corridors, her feet moving faster than they ever had before. She barely registered the world around her; all she could see was Mira's frightened face, all she could hear were her cries.

This wasn't Ellen anymore. The person running was something far worse—a predator, a hunter. She wasn't moving with purpose or strategy; she was driven by instinct, like a great white shark scenting blood in the water. The need to protect, to kill, overpowered everything else.

The world was a blur, and her thoughts were a cacophony of anger and anguish. When she finally became aware of her surroundings, she realized she had burst through several sets of doors, the metal hinges twisted and broken in her wake. Her breathing was heavy, her muscles trembling as she stood in the middle of a darkened hallway.

Reality hit her like a wave, and for a brief moment, she stilled. She looked down at her hands, her fingers trembling as the remnants of her rage clawed at the edges of her mind.

Her voice was barely a whisper. "Mira…"

But the rage wasn't gone—it simmered beneath the surface, waiting to explode again. She clenched her fists, her teeth bared as she forced herself to move forward.

"I'll save you," she growled, her voice low and dangerous. "And I'll make them pay."

Ellen had been running for what felt like hours, maybe days. She didn't know. She didn't care. The pain in her legs, the burning in her chest—none of it registered. Her mind was caught in an endless loop, replaying Mira's screams, her cries for help, the haunting image of tubes forcing Ether into her small body.

The world around her was a blur, her surroundings shifting from the industrial sprawl of New Eridu to the barren wilderness of the Outer Ring. The sun was dipping below the horizon, casting long shadows across the jagged cliffs and rocky terrain.

Ellen skidded to a halt atop a steep cliff, the wind whipping through her hair. Her breathing was ragged, her body trembling as she stared down at the sight below.

A sprawling militaristic base lay nestled in a canyon, its walls lined with armed guards and surveillance equipment. Watchtowers stood like sentinels, their searchlights scanning the perimeter. Dozens of transport vehicles and mechs moved in and out of the compound, their movements precise and disciplined.

But Ellen didn't see the base for what it was. She didn't see the defenses, the overwhelming firepower, or the impossibility of the task ahead. All she saw was red.

Her instincts screamed at her, her connection to Mira stronger than ever. She could feel her somewhere inside that base, her emotions radiating like a beacon. Fear. Pain. Desperation.

Ellen's remaining hand curled into a fist, her nails digging into her palm until they bled. The primal rage that had been simmering within her boiled over, consuming her completely. There was no strategy, no caution—just raw, unrelenting fury.

She leaped from the cliff, her body slicing through the air like a predator diving for its prey.

The moment her feet hit the ground, alarms blared. The base sprang to life, red lights flashing as guards shouted and scrambled to intercept her. Ellen didn't hesitate.

A squad of armed guards rushed toward her, their weapons raised. "Stand down!" one of them shouted, but Ellen didn't even register the words.

She moved like a beast unleashed, closing the distance between them in an instant. Her claws—grown sharper and more feral in her rage—tore through the first guard, the sickening sound of flesh and armor ripping filling the air. Blood sprayed as she lunged at the next, her teeth bared in a snarl. Her jaws clamped down on his neck, a primal, vicious act that ended him in seconds.

The guards barely had time to react before Ellen was upon them. Her movements were brutal and animalistic, each strike fueled by the singular thought of saving Mira. There was no mercy, no hesitation. This wasn't Ellen anymore—this was something far worse, something unstoppable.

Gunfire erupted, but Ellen weaved through the bullets with inhuman speed, her body twisting and turning like a predator evading its prey's futile attacks. She tore through them with her bare hands, her strength defying logic. Limbs snapped under her grip, bodies crumpled under the force of her strikes. Her tail, a shark-like appendage, whipped out with devastating force, sending guards flying like ragdolls.

The guards' cries of pain and panic only fueled her rage. She didn't hold back. Each kill was quick, efficient, and savage.

More guards poured out of the base, their numbers swelling as the compound's full security force was mobilized. Ellen didn't slow down. Her body moved on instinct, her mind singularly focused on one thing: Mira.

A squad of heavily armored mechs emerged from a hangar, their mechanical limbs whirring as they raised their weapons. Energy blasts and missiles rained down toward Ellen, but she charged forward without fear.

The frost she once controlled with her scissors now manifested through her sheer rage, her Etheric energy seeping into the air. As a missile careened toward her, she roared, her voice a guttural sound that echoed through the canyon. Ice erupted from the ground, forming a jagged barrier that absorbed the impact.

She leaped onto the nearest mech, her claws sinking into its metal plating. With a feral snarl, she tore through its outer shell, her strength rivaling that of the machine itself. Sparks flew as she ripped out its core, the mech collapsing in a heap. Another mech fired at her, but Ellen was already moving, her body a blur as she closed the gap. She jumped onto its cockpit, her tail smashing into its weapons system, disabling it before she plunged her claws into its pilot.

The deeper she pushed into the base, the more resistance she encountered. The guards were desperate now, their fear palpable. They had realized they weren't dealing with an ordinary intruder—they were dealing with a monster.

Ellen's senses sharpened, her connection to Mira growing stronger with every step. She could feel her, so close now. The thought drove her forward, her rage propelling her through wave after wave of opposition.

Blood stained her hands, her clothes, the ground beneath her feet. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and ozone, the sounds of gunfire and screams echoing through the compound.

And yet, despite the chaos, Ellen's mind remained focused.

Save her.

Make them pay.

The base's central structure loomed ahead, its walls reinforced with layers of steel and Etheric shielding. Ellen's eyes narrowed, her grip tightening as she prepared to break through. She knew Mira was inside.

Her muscles coiled like a spring, her body trembling with anticipation. She didn't care what stood between her and Mira. She would tear it all down.

Ellen's relentless charge through the base finally brought her to her destination—a massive containment cell at the end of a dimly lit corridor. The heavy steel door loomed before her, fortified with reinforced locks and Etheric shielding. But none of that mattered to Ellen. Her primal rage surged, and with a guttural growl, she dug her claws into the seams of the door. With a sharp, ferocious yank, she tore it from its hinges, the sound of grinding metal echoing through the facility.

Inside, the air was thick with Etheric energy. At the far corner of the room, Mira's small form was curled up, her back turned to the entrance. She was in her ethereal oni-like state, her body faintly glowing as tubes connected to her spine pulsed with a sickly light, pumping Ether into her. Ellen's sharp senses picked up Mira's shallow, labored breaths. The sight eased the raging storm in Ellen's mind, but only slightly. The beast within her recognized its ward, and Ellen instinctively softened her approach, her footsteps slow and deliberate.

"Mira," Ellen whispered, her voice raspy and uneven. She crouched low, her animalistic posture remaining tense but no longer threatening. Her frost-coated claws reached out, and with careful precision, she began tearing the tubes from Mira's body one by one. Each removal brought a small cry of pain from Mira, but Ellen's gentle hands worked quickly, her frost sealing the open wounds as she went.

When the last tube was gone, Ellen exhaled deeply. The air in the room seemed lighter, and for the first time since her rampage began, a sliver of calm returned to her. But her instincts remained on edge, ears twitching as they listened for any approaching threats.

"Mira," she called again, this time more softly. The girl tensed, her form shrinking further as though bracing for another wave of torment. Slowly, Mira turned her head, her ethereal features streaked with glowing tears that shimmered like liquid light. Her eyes widened as they met Ellen's, disbelief and confusion etched into her face.

"Ellen...?" Mira's voice was faint, trembling with both fear and hope.

Ellen nodded, her lips curling into a small, reassuring smile. "It's me. I'm here."

Mira's disbelief crumbled, replaced by a torrent of emotion. She burst into tears, her sobs loud and uncontrollable as she scrambled toward Ellen. Throwing her arms around Ellen's neck, she clung to her tightly, burying her face into Ellen's chest. The blood and grime covering Ellen didn't matter. To Mira, nothing else mattered except that Ellen was there.

Ellen froze for a moment, overwhelmed by the intensity of Mira's embrace. Slowly, she wrapped her arm around Mira, pulling her closer with a gentleness that belied the ferocity she'd displayed moments before. "You're safe now," Ellen murmured, her voice steady despite the lingering adrenaline coursing through her veins. "I've got you."

The room was silent save for Mira's sobs. Ellen stayed still, holding Mira as the girl cried out all the fear, pain, and anguish she had endured. For now, the bloodied path Ellen had carved to reach her didn't matter. All that mattered was the fragile, trembling girl in her arms and the promise that she would never let anyone hurt her again.