Whispers of the Mirror Realm

The sound of shattering glass echoed through the deathly silent apartment, the air seeming to freeze in that instant.

Wen Zhiyi's body instinctively tensed, her back pressed against Lin Xiao's chest, feeling the warmth of his palm against her.

Lin Xiao didn't let go immediately. Instead, his gaze remained deep and focused, fixed on the fragments of broken glass on the ground.

In the shattered mirror—

It wasn't just their two reflections.

There was a third figure, faint and distorted.

A black silhouette, twisted and featureless, stood at the edge of the mirror. No eyes, no mouth—just a formless shadow, as if silently watching them.

Or perhaps…

It was merely their separated reflection, trapped in another space.

But now, it was gone.

Wen Zhiyi's fingers clenched slightly. She took a slow, steady breath, lowering her gaze to the shards of glass.

"…What was that just now?"

Lin Xiao's voice was low and composed.

"Residual mirror imprint."

He paused, his gaze flickering as if carefully choosing his next words.

"Some ancient buildings are deliberately designed with mirrors—not to reflect people, but to seal away things that shouldn't exist."

Wen Zhiyi's heart skipped a beat.

"You're saying… that shadow was—" Her breath hitched. "—sealed inside the mirror?"

Lin Xiao's eyes darkened slightly. He didn't answer directly but instead looked at the ground, his brows slightly furrowed.

"If every mirror in this apartment serves the same purpose… then this entire building might be a confinement field."

A binding seal, using an entire apartment to imprison something?

A chill crept up Wen Zhiyi's spine.

Her gaze swept across the dimly lit walls. The peeling paint, the flickering lights, the water-stained ceiling—at first glance, they seemed like natural signs of decay.

But now…

From a certain angle, these ordinary signs of aging aligned too perfectly, forming an intricate pattern.

As if—

They were deliberately placed.

Like part of a formation.

Lin Xiao's voice was steady.

"We need to check Room 705."

The Hallway

The two ascended the stairs.

The hallway stretched long and empty, its silence almost suffocating. The night breeze slipped through the cracks of the windows, carrying a faint howling sound.

Wen Zhiyi walked beside Lin Xiao, every step echoing against the walls.

Then—

A soft click.

A door had just opened.

She froze.

Lin Xiao sensed it too. He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping behind them.

The hallway was empty.

Yet that sound—

It had unmistakably been a door creaking open.

Wen Zhiyi's spine stiffened. Her eyes traced along the closed doors on either side of the corridor.

Every door was shut.

No visible movement.

Yet her instincts screamed that something was there—watching them from behind one of the doors.

Lin Xiao's eyes darkened slightly. He didn't speak and simply continued forward.

Wen Zhiyi inhaled quietly, suppressing the unease in her chest, and followed.

At the end of the hallway—

The door to Room 705 awaited.

The metal doorplate hung crookedly, as if it had been forcibly ripped out of place.

Standing before it, Wen Zhiyi's fingertips grew cold.

This door—

She had seen it in her dreams.

Over and over again.

Slowly, she reached out, wrapping her fingers around the handle.

Twisted it.

"Click—"

The lock disengaged.

Inside Room 705

The air was freezing cold.

The window was half open, the curtains shifting slightly. A faint movement cast restless shadows on the walls—shadows that looked almost alive.

Wen Zhiyi's gaze swept across the room.

Clean. No dust.

The furniture was neatly arranged, the bedsheets were smooth and untouched—

As if the owner had just left moments ago.

But this room—

Had been sealed off for a year.

Lin Xiao's expression darkened. Slowly, he walked toward the desk.

There, lying on the surface—

Was an old photo album.

Wen Zhiyi hesitated before stepping closer.

She opened the first page.

And froze.

Inside the album—

Were pictures of her.

Her breath hitched.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she turned the pages.

Every photograph was of her, taken inside this exact room.

Yet—she had never been here before.

"This… is impossible." She murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lin Xiao's gaze flicked to the back cover of the album. He turned it over.

A single sentence was scrawled in rushed, messy handwriting.

"Do not open the door."

Wen Zhiyi's heart clenched violently.

But—

She had already opened it.

A loud bang.

The door slammed shut behind them.

The temperature in the room plummeted.

A faint whispering filled the air—distant, disembodied, speaking in a voice that barely brushed against reality.

"…Why have you… come…?"

Wen Zhiyi's pulse raced.

Her gaze instinctively snapped to the mirror near the window.

And there—

A shadow stood inside.

Blurry. Distorted.

But unmistakably watching her.

Lin Xiao's expression darkened.

His hand reached into his coat.

He pulled out a yellowed talisman.

The edges ignited instantly, flames flickering in the dim light.

Wen Zhiyi's breath caught.

Then—

A cold breath tickled against her ear.

A voice—low, chilling, too close.

"…You finally came."

Wen Zhiyi's body stiffened.

A cold sensation crawled from the base of her spine to the top of her skull.

Then—

Lin Xiao yanked her backward.

"Stay behind me."

His voice was calm but commanding, leaving no room for hesitation.

Wen Zhiyi's fingers clenched. She bit her lip but didn't protest.

Lin Xiao's wrist flicked—

The talisman's flames flared, illuminating the dark corners of the room.

The shadow in the mirror trembled, the air distorting with a strange pressure.

Then—

A gust of wind surged through the room, carrying an eerie, biting chill.

And then—

Silence.

Wen Zhiyi's heart pounded in her chest. She turned toward the window, her breath unsteady.

Outside—

Nothing.

But she knew.

It hadn't vanished.

It was still there.

Waiting.