On the other side, Malice emerges into the chambers. The knights gasp, their expressions shifting to awe and relief. My sister, Gwyneth, rushes forward.
“Daphne, you’re back!” Gwyneth exclaims, throwing her arms around Malice, who wears my face like a mask. Malice smiles sweetly, her voice a perfect mimicry.
“Yes, I’m here. And I have Excalibur,” she says, lifting the blade. The knights erupt in cheers, oblivious to the truth.
Hart steps forward, his face glowing with admiration. Malice grabs him by the collar, spinning him around. Before he can react, she pulls him into a kiss. Everyone falls into a stunned silence.
Over his shoulder, Malice meets my gaze through the mirror. Her lips curl into a cruel smile, her eyes gleaming. She raises a single finger to her lips in mocking silence.
I scream, my fists slamming against the glass. “No, that’s not me. Please, look at me.” My cries go unheard. My sister and the knights don’t even glance my way.
I bang harder, my screams growing hoarse, but the mirror remains unyielding, the cold surface mocking me. I wait for them to realize they have an imposter in their midst, but it never comes to pass. My fists ache, my voice falters, and despair claws at my chest.
Gwyneth is at her side, the knights each looking at her with love and adoration she did not earn. The sight burns hotter than any wound Malice inflicted.
Malice’s gaze locks onto mine again, her expression twisted in triumph. She tilts her head, almost playfully, and mouths three words through the glass.You are nothing.
My legs buckle, and I sink onto the lake’s surface. The cold seeps through me, chilling me to my core. Tears blur my vision, and the world on the other side feels like a dream I can no longer touch. My chest heaves, each breath a battle.
But as Malice turns away, something stirs in the depths of the mirror. The faintest shimmer, like light caught on water, ripples outward. It’s small, almost imperceptible, but it’s there—a flicker of hope.
A voice, soft and distant, whispers through the stillness, “The reflection bends, but it does not break.”
I blink, frozen. The voice is gone as quickly as it came, leaving me staring at my distorted reflection in the glass. My hands tremble as I press them against the surface once more, my resolve hardening despite the futility.
Malice spins in a circle, Excalibur gleaming in her grasp. “To new beginnings!” she declares, her voice ringing through their chambers. The knights roar their approval.
But as they cheer, I whisper to the mirror, my voice steady despite the tears still streaming down my face. “They’ll see through you, Malice, and if they don’t, I’ll stalk you through the realm. Every mirror you find will wear my face. There’s no escaping me.”
The lake beneath me hums faintly, and for a moment, the mirror ripples as if acknowledging my vow.
Malice pauses mid-step, her smile faltering. She glances back at the mirror, her brow creasing for the briefest of moments.Weak,she mouths before dismissing me with a wave of her hand.
My eyes narrow.I’m not weak, Malice.
Eron’s words hum in my veins.Delicate is powerful. Own it.
