2025-03-27 04:03:38The cracks in the mirror widened.
"KRRRKKK..." The sound of shattering echoed through the room, like a dark whisper creeping into Alina's skin. Moonlight from the large window reflected off the broken glass, creating sharp flashes that pierced her eyes. She wanted to run, but her body was frozen. Darren, standing beside her, immediately pulled her back. "Don't look, Alina!" his voice was sharp, almost a command. But how could she turn away from something so terrifying? Behind the now cracked mirror, her reflection moved on its own. The same face, the same eyes, but not her. The shadow smiled. No, it wasn't a normal smile. It was wide, too wide. Her lips parted unnaturally, revealing stark white teeth under the dim light. "You finally see me..." That voice wasn't a reflection, but a real voice. Alina's chest heaved. Her breath came in gasps. "Darren... what is this?" her voice barely escaped her lips. Darren frowned, his expression sharp. He pulled Alina closer, away from the mirror. "I said, don't look," he repeated, this time with a colder tone. Alina swallowed. "What is that? Why is my reflection talking?" Darren didn't answer immediately. He looked at the mirror with a hardened jaw. KRRRKKK! The cracks grew larger. And this time, something crawled out from within. A pale hand emerged from the gaps, its fingers long, its nails pitch black. Alina gripped Darren's arm tightly, her body trembling. "No... no... this isn't real..." But the sound of "TAP TAP TAP" on the marble floor proved it was. The figure in the mirror walked out. It had the same form as her, but more... dark. Its hair was longer, falling haphazardly over its face. Its eyes were empty, pitch black without pupils. The white gown it wore was the same as hers, but now stained with dried blood. Alina wanted to scream. But the voice came first. "I've been waiting for you for a long time..." The figure turned towards her with a slow, eerie movement. Its head tilted slightly, as if observing something interesting. Its smile widened. Darren grabbed Alina's wrist roughly. "We have to go now!" But before they could turn— The figure in the mirror whispered: "You think he's protecting you, Alina?" "He's the one who locked you up here." The world seemed to stop. Alina turned slowly to Darren, whose face could no longer hide his unease. His eyes darkened, his jaw muscles tensed. "Don't listen to him," he said quickly, his controlled voice now a little shaky. But how could she ignore those words? Alina's chest felt tight. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm her racing heartbeat. "What does that mean?" she asked softly. Her shadow self, now fully out of the mirror, laughed softly. "He's lying. Just like he always does." Darren stepped forward, shielding Alina. "Go back to where you came from." "No," the figure whispered, its voice echoing. "Now I'm here. And I will reveal the truth." Suddenly, the chandelier flickered wildly. "ZZTT!" One bulb shattered, then another, until the room was lit only by dim moonlight. Alina panicked more. She felt something dark, something threatening, surrounding them. "Darren, we have to get out!" she urged. But before they could move, Alina's shadow—or whoever it was—smirked. "I know who you really are, Alina." Those words pierced her. She staggered. Her head began to spin. Empty memories, lost fragments… Who was she? Why didn't she remember anything before the wedding day? Alina gasped. "I... I don't understand." The figure laughed louder. "Of course you don't. Darren made you forget. He erased everything." The world seemed to spin. Alina looked at Darren with wide eyes. "You said I lost my memory in an accident." Darren didn't answer. His usually calm eyes were now dangerous. "BOOM!" Suddenly, a strong wind blew from within the shattered mirror. Alina screamed as the room filled with faint whispers. "Alina..." "Don't trust..." "You must remember..." The figure came closer. "I can help you, Alina." But Darren acted faster. He grabbed Alina's shoulders and pulled her back. "Don't listen to him!" Alina looked at him sharply. "Why should I trust you?" Darren gritted his teeth. "You don't understand, Alina. There are things better left locked away." Alina backed away. Her hands trembled. "Locked away? So... he's right? You really are hiding something from me?" Darren raised a hand, as if to touch her, but Alina retreated again. She didn't know who to trust. And at that moment, the figure in the mirror whispered in a voice almost like the night wind. "You have a choice, Alina." An object floated towards Alina. A silver key. Darren tensed. His eyes widened. "Don't—!" But Alina had already reached for it. And as her fingers touched the cold metal— A wave of memories exploded in her mind. Screams. Blood. A woman crying, her hands reaching out in a dark room. "ALINA, RUN!" Then Darren's voice. Calm, cold, without emotion. "I'm sorry, but she can't leave." Before everything went dark. BANG! The sound of a gunshot echoed in her memory. Alina staggered. Her head felt like it had been struck by a hammer. The pain pierced to the bone. Her fingers gripped the silver key tightly, while the world around her began to shift—as if reality itself was cracking, like the mirror behind her. The flashbacks continued in her mind. She saw herself running in a dark corridor, gasping for breath. The cold floor was bloodied. Her breath was trembling, her feet wounded. Behind her, heavy footsteps grew closer. Then the voice again. "I'm sorry, but she can't leave." Darren's voice. No. Alina bit her lip, holding back a sob. She turned to Darren, who stood stiffly with an expressionless face. His usually controlled black eyes now hid something—a secret he had never told her. "It's impossible..." she whispered, her chest rising and falling wildly. "You... you said I had an accident. You said I lost my memory." Darren sighed. His eyes closed, as if seeking calm. "I wanted you to be safe, Alina." Alina laughed bitterly. "Safe? From what? From whom? From the truth?" Behind her, the figure from the mirror spoke again, its tone full of satisfaction. "You're starting to understand, right?" "He erased your memories so you wouldn't remember who you really are." Alina bit her lip. Her throat constricted. If she asked more, would she find something worse than she could imagine? But she had to know. She looked at Darren with tear-filled eyes. "Who am I, Darren?" her voice trembled. Something in Darren's expression changed. There was a battle within him. Then, he spoke. "Seven years ago, I found you in an underground room. You were held captive, Alina. Locked up. I freed you and took you away." Alina froze. Locked up? By whom? Why? She clutched her head, the pain intensifying. "Who locked me up?" Darren didn't answer. But the figure in the mirror laughed softly. "He knows. He just doesn't want you to remember." Alina shook her head. "Answer me, Darren!" Darren looked away. "I can't." "What do you mean you can't? This is my life, Darren!" His breath sounded heavy. "Because if you remember... you'll never be able to return to being the Alina you are now." Alina shivered. Something in her heart whispered she wouldn't like the truth. But fear wouldn't stop her. She squeezed the silver key in her hand tighter. If this could unlock something—a locked memory, a hidden door—she would use it. The figure in the mirror smiled widely. "You want to know everything, right? Then you must find the door." "The door?" Alina frowned. "Behind this house, there's a place Darren doesn't want you to see." Alina's heart pounded. She turned to Darren, searching for truth in his eyes. But he remained silent. And that silence... was answer enough. Without thinking, Alina ran out of the room. Darren tried to reach her, but she was too fast. She didn't know where to go. But her feet led her somewhere. And at the end of a dark hallway, behind a wall she hadn't noticed, was an old iron door. With a keyhole shaped exactly like the key in her hand.
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