Chapter 3: Through the Mirror

Amara stared at the mirror. Its surface glowed softly, like moonlight on still water. The silver shimmer called to her, pulling her in. Her heart beat fast, but her feet moved on their own. She reached out a trembling hand and touched the glass.

It wasn’t cold.

It wasn’t solid.

It rippled beneath her fingers like water.

She gasped. Then, without meaning to, she stepped forward—and the world changed.

A soft wind brushed her face. She was no longer in her bedroom. Around her stood a forest of silver trees, their leaves glowing like stars. Above her, the sky shimmered with deep purples and soft blues, dotted with two moons.

Amara turned slowly, taking it all in. The air was quiet but alive, as if the forest itself was watching her.

“Elian?” she called softly.

“I’m here,” came the gentle voice behind her.

She turned and saw him again—Elian, with his white hair and dark eyes full of mystery. He wore a long, flowing coat that shimmered like the night sky. He looked the same as in her dream, but now he felt more real than ever.

“You came,” he said, stepping closer.

“I didn’t mean to,” Amara said. “I just… I touched the mirror.”

Elian nodded. “It responds to your soul. You’ve crossed into the realm between—my world.”

“What is this place?”

He looked around the glowing forest. “It’s called Noctra. A land between dreams and stars. You were once part of it.”

Amara frowned. “That can’t be. I’ve never been here.”

“You don’t remember yet,” Elian said. “But you will. You’re not just from the human world, Amara. You were born from both realms. That’s why you’ve always felt… different.”

Amara’s head spun. “This is crazy. I’m just an ordinary girl. I live in a small town. I have a job, a life—”

“But your heart longs for more,” Elian said quietly. “You’ve felt it. The dreams. The strange feelings. The mirror waking up.”

She looked down at her hands. They were glowing faintly now, a soft purple light tracing her veins. “What’s happening to me?”

“You’re awakening,” he said. “Your true self is returning.”

A low rumble shook the ground beneath them. In the distance, black shadows moved through the trees. The sky above cracked like broken glass for just a moment.

“What was that?” Amara whispered.

“The veil is weakening,” Elian said. “Darkness from forgotten worlds is seeping through. You’re the key to healing it.”

“Why me?”

“Because you are the bridge between the worlds. The only one who can walk both paths.”

Amara looked around, fear in her chest, but also something else—curiosity. Maybe even purpose.

“What do I have to do?” she asked.

“First,” Elian said, “you must choose. Stay in Noctra, and discover who you are. Or go back through the mirror, and forget this place.”

Amara looked at the trees, the sky, and then into Elian’s eyes. Deep inside, something whispered that she already knew her choice.

“I’ll stay,” she said softly.

Elian smiled. “Then your journey begins now.”

Behind them, the wind picked up. The forest glowed brighter, and stars began to fall slowly from the sky like glittering snow. Amara stepped forward, feeling the ground hum beneath her feet. The world welcomed her, and her destiny called.

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