Chapter 2: The Girl in the Mirror

I couldn’t sleep.

Even with the door locked and the blankets pulled up to my chin, I felt cold.

The mansion was silent. But not the kind of peaceful silence. It was the kind that made your heart beat louder in your ears. Like the house was listening.

Every time I closed my eyes, I heard it again.

That whisper.

“Lyra…”

Was it just the wind? Or was someone really calling me?

I sat up and looked around the room. The fire in the small fireplace had almost gone out. Only a few orange sparks glowed in the dark. The shadows on the walls moved like they were alive.

Then I saw it.

The mirror.

It stood across the room—tall, old, and covered in dust. I didn’t remember seeing it earlier.

I slowly got out of bed and walked over. My feet were cold on the wooden floor.

I stared at my reflection.

At first, it was normal. Just me. Pale face, messy hair, tired eyes.

But then… the mirror changed.

My reflection didn’t blink.

I moved my hand—she didn’t.

I stepped back. The girl in the mirror just stood there, staring.

Her eyes turned darker. Almost black.

And then she spoke.

But her lips didn’t move.

“You came back…” she said.

My heart stopped. I backed away, but the girl leaned closer to the glass.

“Don’t let them find the truth. Or they’ll take you again.”

I screamed.

The door flew open. Aerin rushed in. “Lyra?! What happened?”

I pointed to the mirror, shaking. “There was a girl—she looked like me—but she wasn’t me. She talked to me!”

Aerin looked at the mirror. “There’s no one there.”

I looked again. Just my own reflection. Pale and scared.

“I swear she was real,” I whispered.

Aerin put a hand on my shoulder. “This house… it plays tricks on people who don’t belong.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

He paused. “It means… maybe you’ve been here before.”

“What?” I stared at him. “That’s not possible. I’ve never been here in my life.”

“Are you sure?” he said quietly. “What if you forgot?”

That question stayed in my mind long after he left.

---

The next morning, I found Aerin’s little sister sitting in the hallway. Still silent. Still staring.

She held something in her hand. A small silver locket.

She reached out and gave it to me.

I opened it.

Inside was a tiny photo.

A girl… who looked just like me.

Same face. Same eyes. Same smile.

But the picture was old. Very old. Like from another time.

Written beside it in faded ink were the words:

"To my dear Lyra. Come back to me."

---

I looked down the hallway… to the red door at the end.

Something was behind it.

Something waiting.

Something calling me.

I looked down the hallway… to the red door at the end.

Something was behind it.

Something waiting.

Something calling me.

And this time, I knew—I had to answer it.

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