White flowers and lush green grass were ignited by black flames condensed from magic.
The surrounding space was torn open by those flames, cracks after cracks appearing everywhere.
Pitch-black nothingness swirled endlessly within the rifts, trying to completely devour everything in this space.
Just taking a single look was enough to make one feel a chill run through their entire body.
Liya stood above a massive rift, with half of the space already completely shattered.
The figures of those noble guests had long since been ignited by the black flames, like sheets of paper.
Even Viktor and Gwen were no exception.
Viktor and Gwen stood there, both wearing expressions of utter disbelief.
Within the sea of fire, strange colors flowed through "Viktor's" eyes, shock, fear, confusion…
Complex emotions gathered in those obsidian-like eyes of his.
"Liya…"
"Why?"
Gwen also met Liya's gaze, her face full of terror.
"Aren't we the best of friends?"
Liya lowered her brows slightly, looking at the two of them standing together in the flames, her eyes devoid of even a trace of emotion.
"Are we?"
She placed one hand on her hip while slowly raising the other arm.
"I don't remember when Gwen ever became a little girl who needed someone else's protection."
Liya had long harbored doubts.
Back when Gwen and Uncle Angus first came to their home, she had already begun to suspect something.
How could Gwen possibly be that close to Uncle Angus?
Gwen didn't get along with anyone in the Delin family at all, except for her older sister.
But that wasn't what truly made Liya suspicious.
Then, Liya turned her head to look at Viktor and continued speaking.
"And you, there's even more wrong with you."
"Viktor wouldn't apologize to me. At least, the Viktor from before wouldn't."
She slightly lifted her head, looking at the look of surprise on "Viktor's" face.
"And his expressions were never this rich."
"No matter how much you imitate him, you will never become him."
After her words fell, "Viktor" fell silent for a long time.
After quite a while, he finally looked at Liya and spoke.
"You surprise me, Liya Clavenna."
"Even though you're inside the world I created for you, you're still able to maintain your own consciousness."
"Viktor" extended his hand, his finger pointing at Liya's glove.
"Is it because of this?"
The mirror world was an independent world. Everything here should have been an illusion.
Any magical item would be concealed here. Correspondingly, they could not be used at all.
Except for Liya's strange pair of gloves.
At the moment her magic erupted, the entire mirror world was completely destroyed by her.
"You mean this? Maybe."
"But what truly made me feel something was wrong wasn't just Viktor's attitude toward me."
Liya raised her left hand and clenched it tightly.
After the mirror world was damaged, Liya finally felt it, that sense of discomfort coming from her left arm.
Yet in this world, in Liya's memories, whether eating or picking things up, she was always more used to using her left hand.
But she was clearly right-handed.
Not just her, even Viktor, and even everyone else, all seemed more accustomed to using their left hands.
"The vast majority of people in this world use their left hand as their dominant hand. Once I noticed this sense of dissonance, I knew something was wrong."
"Viktor" remained silent, unable to say a single word.
Liya continued.
"So there's only one possibility."
"The left hand we're using is actually the normal dominant hand."
"It's just that I'm inside the mirror, which caused everyone's actions to be reversed."
Because people outside the mirror, when looking into it, always see reversed movements.
Raise your right hand outside the mirror, and the mirror shows the left hand.
Perhaps this also explained why the personalities of "Viktor" and "Gwen" had become like that.
Because everything seen in the mirror is reversed.
"You thought that letting me see reversed memories would make me sink into them."
Liya raised her head, her sharp gaze like a blade, coldly piercing into "Viktor."
"Too bad. I don't buy it."
The "Viktor" being stared at by Liya did not move, but from within his body came a piercing laugh.
The next second, his body shattered violently like a mirror.
Countless fine cracks burst out from his body and began spreading through that half of the space.
Even Gwen's body twisted and was sucked into the void.
Until the very last trace of color was completely swallowed by the darkness.
"Viktor" stood alone in place, with only distant laughter echoing endlessly.
Bang!
The mirror-like illusion shattered completely into pieces.
The entire world seemed to fall into endless silence.
Liya stood within the void as a mirror slowly rose up in front of her.
The mirror was enormous, its surface shimmering with silvery light.
At its top were two purple eyes, like the sleeping eyes of an evil demon.
The mirror slowly lifted its eyelids, and the solid stone cracked apart bit by bit.
Those demonic eyes instantly shot out two beams of purple light, sinister energy surging forth from within.
Like two cold silver snakes, they climbed up Liya's neck.
"As expected of a descendant of the Clavenna family. I really didn't grab the wrong person."
Liya raised her head and looked into its eyes, asking curiously, "So? What kind of grudge do you have with us?"
"Hahahaha!"
Hearing Liya's words, the mirror burst into uncontrollable laughter.
The light in its two eyes flickered brightly and dimly. The mirror surface became its face, pulling into an extremely eerie smile.
"A grudge? That would take forever to explain."
Hearing this, Liya showed little surprise on her face.
She should have guessed it long ago.
That was clearly their family's mine, how could a mirror just be dug out of nowhere?
Either someone had done it deliberately, or something must have happened that caused this strange mirror to be buried in the mine.
But clearly, the mirror didn't want to say more.
On the massive mirror beneath its eyes, another scene reappeared.
Within the mirror, Liya could see, the version of herself on the other side had turned into a delicate, doll-like little girl.
Liya recognized her.
That was herself as a child.
"Stop struggling, little girl. You've already been forgotten by everyone."
"So why not continue sinking into the world you desire?"
The mirror's extremely seductive voice slowly sounded.
"Come on. This is a world that belongs only to you."
"Here, you can do whatever you want. Anything at all."
"Throw away those useless distracting thoughts. All you need to do is immerse yourself in this world."
It continued speaking, trying to lure Liya in.
Liya raised her head and looked at those eyes, asking calmly, "Can you really give me what I want?"
"Let me… do whatever I want?"
The mirror's laughter grew even more rampant.
If one could see its expression clearly, its grin would probably have split all the way to its ears.
"Of course."
"I've read your memories. I know all your connections. Of course I know what you need!"
The mirror grew more and more arrogant, the two purple beams in its eyes flickering wildly.
"Come on. Touch me."
"I'll create for you the most perfect mirror world you desire."
The corner of Liya's mouth curled slightly as she let out a soft chuckle.
"Oh? Is that so?"
She extended her hand, reaching toward the mirror's surface.
Watching the arm draw closer, the mirror grew increasingly excited.
It had already begun to anticipate how Liya would react after sinking into the illusion.
But at the moment her hand touched the mirror, the mirror froze in place.
"Huh… what?"
"I… I don't understand…"
It couldn't comprehend Liya's request.
At that moment, Liya had already withdrawn her hand and let out a helpless sigh.
"As expected. No matter what, you're still just a mirror."
"A mirror, how dare you claim you understand human nature?"
A trace of confusion and bewilderment appeared in the mirror's eyes.
It stared at Liya and hurriedly said, "No, please wait, little girl."
"I will create the world you want…"
Liya crossed her arms in front of her chest, her fingers tapping continuously on her forearm, a playful expression on her face.
"Sorry."
"You're too late."
She once again raised her right hand. The Mage Hand emitted a gentle white glow, lighting up before the mirror.
"Care to guess why I chatted with you for so long?"
The mirror was confused and didn't understand Liya's meaning.
Then it heard Liya's laughter softly echo.
"Some bastard once told me that if I needed him, I should use the magic in the glove."
"Now, he's here."
The instant her words fell, the entire void was completely ignited by black flames.
Countless pillars of black fire soared into the sky, sweeping and spreading, climbing upward without end, as if to burn everything to nothing.
Carrying scorching heat, terrifying pressure bore down upon the mirror.
The two beams of purple light actually began to tremble.
The black glow of the fire pillars completely surrounded the mirror, the flames reflecting off its surface and illuminating Liya's face.
From within the pillars of fire, a figure wearing a black trench coat emerged, like the embodiment of flame itself.
Amid the roaring flames, a cold yet familiar voice rang out.
"Sorry."
"I'm late."