Mirror Image By Lena Coakley Novels & Stories

In its center, resting on a cradle of obsidian root, was an object none of them expected to see. A mirror. But not reflective. It was matte. Shadowed. It absorbed light instead of returning it. Jessica approached it, breath hitching. “It’s the Uncoded Mirror.” Torin crossed his arms. “The one Helix tried to replicate. And failed.” Eleni moved beside them. “Because it doesn’t show what we are. It shows what we refuse to become.” Lena stood before it. And the room fell still again. “I thought we came to remember,” she said.

I closed my eyes and the memories of that night played back in my mind like I was in a cinema but the difference was that I was watching my life on a screen. It was on a Tuesday morning and I had just finished scrubbing Gerald's bathroom floor when he walked in with his mistress. He tapped her ass and she giggled in response. I looked away and quickly made steps to walk out when he called me. “Mira”. My heartbeat was loud enough for the whole world to hear. I was scared for my life. His voice was terrifying for me,it was my biggest nightmare.

Candice's face grew chilly as she saw the images. Upon opening the folder, Candice's face grew cold at the sight of the photos. They depicted a man and woman in a close embrace, shrouded in dim lighting. The man's face was obscured, but the woman was clearly Candice, her expression adding to the suggestive nature of the image. Candice felt a storm of emotions as she glanced at them. Francis insinuated, "I don't recall when this was taken, but imagine if it were seen by others…"

"This is the official race inspection report issued ten minutes ago. It clearly states there were signs of deliberate damage to the brake line, and that the brake fluid contained a large amount of alcohol. "And this." I pointed at the big screen. The screen suddenly switched to surveillance footage. Although the corner of the garage itself had been a blind spot, Mason had missed one detail. The side mirror of the car parked opposite had clearly reflected him crouching beside my car with the hydraulic cutter in his hand. Looking at himself on the screen, Mason's legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the floor. "No... that's not me... that's fake..." he struggled one last time.

"Look at the painting. It's still. It's dried." Cale looked at the canvas. The paint was drying, losing its sheen. The lines were fixed. "Static," Cale murmured. "Permanent," Elion said. "You captured it. You trapped the trap." "Wow," Mira’s voice cut in. Elion jumped. He hadn't heard her approach. Mira was standing behind them, staring at Cale’s canvas. Her mouth was slightly open. "That is..." Mira paused. "Dark." "It's expressionism," Elion said quickly, stepping between Mira and Cale. "He's processing the accident."

Katie argued over shades, Lena pressed my chin up with two fingers like she was Michelangelo carving his masterpiece. By the time they were done, the mirror didn’t show me. It showed someone I’d never dared to be I blinked. Then blinked again. “Guys…” My voice cracked. I didn’t recognize myself. My reflection was a stranger with flawless skin, sharp cheekbones, eyes lined dark, lips painted like sin. My bob looked thicker, glossier, styled with a volume I’d never managed myself. Tears pooled instantly. “I look… I look like a Harlequin Christmas cover.”

Then, I pressed both palms against the glass and whispered the activation words: “Aikan’zarr elst vele’.” The mirror flickered once… then rippled like liquid mercury before stabilizing. A scene came into view, a real-time image of one of the brothel rooms. Baevera Eldareth and her first client. They had already begun. Or, rather, he had. Baevera lay beneath him like a corpse. Heavy-lidded, desire-filled eyes watching him as he worked himself into a frenzy. The Moonmirror had no sound, but it did not need any. The image was clear enough.

Ria immediately turned to Mira. “This is perfect…” She frowned. “But it’s frustrating. Nothing modern works here… not even a camera.” “I need something to capture this.” Mira stood silently for a moment. Then she reached into her pocket and carefully pulled out a small antique camera—a vintage box camera with a brass lens, the kind people had used many decades ago before modern cameras existed. She handed it to Ria. Ria’s face instantly brightened. She hugged Mira tightly before carefully turning back toward the building.

Not really. Reflections. Dozens. Children. Adults. Old people. All with gray eyes. Everyone looked up to them, although they should be only mirror images. Lena whispered: “Oh no.” One of the mirror images came closer. A little boy. Noah. Noah He slowly lifted his hand against the water surface. Mara knelt right away. ‘Noah?’ The mirror image smiled sadly. Then Nora appeared next to him. Nora “She comes.” Her voice didn't come out of the room.

"This is a heavy toxin. If he wasn't an Alpha, he’d be dead already." Ricardo turned to me. His eyes were no longer full of love. They were full of a terrifying, cold suspicion. The "Mirror of Malice" was back, and this time, the reflection was deadly. The doctor looked at the group, his eyes landing on me as the one who had served the plates. "Who prepared the food?"