Through The Looking Glass Ruins Novels & Stories

Broken glass crunches under my boots. "They will pay for this. Every last one of them." Colin tilts his head, but he does not interrupt. I turn from the shattered table and storm toward the far wall where the black root vines twist from the ceiling like veins. I speak an ancient command, and the vines part slowly, revealing a mirror made from moonstone shards. It shows the world beyond the Hollow. The forest. The Starlight Pack’s path. I can almost smell the smugness rolling off them as they return home, victorious.

I could feel him tightening his guard again, as though he was preparing for a war. The entrance to the ruins was exactly where Gwen said it would be. It was half-buried under roots and stones, a set of crumbling stairs disappearing into the earth. "Ready?" Clarissa asked. I glanced at Zion, then back at her. "No," I said. "But let's go in anyway." The air shifted the moment we stepped inside. Dust coated the stone walls, and vines pulsed faintly with bioluminescent light. We made it maybe ten steps in before the door behind us sealed shut.

I can almost hear whispers carried by the currents, as if the ruins themselves were speaking to me. Jericho's grip tightens on my arm, his eyes searching for any signs of danger. Lumina, ever ethereal and composed, guides us with grace and assurance. "The path ahead may be treacherous," she warns. "These ruins guard their secrets fiercely." I take a deep breath, summoning my courage and steeling myself against the encroaching darkness. We follow Lumina through a narrow corridor, the walls adorned with intricate symbols and faded murals. The air is heavy with a sense of ancient history, as if time itself has been trapped within these submerged walls.

I ask. Ezra’s eyes deepen. “Hidden. Deep beneath the ruins. Guarded by beings corrupted by the Crimson One’s magic. If we’re going to retrieve it, we’ll have to go through them.” Lena sighs. “Of course we do. Nothing’s ever simple.” I take a big breath and nod. “Let’s go. We don’t have time to waste.” We tread carefully through the wreckage. The air turns cooler as we descend the winding stone path buried behind an old altar. The light from our torches flickers against the walls, generating spooky shadows that dance like spirits. My heart beats quicker with every stride.

“Some say they’ve gone into hiding, seeking refuge from those who would do them harm. Others claim to have seen them near the old ruins to the east, but it’s just talk… no one knows for certain.” My heart races at the mention of the ruins. “Do you know how to get there?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. He nods, his eyes darting back to the patrons. “Follow the path past the old mill. It’ll lead you right to the ruins. But be careful; it’s a treacherous area, and not all who go searching return.” I feel a surge of determination. “Thank you,” I say, my voice steady. “We’ll be cautious.”

Boulders the size of horses bounced harmlessly off the barrier while Genevieve's shadowminions shrieked and dissolved into acrid smoke upon contact. Through the translucent shield, I watched in horror as the ruins disintegrated. The ancient mosaics of Lumen's history shattered. The carved stone pillars that had stood for centuries crumbled to dust. And standing unprotected at the epicenter of the destruction Seraphina. My mother looked almost peaceful as the chaos raged around her, her tattered robes whipping in the magical maelstrom. When our eyes met across the devastation, a lifetime of unspoken words passed between us in that single heartbeat.

" I took off running. Quicker. Despite my legs screaming, I continued. My arms were scratched by branches. My shoes were pulled by mud. But I continued. I needed to locate the ruins. Then I noticed it. Up ahead loomed a shattered skyscraper. Moss-covered, almost engulfed by the woods. "Elmath," I said quietly. "I located it." I entered. The silence reigned. Chilly. Old magic said quietly among the stones. And there was a pedestal in the middle of the ruined floor. It had a mirror on it. Dusty. Broken. But still giving forth a dim glimmer.

“The veil is thinning. She’s breaching through reflections.” Aaron looked between us, unsettled. “So what, now we can’t even look at puddles without being haunted?” Sylra ignored him. “If she’s invading the physical realm, we don’t have much time before she manifests fully.” Edward’s jaw tightened. “Then we find Aelthir and stop her before she does.” We reached the outer edge of the ruins by nightfall. The place was a graveyard of stone and silence. Massive pillars jutted out of the ground like broken teeth, and the faint glow of runes pulsed across the cracked earth. In the distance, a single tower stood half-collapsed, its shadow stretching endlessly across the valley.

The air grew thick, stygian, suffocating. And I knew— We had long overstayed our welcome. I turned sharply. “RUN!” The others didn’t hesitate. We dashed for the doors, and the figure with the golden eyes laughed and it curled through the air like smoke. As soon as we entered the threshold, the ruins crumbled. The walls fell in, the earth cracked, and dust and darkness engulfed the chamber. And in that last moment before the ruins closed behind us —

Wild, raw, and completely out of control. I step into the foyer, my boots crunching on shattered glass. I look down and I am stood on the remains of the pretty ornate vase that once stood proudly on the entry table, now it’s a mess of shards and water, the flowers wilting and crushed underfoot. I still for a moment trying to take things in, to my left, the mirror lining the wall is spider-webbed with cracks, reflecting a distorted version of the chaos.