Joshua vs The Obelisk
The mirror chamber blinked into existence.
Silver tiles stretched outward in every direction—floor, ceiling, horizon—until space lost meaning. There was no up or down, only endless reflection. Joshua stepped forward, bare feet touching a floor that echoed without sound. His reflection rippled beneath him, but it didn't move like he did. It watched him.
He paused.
The air was still. Too still. Like time had been caught holding its breath.
Then the obelisk emerged.
It rose slowly from beneath the mirrored floor, its surface polished like black glass veined with pale silver. It didn't pulse. It shimmered. And for a second, Joshua saw himself reflected in its body—only it wasn't him. The reflection smiled.
He didn't.
The obelisk pulsed once.
