Ji-hoon seized 'his' hand. Light exploded across the mirrors.
Memories flooded him—his mother's sacrifice, his forgotten selves, his shield against darkness.
He wasn't erasing himself. He was becoming whole.
When the light faded—Ji-hoon stood changed.
His left eye remained brown. His right eye—black as the void.
Silver aura flickered around him.
"No!" Sera screamed. "You shouldn't have—"
But Ji-hoon smiled. Calm. Complete.
"You underestimated me, Sera."
Sera's form twisted. Darkness swallowed her, dragging her back into the mirror.
"I'll return," she hissed. "Through those you love."
The mirror world released Ji-hoon. He opened his eyes—back in his father's house.
But everything had changed.
Colors vivid. Sounds sharp. His mind utterly clear.
A knock at the door.
Ji-hoon opened it. Su-yeon stood there. Worry in her eyes.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
But Ji-hoon peered deeper. Something squirmed beneath her skin.
"You're not Su-yeon," he said calmly.
Her smile cracked unnaturally.
Black veins. Star-lit pupils.
Sera's voice from Su-yeon's lips: "You were always ours, Ji-hoon. And now… it's time."
→ [To be continued in Episode 49]
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