chapter 17: cracks in the mirror
ren's steps carried him deeper into the wild land, each movement heavy with the weight of his fractured memories. the sun dipped lower, painting the sky with streaks of orange and purple, but inside, the darkness gnawed louder.
he paused beneath a gnarled tree, breathing hard, his mind swirling with doubt and pride battling for control.
*"why do i feel so broken? like pieces of me are scattered everywhere. but i'm pride. i don't break."*
the thought both empowered and tormented him. pride kept him standing, but it also blinded him to his weaknesses — the cracks forming beneath the surface.
a voice whispered in the back of his mind — sharp, cold.
*"you're not whole, ren. you're shattered. and until you face it, you'll never be strong."*
he clenched his fists, the words cutting deeper than any wound. *"i'm not weak. i will never be weak."*
yet, the doubt lingered. his shattered self — the part of him broken and lost — teased the edges of his sanity, reminding him of the darkness he tried so hard to deny.
as night crept in, ren found a small clearing and sat down, the cold earth grounding him. he closed his eyes and let the silence speak.
memories flickered — a shadowy figure, a sudden pain, a flash of light — then gone.
his mind wasn't just lost; it was fractured.
but maybe that fracture was a beginning, not an end.
*"if i'm broken... maybe i can