The glass in front of me had transformed into a black, deep, and viscous mirror that, instead of reflecting my image like a normal reflection, projected a clone of me somewhere beyond human reach. It was as if another dimension had opened, and I was being watched from the other side. Frightened, I took a few steps back until I reached the edge of the room. The floor trembled, vibrating along with the fine china displayed on the walls, while the tension in the air grew heavier.
What should have been only my reflection slowly rose, as if it had a life of its own, and began walking toward me. When it reached the window's edge, it opened a disturbing smile. Its teeth were black, sharp, terrifying, as if coated in some cosmic substance.
Its appearance was identical to mine: tall, short hair, slender body, and the same clothes. But there was something different, something that completely disfigured what I knew of myself. The color of the hair. Mine, originally light brown, contrasted with his — not an ordinary black, but one as deep as the galaxy — a starry void that seemed to absorb all light around it.
Fear grew inside me, heavy and suffocating. Then, I heard a sharp crack: Crack! The collectible plates, carefully arranged on the shelves, fell, shattering into a thousand pieces. The shrill sound echoed through the room like glass screams, scattering sharp fragments everywhere. Some pieces flew toward me, causing small cuts on my leg.
Only one plate remained intact on its stand. Its Christmas decoration displayed a sleeping owl, painted with delicate strokes. I approached the broken space, ran my hand over the scattered fragments, and slowly turned the cold plate clockwise. As I did, I heard the grinding of two barriers colliding. The floor trembled again, knocking down the hanging lamp from the ceiling — an item I had considered a luxury.
Suddenly, two stone walls rose parallel to the back of the window, erected in the middle of an absolute darkness. They slammed shut violently, crushing the clone's body. Its death made the background scene dissolve, turning once again into a long, cold corridor.
"Finally!" I shouted in relief, trying to catch my breath. "I'm sure the blame for destroying everything will fall on me…"
But I had no idea what had just happened, nor how I would explain it to anyone.
I jumped through the gap and descended the stairs, which seemed normal but were strangely silent. I no longer heard the prayers of the soldiers that used to echo there. The doubt about where my friends were corroded me like acid, forcing me to quicken my steps.
When I looked out the outer window, where once there had been green plants and living nature, I saw only dead trees. Soldiers lay fallen on the ground, cold bodies scattered like broken marionettes.
Where were Ashi, Shizuka, and Kate? Had those agents kidnapped them?
The death-covered scene tightened my stomach. A terrible chill took over me, along with an almost uncontrollable urge to vomit. I approached a child lying on a pile of bodies, hugging a teddy bear. I gently touched her hair, perhaps seeking some sign of life.
But at my touch, the girl turned to ashes.
…
My eyes widened, and my heart beat harder, pulsing like the sound of a drum. A voice resounded behind me. I turned, gripping my staff, and realized that all the surrounding structures had disappeared.
Every time I turned my head, I saw a different environment. But the bodies and the sensations remained. The orange grass was stained with blood, which trickled down to my feet, causing a disturbing tingling. From the sky fell a black slime, similar to the substance of the clone I had seen in the general's office. This slime absorbed the pile of bodies and slowly turned into me again.
"You really like me, don't you?" I mocked, staring fixedly at the clone and watching its macabre smile.
"You really like me, don't you?" it repeated exactly what I had said. But its voice was much deeper than mine, cavernous, almost demonic.
I took a deep breath and intoned:
"Gladius Caelestis."
"Gladius Caelestis." The clone repeated, forming a sword in place of its left arm.
Although it repeated my words, its movements were different. It kept a low guard and an open stance — a mocking fighting style that made its attacks unpredictable.
So… I would finish this without saying a word.
Its blow grazed my ear, drawing my attention and leaving enough space to punch me in the chin. My brain reeled, leaving me dizzy for a moment. I could only deflect its blade with my own sword. The friction between the two weapons generated sparks that lit up the dark landscape, creating flashes of red and silver light.
I conjured the great spiritual hand to protect myself, hiding inside it. Though the spiritual energy drain wore down my body over time, I managed to think of new ways to evolve during the fight.
But I didn't expect the worst.
The clone raised its only arm and, from its back, brought forth a black substance similar to that which had fallen from the sky. The slime divided into small bubbles that floated toward me without attacking.
"Stop hiding, coward!" I shouted angrily, trying to pierce the spiritual hand with my sword.
"Stop hiding, coward!" My mouth repeated on its own.
It was as if we were literally the same person.
I dismissed the great hand and ran to slash a bit of its shoulder. In response, it exploded the bubbles near me.
The substance clung to my body, restricting my movements. I could barely move, and the sensation was like magma burning my joints.
Incapacitated, I could only conjure abilities at a distance.
A combo of kicks and punches struck my ribs. The clone was stronger and faster than I was. Thrown to the ground, I saw a garden of carnivorous plants at my side.
I looked once more at its face. Its black teeth were growing more and more, overtaking its face, already covering half of it. It opened its mouth and stretched its cheek with its index finger, revealing an entirely red interior. Its voice, once deep, had become thin, almost feminine. Its gaze was dead.
"Sweet dreams, little brother…"
I did not repeat.
That phrase was the same one my precious sister used to say every night before going to sleep, a way of showing her love for the only family she had left.
An ability was activated against me. The dark matter spread throughout my body after the clone launched it from its back. It entered through the crevices of my eyes, mouth, ears, and slid down into my organs.
I writhed to try to escape, but the slime had already blocked my breathing. Yet my glowing arm burned the substance up to the shoulder.
"Argh!"
I shoved my hand inside my mouth and began pulling out large amounts of darkness. Each time it rose, it felt as though my throat was being torn apart.
I heard screams of pain and vomiting sounds coming from it as I touched the slime. I punched myself in the face several times and stuck my fingers in my eyes.
For the record, I didn't feel any pain doing this. It was as if it was transferred to the clone.
Coldly, I gripped my sword and struck it into my own chest.
Rage flowed through my veins.
"How dare you imitate my sister… you piece of shit!" I shouted, increasing the force with which I pushed the sword into myself.
Nothing came from his mouth except groans of pain.
The darkness, while protecting my heart, crawled back to the clone's back.
The copy melted, dripping slime onto the ground, until, disappearing completely, it fled to the left, where there was a playground.
"Running again… I won't let that slide," I whispered, rising, still feeling the burning in my lungs.
My heart felt strange.
But I went on to the black-and-white plastic playground equipment scattered across the dark sand. Then, a scene haunted me.
I saw, on an innocent swing, blood dripping down the rusty iron chains. On the seat was half of Kate's body, while the clone swung her with a smile on its face.
"For… you…" I tried to form a sentence, but I couldn't.
"Gladius Caelestis!" I shouted, running thoughtlessly, strengthening the blade with an enormous amount of spiritual energy.
When I thrust the sword into the copy's neck, I found myself crying in the reflection of its eyes.
But it also began to cry.
"Jin… of all people… you…"
It was no longer the copy. Standing before me was Ashi.
I dropped the sword from my hands and staggered backward until I tripped on a stone and fell.
Fear consumed me, and the only thing I could do was not look at them.
"Don't open… your eyes!Don't open!Jin… don't open your eyes!"
I stood, slipping in the sand, still blind. I ran aimlessly until I felt an embrace. The sound of metal echoed, scaring the crows in the area. I felt some insects on my chest, as if they had been on the person hugging me.
Then, I opened my eyes.
The one embracing me was Shizuka's opened body. The warmth I felt did not come from her arms but from her exposed organs. The wet sensation was not from my tears but from her blood. The insects didn't come from the sand but fed on her insides.
I… I could only cry.
"Wasn't I supposed to save the world?"
I banged my head repeatedly on the stones of the ground.
"How could this happen so quickly?"
I punched myself in the face several times until I passed out.
"Was this my end? Did I really let them die?"
A memory from the past corroded my feelings. It wasn't a forgotten memory but a tornado always present in my mind.
February fourth, two thousand and seventeen. I was twelve years old, my sister six.
It was winter, the time when we always visited our grandparents in the Hokkaido province. We took a long car trip, a tradition my parents cultivated so that, when they were older, they would still have their children visit.
We had already arrived in the province, but we were still far from the destination.
"Daddy, is it going to take much longer?" my sister always asked that question.
"Just a little, dear," my father always answered the same way, near or far. "I promise I'll buy you a box of ice cream when we get there."
"Yay!"
I used to rest my head on the car window, watching the view and the trees so white with snow. I always felt that my mother watched me through the rearview mirror.
Our car was good. The family's financial condition had always been solid. We had several inns across the country, very popular with tourists.
But one curve changed my life.
"Darling, hold tight!"
The car skidded on the snow. The roadside guardrail wasn't enough to hold it.
We fell into a ravine, rolling over several times.
I don't remember much. My head hit the roof, the glass, everything.
All I know is that when we reached the bottom, the car was overturned.
"Dad… mom…" my sister tried to say something but had no breath.
The car was bloody. Her forehead was bleeding.
I unbuckled my seatbelt and tried to move to see my parents.
But both had been pierced by metal. They were practically dead.
My mother was still breathing.
"Mom!" I shouted desperately, holding her face with both hands.
She returned the gesture.
"Jin, my son," her voice was weak. "Know that I… have always loved you very much.
"I'm sorry I can't see you grow up… but please, take care of your sister for us.
"Your father and I… will be waiting for you… in heaven.
"I… love… you…"
Her hands went limp. She was already dead.
I turned back, took my sister out of the vehicle, but I had no strength to walk. I fell into the snow holding her in my arms to protect her from the cold. Our blood mixed with the white ground. The dense forest covered us.
I cried a lot, as I do now, at the sight of my dead friends.
"God, if you exist… save us."
After that, I blacked out.
I only remember waking up in a hospital, with several locals giving support.
After that day, we received help from many families, including my grandparents. But I kept my mother's words in my mind.
I needed to take care of my sister.
That's why I chose to live where we lived while my grandfather managed the business and sent me the money.
This memory stays with me from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep.