The next time she saw the girl in the mirror, she didn't blink out of view.
She spoke.
It was past midnight.
The dorm was still, and Shi Mu had just splashed cold water on her face, hoping to clear the lingering fog that came after another half-memory surfaced—this one of holding someone's hand too tightly before letting go.
She looked up.
And there she was.
The girl.
Same eyes. Same mouth.
But not her.
Not just her.
"I remember," the reflection said softly.
Shi Mu froze.
"What do you remember?" she whispered.
The girl tilted her head. "You. Us. Before the forgetting."
Shi Mu's breath caught. "Then tell me—who are you?"
A pause.
Then:
"I was your voice when yours was taken.""Your silence when you were afraid.""Your anchor… when the world wanted to pull you under."
Shi Mu's hand gripped the edge of the sink.
"You were part of me?"
"I still am."
"Then why now?"
The reflection's smile faded.
"Because the seal is breaking.""And when it breaks completely…""There will be no 'me' and 'you.' Only we."
Shi Mu stepped back.
But the mirror didn't dim.
It pulsed faintly, casting a golden hue over her face.
She felt it then.
A pull.
Not like possession.
More like recognition.
Back in Room 415, Fu Yunshen sat upright in bed, his pendant glowing faintly against his chest.
He didn't need to check the system.
He already knew—
She had made contact.
When Shi Mu returned minutes later, she didn't speak.
She sat on the edge of his bed and unwrapped the bandage around her wrist.
The mark had changed.
A second ring had formed around it—smaller, like an orbit.
It pulsed gently, as if syncing with her heartbeat.
"She said the seal's nearly gone," Shi Mu whispered.
Fu Yunshen leaned forward.
"Did she threaten you?"
"No," she said quietly. "She missed me."
He was silent for a long moment.
Then finally said, "You're still you, Shi Mu."
"For now."
[System Notification]
Oath Convergence Rate: 74%
Internal Dual Presence Detected – Emotional Stability Holding
Brotherhood Value +160 (Direct Contact Established + Support Maintained)
Current Total: 5,260 / 1,000,000
Later, Shi Mu stood alone again, facing the mirror.
The girl smiled faintly this time.
Not with malice.
Not with grief.
Just… with memory.
And for the first time, Shi Mu whispered back:
"I remember you too."