The spiral ended.
Ren's boots pressed down on solid ground, but it didn't feel like ground—it felt like standing on the surface of a vast mirror. Beneath him, endless layers of distorted skies and shifting cities moved like reflections in water, breaking apart and re-forming with each second.
Every breath he took echoed, like the air itself wanted to repeat him.
The girl with shard-wings stepped forward, her hair swaying in a current of unseen wind. Her eyes glowed faintly, not entirely human anymore.
"This place…" her voice was soft, but the echo doubled it, making it sound like another version of her was speaking from beneath the glass. "It's hungry."
Ren frowned, scanning the horizon. Fragments of people stood at the edges—mirror silhouettes, faceless, their bodies flickering in and out like unfinished sketches. Some were tall, others small, some warped beyond recognition. Their silence was oppressive.
