The rain was soft that morning, tracing silver lines down the window of Ethan's room. The world outside was painted gray, but Ethan's thoughts were louder than any thunderstorm. After the last message from Noel—"He knows about you."—Ethan hadn't slept. Every creak of the house made his chest tighten. Every shadow on the wall felt like a threat. And yet, he didn't tell anyone. Because who would believe him?
A boy from a mirror wasn't something you could report.
Ethan stared at the mirror, silent. It had been three days since Noel last appeared. The mirror reflected only Ethan now—no swirling silver, no warm smile, no whispered greetings. The silence was cold. Lonely.
"Come back," Ethan whispered.
But nothing answered him.
He stood and touched the mirror, fingertips brushing the surface, hoping it would ripple. Hoping he'd feel Noel's warmth again. Nothing. Just cold glass.
He sat on the floor in front of it, heart heavy. Had he been taken? Was he hurt?
The door creaked.
Ethan turned fast.
His mother peeked in. "Honey? You okay? You haven't come down all morning."
"I'm fine," he said quickly, pulling the blanket tighter. "Just tired."
She frowned but didn't push. "Alright. Just... take care of yourself, okay?"
He nodded, forcing a smile, and the door clicked shut behind her.
Ethan turned back to the mirror. "Where are you?"
Then, the glass flickered.
He froze. A shape. A blur. And then—
"Noel!"
The boy emerged, slowly, like fog forming into a person. His face looked paler than usual, his silver eyes dim. His expression was exhausted.
"I'm here," he whispered.
Ethan exhaled sharply. "What happened? Are you okay?"
Noel didn't answer right away. He leaned forward, pressing his palm against the mirror from the other side. "He's looking for you."
Ethan's blood ran cold. "Who is he?"
"The Keeper," Noel said softly. "He found out I crossed the border."
"The border… between our worlds?"
Noel nodded. "The mirror isn't just glass. It's a gate. And it's forbidden to cross it."
Ethan's heart pounded. "What will he do?"
"He'll destroy it," Noel said. "And me."
"No. No, we can find a way to stop him."
Noel's voice shook. "He's stronger than me. Than both of us."
Ethan stood up. "Then we find someone who can help. There has to be a way."
Noel smiled faintly. "Your hope is beautiful."
Ethan didn't smile back. "Promise me you won't disappear again."
"I promise."
Ethan's hand slid up the mirror again. Their palms aligned. The coolness of the glass was all that separated them.
"I need you to do something," Noel whispered. "If the mirror starts to glow blue… run. Don't look back. Don't speak. Just run."
Ethan blinked. "Why?"
"That means he's coming."
That night, Ethan barely slept. His dreams were haunted by blue light, mirrors shattering, and Noel calling his name from a place Ethan couldn't reach.
The next morning, Ethan went to school like normal, but nothing felt normal anymore. Not the hallways, not the voices, not the sunlight. All of it felt temporary, like the calm before something big—something dangerous.
At lunch, his friend Kayla nudged him. "You've been weird lately. Are you okay?"
He forced a smile. "Yeah. Just tired."
"You sure? You look like you saw a ghost."
Ethan paused. Not a ghost. A boy from another world.
"I'm okay," he said again.
But as soon as he got home, he rushed to his room. The mirror looked normal, but Ethan sat down in front of it again, waiting.
Noel appeared shortly after.
His hair was damp. His face serious.
"He's close," he said without greeting.
Ethan sat up straight. "How close?"
"Hours."
"Then we have to stop him. There has to be something we can do. Can't we hide the mirror? Cover it?"
Noel shook his head. "That won't stop him. He follows energy."
Ethan's eyes scanned the room. "Then I'll destroy it."
Noel's expression changed—fear. "No! If you destroy it while I'm connected, I'll die too."
Ethan blinked. "Oh…"
Silence hung in the air.
Then Noel said, "There's something else."
Ethan leaned in. "What?"
"There's a binding ritual. It would link my energy to yours… permanently."
"What does that mean?"
"It would make me part of your world. I'd be anchored to you. Protected."
"Would it hurt you?"
Noel hesitated. "It would change me. Maybe forever."
Ethan didn't speak for a moment. Then, "Let's do it."
Noel's eyes widened. "You'd really risk that?"
"You've risked everything to be here. You… you've been with me when no one else was. I won't let you get taken."
Noel looked down. "Then… I'll prepare it. But it has to be done tonight."
Ethan nodded.
---
Later that night, candles flickered around the mirror. A strange symbol, drawn in chalk, surrounded them. The air felt charged, humming with unseen energy.
Noel appeared fully this time, more solid than usual. His silver eyes locked onto Ethan's.
"Are you ready?"
Ethan nodded.
Noel raised his hands and began chanting in a soft, melodic language Ethan couldn't understand. The mirror began to glow—purple, then silver. The light bathed the room in strange shadows.
Ethan's chest burned, a thread of warmth pulling toward the mirror. His breath hitched.
Noel placed his hand on the glass. "Say your name."
"Ethan Rhys Bellamy."
The mirror pulsed.
"Say my name," Noel said.
"Noel Vale."
The candles flared.
The mirror turned white.
And then—
Silence.
Noel collapsed inside the mirror.
Ethan shouted, "Noel!"
The mirror was blank.
His reflection returned.
Nothing else.
Ethan slammed his palm against the glass. "Noel!"
And then…
A faint whisper.
"I'm here."