The night was louder than usual — crickets chirping like they were warning something unseen, the wind brushing against the windows with restless urgency.
Ethan couldn't sleep.
He sat at his desk, staring at the mirror, waiting. Longing.
His reflection blinked — and then it was Noel, stepping forward.
"You're still awake," Noel murmured, voice soft like velvet unraveling. His dark hair shimmered faintly under moonlight.
"So are you," Ethan said. "Why?"
Noel looked away. "Because every time I close my eyes, I see things that haven't happened yet. Things I can't stop."
Ethan stood and walked closer. "Like what?"
Noel hesitated. Then he said, "You… bleeding. Calling out my name. But I can't reach you."
The mirror between them pulsed faintly.
Ethan didn't flinch. "Then don't let it happen."
Noel's expression twisted — part pain, part tenderness. "If I could trade this curse for a moment beside you... I would."
Ethan's breath caught.
Neither of them said the word love.
But it hung in the air, quiet and sharp.
Suddenly, the mirror flickered — not with Noel's face, but another.
Seren.
His smirk was wide, like a tear in space.
"Well, isn't this touching," Seren purred. "My brother playing pet to a human boy."
Noel's jaw clenched. "Stay out of this."
Seren ignored him. "You really think you can bring him here, Noel? Or go to him without consequences?"
Ethan stepped closer. "You're his brother?"
"Twin," Seren said with a mock bow. "Mirror-born, but not mirror-bound. I've learned how to slip through… and soon, so will Noel. Whether he wants to or not."
The glass crackled faintly under his presence. "But don't worry, Ethan. If he shatters, I'll be there to pick up the pieces."
With a grin, Seren disappeared.
The mirror cleared.
Ethan's hand trembled. "What did he mean by that?"
Noel looked haunted. "Seren isn't just my brother. He's my shadow. If I try to escape Reverie without breaking the pact... he'll be the one to collect my punishment."
Ethan's voice cracked. "Then what do we do?"
Noel leaned his forehead against the glass. "We find the loophole."
---
Across town, Auren was researching everything he could about mirror folklore, twin spirits, and Reverie. Books scattered his bed, his laptop glowing with threads from obscure forums.
He stopped on a phrase:
> "To free a bound soul, a sacrifice must be made… but beware the twin."
Auren's stomach dropped.
He didn't like where this was heading.
---
Back in Reverie, Seren watched from his obsidian throne, humming a lullaby only broken things remembered.
"I gave you time, Noel," he whispered to the mirrors. "But now… I'll take it away."
Behind him, a dozen mirrored eyes began to open.
---.