---
Chapter 196: The Mirror of the Eternal Anchor
---
Act I: A Chamber of Still Waters
The Gallery opened into a chamber where chains of light descended from the ceiling, each glowing faintly as though tethering the world itself.
Ne Job stepped forward, Twinkle buzzing with a deep hum, its rhythm steady like a heartbeat.
Ao Bing muttered, "This place… it feels heavy, but secure."
Taiyi Zhenren scribbled quickly. "The mirror here does not drift. It holds."
At the center stood a mirror bound by radiant anchors, its surface shimmering with immovable calm.
It spoke in a voice firm and grounding:
> "I am the Mirror of the Eternal Anchor. I hold what steadies, what endures beneath storms, what carries truth unshaken."
---
Act II: The Weight of Stability
The interns gazed into its surface.
Visions unfolded, showing truths carried by anchors.
- Ao Bing saw battles where victory came not from striking, but from standing firm.
- Taiyi Zhenren saw scrolls preserved in stillness, wisdom carried through restraint.
- Ne Job saw miracles tethered to eternity, inscribed into the Registry as pillars of stability.
Twinkle pulsed brightly, resonating with the anchor's weight.
The mirror whispered:
> "To guard me, you must hold without fear."
---
Act III: The Mask's Intrusion
From the shadows, the Mask of Misrule hissed.
> "Anchors are mine to corrupt. I will twist stability into stagnation, and steadiness into despair."
The Mirror of Endless Deception flickered, shards gathering again.
The Mask reached toward Eternal Anchor, trying to fracture its grounding into paralysis.
Ao Bing staggered. "I feel trapped, unable to move!"
Taiyi Zhenren trembled. "My scrolls sink into stillness!"
Ne Job steadied them. "Anchor is not stagnation. It is strength."
---
Act IV: The Trial of Anchor
The Mirror of the Eternal Anchor spoke:
> "Intern, to protect me, you must hold."
Ne Job gazed into its grounded surface.
He saw himself faltering, afraid of being bound too tightly.
He whispered:
> "I hold. Even when storms rage, I endure. Even when shadows press, I carry forward."
The mirror glowed brighter, its anchors steady.
Twinkle pulsed strongly, harmonizing with the grounding.
Ao Bing's fists steadied.
Taiyi Zhenren's scrolls aligned.
The Mask recoiled, his corruption faltering.
---
Act V: The Clash
The Mask screamed, hurling shards of deception.
Illusions tried to twist anchor into stagnation, scattering the interns into despair.
Ao Bing staggered. "My courage fades in stillness!"
Taiyi Zhenren trembled. "My wisdom dissolves in restraint!"
Ne Job stood firm. "Anchor is not stagnation. It is truth carried in strength."
The awakened mirrors — Patience, Friendship, Courage, Sorrow, Endless Paths, Forgotten Names, Silent Echoes, Shattered Promises, Hidden Truths, Eternal Doubt, Living Light, Boundless Hope, Unbroken Unity, Eternal Harmony, Final Resolve, Infinite Resolve, Last Question, First Dawn, Endless Return, Forgotten Future, Silent Dawnfall, Eternal Song, Endless Silence, Forgotten Flame, Eternal Return, Eternal Choice, Hidden Dawn, Endless Oath, Eternal Memory, Eternal Threshold, Eternal Light, Eternal Shadow, Eternal Balance, Eternal Dawnfire, Eternal Storm, Eternal Ocean, Eternal Sky, Eternal Flameheart, Eternal Songfire, Eternal Silenceflame, Eternal Starfall, Eternal Horizon, Eternal Root, Eternal Crown, Eternal Gate, Eternal Tower — joined with Eternal Anchor.
Their glow struck the Mask's illusions.
Stagnation became clarity.
Deception dissolved.
Twinkle hummed, resonating with the Miracle Registry.
Ao Bing laughed, fierce and kind.
Taiyi Zhenren footnoted every anchor restored.
Ne Job stood firm, anchor and truth united.
---
Act VI: The Mirror's Gift
The Mirror of the Eternal Anchor calmed, its surface shimmering with radiant steadiness.
It whispered:
> "Intern, anchor is not chaos. It is stability eternal. Guard it well."
Ne Job bowed.
Twinkle pulsed softly.
The Gallery shimmered, stable once more.
The Mask of Misrule retreated into the shadows, his voice echoing faintly:
> "You may resist anchors today. But paralysis always waits."
The Gallery fell silent.
The mirrors glowed.
And Ne Job walked on, ready for what lay ahead.