The hospital's fluorescent lights buzzed, casting shadows across the sterile floor. David clutched the mirror, its wooden frame biting into his palms. The fiend's shadow lurked within the glass.
"How?" David repeated. "Tell me now!"
The fiend laughed.
"Eager, anguished human? Good. Your daughter's soul is a battlefield, claimed by a demon. To enter her soul is simple. Where do you think a soul is located?"
David thought for a bit, then replied:
"The body."
"No. Okay, you're partially right. A soul doesn't have a permanent position. The body is a large world for a soul. There are three main regions in the body, which are also known as states: the unconscious state, the conscious state, and the subconscious state. When the soul is out of the body and living in the mind, currently wandering in an illusion, or rather, a nightmare or dream.. then that's the subconscious state. When the soul is currently in the body, that's the conscious state, and when it has left the body and mind temporarily, that's the unconscious, or as I like to call it, the vulnerable state."
The mirror paused for a while, then continued:
"Demons hide in the soul's memories, which are in illusions and the mind of the body—her inner world. They push the soul into the unconscious state and take control of the body, leaving the owner's soul wandering around like a ghost. So we're going to enter her inner world... But..."
It paused again, then said:
"On one condition..."
David didn't even blink before replying:
"Whatever the condition is... just make sure you save Lily... Or else..."
The fiend chuckled.
"Or else what? Threatening me? Know your place, human. And the condition is rather simple... I use you as a human vessel to get out of this mirror after Lily's nightmare adventure."
David raised an eyebrow.
"A human vessel?"
"Yes. We demons don't exactly have... No, we have physical bodies, but we don't possess them in your realm. Our bodies are too powerful! To last in this realm with delicious human souls. So that's why we project ourselves into a human soul, steal it, and use it to feed on other people's souls."
David was getting a headache from all the information, not that he cared about that now. He tightened his grip on the mirror.
"You haven't exactly explained how we will enter someone's nightmare. I guess you can enter, but would or can I be able to follow you?"
The fiend answered:
"Yes. Yes. You see, when you picked me up, I used a bit of 'Chalice Essence' to bind us together... not fully, though. That's why you're the only one able to hear me, but everyone else can see me."
The fiend sighed.
"And then, entering your daughter's subconscious state will be simple for you... No, it will be painful, but only for a little. And I'm only taking you along so you can guide me through her mind. What are we still waiting for, so we can proceed with the 'grand' adventure?"
David paused, contemplating.
No matter how good or tempting the mirror fiend's words seemed, it still felt... too good to be true. Risking Lily's life but entrusting it to the hands of a talking mirror was the last thing David wanted to do... but did he have a choice?
This seemed to be the only clear option. The government had tried countless times in the past ten years but failed. His wife was also a victim of this pandemic, and he wasn't ready to lose another loved one, his last one.
The fiend's offer was better than nothing.
"Can't we go now?"
The mirror gasped.
"Now?! How eager are you to die, human? You think a human memory and mind are blissful? It's dangerous even without a demon in it, and much more dangerous with one. A human mind is the deadliest tool in the world, if you ask me. Where do you think all the lies come from? Human actions? Where do they all come from? Humans are nothing but evil. There's no single good in them, and that makes them no less or higher than demons. And yet, you don't have a single fragment of fear written on your face?"
A deep frown appeared on David's face.
"Strange. You were the one eager to enter her soul. And why would I fear my daughter's soul or mind? It's just her dream changed into a nightmare by a demon, and we humans aren't evil. An unseen corruption causes this evil... I guess not all demons know each other, because this unseen corruption is sin, and it's also a demon... a stronger one. My wife used to talk and preach against it, but I don't know its name."
The shadow in the mirror shifted and laughed.
"Someone stronger than me? How ironic."
****
David sat slumped in the hospital chair. The fluorescent lights droned on overhead, that relentless buzz mixing with the steady beeps from behind the Intensive Care doors, drilling right into his brain. He held the mirror tight in his lap, its weird wooden frame biting into his palms. The fiend's shadow lurked in the glass, quiet for once, but he could sense it staring, waiting... that cocky vibe practically seeping out.
He kept his eyes fixed on those double doors, begging them in his mind to open up and give him an update about Lily, or rather... a chance to enter her soul. Nurses and doctors had been hustling in and out for what felt like forever, their faces all tense, muttering quick words under their breath.
"Code blue," one had yelled earlier, and David's stomach had dropped like a rock. Was she hanging on? Fighting? Or was it already too late? He shoved the thought down, clinging to the insane plan the fiend had thrown at him.
Diving into her supposed nightmare, battling a demon... it sounded like total madness, straight out of a nightmare himself, but what else was there? The government hadn't done a damn thing in ten years, doctors were out of ideas, and now the cops were sniffing around. This fiend, this damn talking mirror, was his last Hail Mary.
The minutes stretched out like taffy, slow and sticky. David glanced around the waiting area where a handful of other families huddled in the corners, eyes puffy from tears, staring at phones or magazines they weren't really reading or seeing. Nobody gave him a second look, just another worn-out dad in a wrinkled coat.
The old lady from before was gone, her talk about "madness" and "fear" still rattling around in his head. What did she know anyway? And that mutter about a "heavier burden." What the hell was that supposed to mean? He shook it off; no room for more puzzles right now.
Finally, the doors swung open. A doctor stepped out, yanking off his mask, looking beat but not panicked. He scanned the room, eyes landing on David.
"Mr. Davidson?"
David jumped up too quickly, causing the mirror to almost tumble from his lap. He grabbed it, shoving it into his coat pocket, where it bulged out awkwardly.
"How is she? Is Lily alright?"
The doctor sighed, rubbing his tired eyes.
"She's stable for now. We pulled her through the episode, but it's still touch and go. The NDS is moving fast. We're throwing everything at it, but..." He trailed off, that helpless tone doctors always get.
"... You can see her in a bit, but keep it short. No visitors after... she needs to rest."
David nodded, his throat dry as sandpaper. "Thanks. Just... tell me when."
The doctor gave a weary nod and headed down the hall, with a couple of nurses trailing behind, murmuring about break time and coffee. The doors clicked shut, and the waiting area went quiet again. David waited a second, then two, making sure the coast was clear. His heart was thumping loudly as he sneaked over to the doors, peeking through the little window. The room was dim, machines beeping away, Lily's tiny shape on the bed tangled in tubes and wires. No one was inside with her.
Now or never.
He eased the doors open, slipping in quietly as a mouse. The room reeked of disinfectant and illness — that sharp smell that always turned his stomach before he got accustomed to it after Lily became a patient of NDS.
Lily looked so small under the blankets, her skin all gray, her chest rising and falling way too slow.
"Lily..." he whispered, rushing to her side, grabbing her hand. It was ice-cold. "Daddy's here. I'm gonna make this right."
From his pocket, the mirror vibrated a bit, the fiend's voice hissing in his ear like a secret. "How sweet. Now bleed, human. Let's kick off this 'grand adventure' before your sappy stuff puts me to sleep."
David shot a quick look at the door... no one. He pulled out the mirror, placing it on the bed next to Lily. A penknife was in his pocket; he took it out, the blade catching the light.
The fiend had explained to him how he was going to enter Lily's nightmare. He just needed to bleed.
"You better save her..." he muttered to the fiend, jabbing his thumb harder than before. Blood bubbled up, dark and warm. He smeared it on the glass, watching it soak in as if the thing was thirsty.
The sight was nothing short of scary. The mirror sucked the blood on the glass into its inner part. The shadow then parted, and a wide and scary grin appeared in the mirror.
At that moment, David felt something moving in his body. The thing sent a sharp pain through his body, making him fall to his knees and convulse. David coughed and coughed until he spat out black blood. The mysterious thing moved in every part of his body, making his veins appear where they shouldn't...
The veins turned black and strong, making David seem like he was in a siege... or rather, he was in a siege.
David threw his head backward and gritted his teeth. He slammed his body into an object that seemed to produce less sound. The cough continued as more black blood spilled out of his mouth.
The siege went on for minutes, then finally stopped. An inexplicable ease moved through David's body. It made it seem as if the pain had never occurred. It was blissful and inhuman. His eyes shone with darkness for a split second. No, it was light but trapped or chained in darkness.
After coming back to his senses, he stood up and spat the last drop of black blood, then wiped his mouth.
He asked in a hoarse, shaky voice:
"So, what's next?"
The fiend gave out a short laugh.
"Pleasantries! Introductions... so your name is actually David, huh? Your wife's name is Mary and your daughter's name is Lily... Splendid. Too bad you're poor... But the poor are the most desperate, especially... a desperate father."
The fiend fell silent for a while and then continued:
"Now, what do you know about me?" It asked in an eager, desperate voice.
David didn't reply immediately and then said:
"Nothing... Are we supposed to, like, switch memories?"
"Yes... You see, our pact is friendly... It's mutual, and it's totally different from Lily and the demon's pact... That's parasitism."
David nodded, understanding the fiend. But then a deep frown appeared on his face.
"So then why can't I remember any of your memories? To be honest, you've been acting weird lately... You remember some things and forget some things... Do demons have amnesia?" he asked with a straight face.
"Aah... I also don't know, but it is those two I met before meeting you... I don't remember any events before meeting them. I remember only the last words of one of them before plummeting through time and landing on the pavement earlier."
David scowled.
"Through time? Time travel?"
The fiend didn't reply, but it felt as if the shadow in the mirror shook, trying to give a nod.
The frown on David's face refused to leave. He raised an eyebrow and then scowled.
"What were their last words?"
This was no business of David's, of course. And yet, it was his business. He felt that even after probably surviving Lily's nightmare and saving her life, it wouldn't end there. No, it probably wouldn't. The problems would pile up because now he had agreed with a demon. What else would it be if not countless problems?
The fiend's voice changed as if it were reading out a manual with nonchalance. It said:
"He said something like: 'Go Pride, bring back the Harbinger.' He also said something about Fathers, Winter's Chill, Heart's Fire.. Dawn to Save the.. What was the word again? Yes! Dawn to save the star.. All riddles.. I barely know what all those means. Oh, and he also told me to gather my kins. Whatever that means. All i know is i hate him and i want to get my memories back from him."
David's frown was becoming more unsettling.
'Harbinger? Fathers? Heart's Fire? Winter's Chill? Dawn to save the Star? What do they mean?'
Though the fiend didn't say those words meant something very tangible... David felt it from the way the fiend relayed the message of the mysterious person from the future? Past?... that, he didn't know.
His frown slowly disappeared from his face.
'Wait... Pride?'
As if hearing his thoughts, the fiend yelled. Its voice was filled with joy and inhumanity.
"I'm Pride!... that's my name! Pride!"
Soon, the joy died down, and the shadow shifted its gaze to David and said in an uneven tone:
"Sorry..."
David raised an eyebrow.
"For wh—"
He couldn't finish his sentence because immediately he plummeted through an endless abyss of darkness and nothing.
... The journey into Lily's soulscape had begun.