"..."
Hylena glances at the tombs of Charles and Sophia. So misery had found its mark—carving a wound too deep to endure. This pain feels like reaching a lonely abyss.
"Is this what I get for being kind?"
Hylena clenches his hands in both fury and sadness. He doubted even God would save him—but the truth made it hurt even more: no god came to his aid at all.
The breeze from the farlands gently strokes his hair, its chill shaping more grief as he gazes into the vast canopy—the grand azure where freedom is unleashed, where clouds are stirred by the winds.
"Sophia, Charles… may your souls rest in a palace of the grand heavens, where no pain exists… my only jewels… farewell, and fly high—until you both reach the sky!"
Hylena's eyes lock onto the grand azure, releasing the old memory. The sky seems to promise a place of rest for Sophia and Charles. As tears slowly fall from his eyelids, where the tongue cannot speak, he says farewell to his younger siblings.
The breeze slowly fades—along with the memories he holds. His tears fall from his cheeks as he tries to hold them back.
He wipes the tears from his eyes, then places a flower—one he could barely afford—on the tombs of his younger siblings.
As he prepares to head home, he whispers a final word:
"I will make the world acknowledge us,"
Hylena then walks away with a weighted heart—each step feels like walking on needles forged from the rocks of hell.
Upon arriving home, he takes a seat on his bed, pondering everything that had happened today. He covers his face with grim sadness. He was too tired to even think straight, and his mind was utterly messed up.
"Shit... I'm the most failed person to ever live…"
He recalls all the blood that carved into every inch of his room during the homicide. His mind, stirred by the trauma, births an endless nightmare—trapped in an infinity of guilt.
As he catches his reflection in the mirror, he feels like a pest that should die.
"...?"
His glance was distracted by an odd book near the mirror. The book was covered in dust and spiderwebs, like it had been forsaken by him. But when he tried to remember, he was sure he didn't have that kind of book.
He then stood up and headed toward the book. He took a seat as he watched it closely and picked it up.
"'How to Become a Mirrorer and Level Up'?... Looks cool, I guess…"
Hylena felt puzzled by the name of the book. As he slowly opened the first page, he found only an introduction. He then flipped to another page—and found something miraculous.
Hylena then read all the tutorials in the book, closely and with full concentration—instantly forgetting all that misery.
"First off, have a seat in front of your mirror, and do not have any doubt," written as the first step in the book.
"Then, gather your courage and relax. You can breathe to calm yourself down."
"And say: 'Reflect!' Then slowly stretch your hand into the mirror. If you succeed, your hand will disappear!"
Hylena then speaks gently, with a relaxed soul, into the mirror. And then he says:
"Reflect."
Nothing happened.
Afterward, Hylena attempts to follow the guide—attempt after attempt.
Yet, he makes no progress.
"Wuh?... Why isn't it working?... Or was there an error?... Or did I make a mistake?..."
Hylena felt puzzled by the unworking guide, his expression instantly shifting into disappointment. Until he realized something he hadn't followed—and he tried to read it more closely.
"Oh... There's an exclamation mark… What an idiot."
Hylena felt both embarrassed and satisfied by his discovery, even though a bit of dumbness lingered.
He gathered all his courage, zeal, and the scream of all his misery into one.
As he said:
"Reflect!"
As the word left his mouth, he felt a faint flicker. As he stretched his hand forward after several attempts, he saw it disappear into the mirror—like being consumed by the object itself.
"Wow!"
He quickly pulled his hand back out, then prepared with excitement to enter the mirror and cure his curiosity. He stood up, ready to walk into it—a sheer blend of curiosity and excitement stirring within him. With a gorgeous stride, he entered the mirror without a hint of doubt.
As he stepped through, a burst of light blinded his vision. And when the light faded, he found himself in an infinite, vast land filled with innumerable mirrors.
"Holy Vita! What are those!? A thousand mirrors!? Or maybe more?..."
Hylena felt staggered by what he had discovered. Joy streamed through his veins, his mind flooded with excitement.
"It looks like a Mirror Dimension, I guess…"
Hylena then attempted to explore the new dimension—so many mirrors in sight.
So, in misery… there was still a seed of joy.
His curiosity rose once more. He walked toward one of the mirrors and stretched his hand into it. As a result, he jumped in—and found himself inside a stranger's home. He gasped and quickly ran back into the mirror.
A small smile appeared on his face, indicating how happy he was.
"Fuf!…"
Afterward, Hylena returned home and laid down on his bed. He recalled what he had discovered, how he became a Mirrorer today.
Although he had gone through misery… a seed of joy had begun to grow.
"This is going to be so much fun!... I think."