CHAPTER 2: The Shadow in the Mirror
The next morning, Ayan woke to a suffocating stillness. The air in the mansion felt heavier, as if it had absorbed the tension from the night before. He told himself it was just a dream, just his mind playing tricks on him.
Determined to push aside his fear, he explored the house. The hallways stretched long and shadowed, lined with portraits of stern-faced ancestors whose eyes seemed to follow him as he moved. The wallpaper peeled in places, revealing dark stains beneath.
Then, he found the study Room.
Unlike the rest of the house, this room was different. The desk wasn’t covered in dust. The books on the shelves were neatly arranged, as if someone had been using them recently. The fireplace, though cold, smelled faintly of burnt wood.
But it was the mirror that caught his attention.
A tall, antique thing with a black wooden frame, it stood against the far wall, its surface strangely clean compared to the rest of the room. Ayan approached it cautiously.
His reflection stared back, but something felt… off.
He wiped a hand over his face, watching as his reflection mimicked the motion. Then, just as he was about to turn away—
His reflection blinked.
Ayan hadn’t blinked.
A sharp coldness shot through his veins. He raised his hand hesitantly, and the reflection copied him—but a second too late.
His breath caught. The air in the study room turned icy, and a soft whisper curled around his ears. “He’s watching.”
Ayan spun around, expecting to see someone behind him. But the room was empty.
Turning back to the mirror, he nearly screamed.
His reflection was smiling. A wide, unnatural grin that didn’t belong to him.
Then, the mirror cracked. A thin, jagged line ran down the center, and from within the glass, something moved.
The whispers became laughter.
Ayan bolted out of the study, slamming the door behind him. His heart pounded as he pressed his back against the wall, gasping for breath.
But the laughter didn’t stop.
It followed him.
To Be Continued
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