Chapter 3 – The Mirror Cracks
716 Words
Morning sunlight filtered through the old lace curtains, but it did little to chase away the chill lingering in the house.
Selene stood before the grand mirror in the hallway — the same one that had been there since she was a child, the one with the cracked corner.
But now, something about it felt different.
She could still see her reflection — tired eyes, pale face — but behind her, the shadows didn’t move quite right.
They seemed to watch.
Luna’s laughter echoed faintly from the kitchen.
She’d decided to stay for a few more days after seeing how shaken Selene looked.
“Coffee’s ready!” Luna called. “And I found some pandesal in town! Small victories!”
Selene forced a smile and joined her at the table.
But her gaze kept drifting to the hallway — to that mirror.
“Still thinking about your ‘dream man’?” Luna teased, sipping her coffee.
Selene sighed. “It’s not funny, Luna. I think something’s happening in that house.”
Luna frowned. “Like what?”
“Things move when I’m not looking. Candles light themselves. I keep hearing whispers.”
“Maybe it’s stress. You’ve been through a lot lately.”
Selene looked away. She didn’t want to argue.
But deep inside, she knew this wasn’t stress. This was connection. Something — someone — was reaching for her.
That night, the house fell quiet again.
Luna was asleep in the guest room, snoring softly.
Selene sat on her bed, the candlelight flickering against the walls. She stared at the mirror, drawn to it like a magnet.
Then, the air shifted — that same cold presence, brushing her skin like breath.
And there he was.
The man from her dreams.
His reflection appeared in the mirror behind her — faint, glowing at the edges. He was tall, dressed in black again, his expression both sorrowful and tender.
Selene froze. “You’re not real.”
He smiled softly. “And yet, here I am.”
Her voice trembled. “Who are you?”
He stepped closer, though his form flickered like smoke. “Once… I was a man. Now, I am what remains of a promise.”
Selene’s chest tightened. “A promise?”
He reached out, his hand hovering just over her shoulder. “You swore we would find each other again, no matter how many lives it took.”
Her breath hitched. “You’re mistaken. I’ve never—”
But then, a sharp crack! echoed through the room.
The mirror split — a thin fracture running straight through the glass, right where his reflection’s heart would be.
Selene stumbled back, her heart pounding.
The man looked at her with sorrow in his eyes. “You shouldn’t have come back here. The curse… it still binds us.”
“What curse?” she demanded.
But before he could answer, his image shattered — the mirror exploding into shards that rained across the floor like ice.
Selene screamed.
Luna rushed into the room seconds later. “Selene! What happened?!”
Selene pointed at the wall. “He was there! In the mirror! I swear, I saw him!”
Luna grabbed her shoulders, shaking slightly. “There’s no one here. Just us.”
Selene stared at the broken mirror. In its shattered pieces, her reflection stared back — frightened, uncertain, but beneath it all… something in her eyes had changed.
Somewhere deep inside, she knew that man.
She could feel his touch still burning faintly on her skin.
Later, as she swept up the glass, she found something strange among the shards — a small, silver locket.
It wasn’t hers.
When she opened it, she froze.
Inside was a faded photograph — of a woman who looked exactly like her.
Same face. Same eyes.
Only the clothes were old — from another century.
And beside her in the photo was him.
Selene’s hands shook as she clutched the locket to her chest.
“What are you trying to tell me?” she whispered into the empty room.
Outside, thunder rolled in the distance.
And for just a second, she heard his voice again — faint, like a memory carried by the wind.
“We found each other once through fire. We will again… through darkness.”
- Writer
