Chapter fifty-four
Reflection and Roses
The figure that resembles Victoria portrayed a deeply moving scene. At the center was a young woman, her face marred by tears that flow freely down her cheeks. She leaned forward, her lips gently kissing a bouquet of pristine white flowers, each petal velvety and soft, exuding a subtle, sweet fragrance. Behind her lied an expansive dark void, an overwhelming emptiness that looms ominously and engulfed any trace of light. The darkness felt alive, reaching out as if to pull her in.
The supposed Lucius mirrored a man with glassy, vacant eyes, fiercely shielding an unseen figure behind his outstretched arms as a dark pool of crimson slowly spread beneath him.
In the mirror of Elizabeth—an anguished woman igniting flames that licked at the familiar walls of a building, casting an infernal glow against her despair.
Finally, the Emily mirror showcased a woman with a wicked grin clutching a skull, dark blood oozing grotesquely from its hollow sockets, an eerie juxtaposition of joy and horror.
They stood transfixed before the mirror, and Kevin’s voice broke the spell. “Follow your intuition; you’ll find my gift,” he murmured before vanishing with a sharp pop.
Gradually, the mirror expanded, unleashing a dazzling beam of light that struck them squarely in the face. As their vision cleared and the brilliance faded, Elizabeth found herself standing at the threshold of an imposing wooden door.
With a tentative finger, she pressed the doorbell, which let out a low creak as the door cracked open, revealing a damp-lit chamber. Within this damp-lit sanctuary, shadows loomed, shrouded by a thick veil of mist as rows of crystalline boards materialized, glimmering ominously.
A grand chandelier swung gently above, scattering shimmering silver light across the chaotic array of mattresses beneath it, casting a luminescent strip that danced across the shadowy room.
Cautiously, they navigated past the crystal screens to avoid activating them, approaching a small sculpture draped in gold somewhere ahead.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Elizabeth could make out the faint silhouette of a beautiful, curved dove.
"Hello," a voice resonated from deeper inside.
They recoiled, looking around in panic.
"Um, would you please—” Emily stammered. “There is a way through. If you promise to forget the reflections in the mirror, I can lead you," the dove offered softly, its wings spread open, and it sprang to life.
One by one, they came forward and pledged without hesitation. Swearing blindly in the names of the Styx, they trusted the dove.
“Good,” exclaimed the dove, now soaring towards the ceiling happily while softly uttering unfamiliar hymns from its beak, which remained unknown to Elizabeth. Suddenly, the wall behind the dove trembled, and the ground violently shook as chunks of stone collapsed overhead, revealing a concealed passage within the walls. Dirt hung in the air, and debris scattered in all directions as mist emanated from within. Water dripped from the ceiling, pooling into clear ponds amid the eerie atmosphere. Shattered bones lay piled in the dusty corners, seeming undisturbed for at least decades. "Come on,” urged the dove.
"Is it safe?” Elizabeth inquired cautiously.
"That’s alright," Emily whispered suddenly, her blue eyes shining with curiosity. She took a napkin, wiped her spectacles, and smiled. “Dove, please lead the way.”
"Certainly,” the dove responded. Its blue glow clarified their vision, revealing carved stones, shadowy creatures slithering within the darkness, and faint silhouettes lurking in the corners, heightening the sense of eeriness. "C’mon—no time to waste," the dove pressed on.
As they progressed, their footsteps echoed loudly through the deserted tunnel, illuminated solely by the dove’s headlamp, providing some sense of their surroundings. Upon reaching a larger clearing, they discovered a glass orb floating in midair, emitting a mysterious violet glow from within, stretching across the damp floor.
Inside—the moment almost caused Elizabeth to gasp in surprise—was the Skidbladnir, the gift promised by the man.
The orb shimmered serenely in the darkness, swirling amidst the mist, with glorious glows emanating from its surface as it rotated, projecting a legendary scenery onto the walls.
Elizabeth hurried forward excitedly, but an invisible barrier obstructed her path. She struck it hard, which almost knocked her out, while the flames twirling from her palms were extinguished.
Hoisting herself up, Elizabeth tried to stand still, yet to her disappointment, her boots slipped, and she fell.
She pushed against the barrier for support but accidentally pressed something hard within the walls, then, before she got an idea about what was going on, a loud crash echoed from far below.
“What have you done?” Emily shrieked. The sudden noise prompted her to jump in surprise.
“An embossment, pressed it by accident," Elizabeth explained nervously. "I am truly sorry; I didn’t mean to."
"It appears we are in trouble now," Victoria stated hastily.
Suddenly, hundreds of dark webs exploded through the space, jerking in the air, drawn in eccentric threads that weaved through the cobwebs, their outlines rusty and dirty, flickering eerily through the passageway. A foul smell of decay choked the air.
Emily held her nose and coughed, unable to speak. The room darkened again, obscuring the dim light that beamed from the dove. Elizabeth concentrated and swatted her hands—releasing a bright flash of light that illuminated the passage. Lightning bolts burst from her fingertips and crashed into the gossamers.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Webs coiled and wrapped around their bodies, and dark liquid seeped out from within, licking their bare skins and tearing flesh. The sharp intake of breath became ragged, and they could hardly breathe. Their bodies flinched, their hair matted with grime, as the web drained their blood, soaking their clothes, and shredding their flesh with jagged threads.
"Emily, do you still have strength?” Elizabeth asked desperately.
"Yes—” replied Emily faintly, her head hung over.
Hoisting herself upright, Emily snapped her fingers, conjuring a fragrant aroma that lingered through her fingertips. Glyphs flickered on the walls, greenish lights flowed within as they danced in the darkness, glittering over the web, and it seemed to ease their grip around them.
“You’ve got to be here—” murmured Emily as she twirled two extreme-looking glyphs to the side.
“Nearly there,” said Emily enthusiastically.
“You’ve forgotten that,” Victoria reminded sorrowfully, indicating the hexagrams hanging overhead. She had now sunk half her body into the web, and panic washed over her voice.
“Thanks," Emily whispered hastily, adding another glyph, igniting the web with a flick of her hands.
Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her hair clung to her cheeks as her eyes reddened with fatigue. The webs showed no sign of halting, though. Sinking their sharp teeth into the blur of scarlet flesh as blood drenched over their bodies.
Once the webs ignited, Elizabeth heard distant screams echoing through the walls. Suddenly, a brilliant light, brighter than all the others, struck them. Elizabeth looked up to see the crystal ball gleaming, with words appearing on its misty surface:
‘Only true love and voluntary sacrifice can extinguish the webs.’
"Sacrifice?" Percy croaked with despair, “Elizabeth— I—”
“No!” Elizabeth shrieked; she threw herself into her sweetheart’s welcoming arms, tears wetting her eyes, reddening the tip of her nose.
They huddled tightly in the darkness as ultramarine light lingered through their fingertips, glimmering over them as a shower of stars.
Elizabeth’s face was pressed firmly against Percy’s chest as she wept uncontrollably, her whole body shaking, buried within his embrace, and perceiving the comforting touch of his arms wrapped around her. She could feel Percy’s hands tightening over her in a gentle, reassuring embrace, and felt the faint, crumpled exhalations just inches above her.
Blood oozing out from Percy’s torn shirt, trickling to the back of her hand, a splash of scarlet flower formed on Elizabeth’s forearm, and dripping to the cold ground.
Elizabeth felt a sudden, hard twist knotted in her stomach; she choked.
Penelope stared at the screen blankly.
She felt a hollow ache twist in her stomach.
A warmth began to rise in her eyes, something teary that blurred her vision.
Beneath her skin, something crumbled.
The vision blurred; her heart raced, then stalled.
She had never imagined this.
Tension hung in the air.
But they didn’t realize what was going on until a harsh scratching echoed within the passageway drew their attention.
Elizabeth’s head snapped up, and what she saw made her stomach drop horribly.
With a few seconds, she stood there, her hands in her mouth. But then, when she had recovered from the shock, Elizabeth screamed, in a voice so filled with despair that it almost wracked open the muddy ceiling.
“Vicky! Come back! NO, don’t be stupid!”
But it was too late.
The moonlight washed over Penelope, cruelly gentle.
Time paused, dragging her deeper into despair.
What had she done?
The tattoo on her neck was fading.
Her icy heart began to melt, yet it was agony.
Reality settled in; the world spun away.
And in her heart, only silence remained.
Penelope felt a hollow ache twist in her stomach. A warmth began to rise in her eyes, something teary that blurred her vision.
Penelope's heart skipped a beat. She had never imagined this.
The moonlight flitered over Penelope's body.
Without her noticing, the tattoo on her neck was fading. She ran her fingers over the lines, searching for something solid.
But it was gone.
The frozen walls began to crack.
Her icy heart was melting.
Victoria was heading toward the biggest web, which was inches away from the crystal ball. And it didn’t take Elizabeth a second to figure out what she was going to do.
“Vicky, no! Don’t sacrifice yourself!” shrieked Elizabeth, catching up with her.
Victoria didn’t answer. She walked right into the webs without turning back, and their thick layers began to close in around her, wrapping her, squeezing her, and pushing her toward the crystal ball.
“You’ve gotta get rid of—” shrieked Victoria, choking, and breathed the last ever breath before the web swallowed her whole. Flesh and blood stained the dark web, which was convulsing against the floor cheerfully.
Immediately, the webs vanished in midair, and the crystal ball evaporated with several beams of white light.
Penelope gasped.
Her stomach dropped.
In that moment, time seemed to stretch endlessly.
The world around her faded, colors dimming, sounds muffled, replaced by a deafening silence that echoed her inner turmoil.
How could she have let it come to this?
How could her hands, once capable of tenderness, now bear the mark of such unspeakable horror?
Tears blurred her vision as flashes of laughter and hope cascaded through her mind — memories of a pure soul so full of light, now extinguished by her own reckless fury.
Panic surged, turning into a tempest of regret that swirled within her like a storm.
The heartache twisted inside her, knotting her insides with each frantic thought.
"What have I done?" echoed in her mind, reverberating louder than her own heartbeat.
The weight of her choices pressed down on her, suffocating, as shame coiled tightly around her throat.
It felt like a betrayal, not just to the one she had lost but to herself, the person she used to believe she was. Despair clawed at her chest, and she sank to her knees.
She was a murderer.
The word alone felt like shards of glass slicing through her heart.
She mourned not only for the one who was gone but for the woman she had shattered within herself.
The passageway was drowned back into quiet and silence once again.
The vessel model dropped to the ground in a clutter.
The opal shining around Elizabeth’s neck dimmed.
The time halted, eerily and mournfully so.
Everyone, every single creature, was staring at the position where a daring and energetic girl had disappeared from this world, leaving nothing behind but true love and compassion.
The girl who gave her life to save the others, whose spirit shall never fade.
She left no regrets.
She had chosen her path.
Elizabeth straightened up slowly and picked up the vessel model, feeling it vibrating against her palms.
Emily rummaged through her leather bag for a long time, eventually picking up a golden tube, hollow and delicate, decorated with beautiful crystalized pendants, and at the very end of the tube was a glittering ruby.
Emily ticked the ruby three times, and with a loud bang, golden mist swirled out of the tube and surrounded her. She shot Elizabeth and Percy a look that told them to do the same thing. Elizabeth reached for the tube; her fingertips had nearly touched mist when another shot of mist twirled toward her. The vapor felt like soft, silky veils wrapping around Elizabeth’s body; the feeling was so wonderful that it even wiped the melancholy from her body, for just a second.
“Are you ready?” asked Emily, her voice shaky.
“Yeah. All of those who died because of us. They will not die in vain.” Whispered Elizabeth.
“Let’s begin the last journey with bravery, we’re doing it, right now,” whispered Percy.
The tube shot out a beam of light, and they left the passageway with a faint pop.
As the last adventure started, their fate was destined.
But they will try everything to rewrite their fate.
They know, somehow, deep down, no one’s gonna stop them, not even death or despair.