Night fell, swallowing the last rays of Saigon's light. Duy An stood before the address on the business card, a small café named "Forgotten Corner" nestled deep within a dark alley. Its old sign, casting a faint yellow glow, gave it the feel of a refuge from the outside world. He took a deep breath, pushing aside his hesitation, and pushed open the heavy wooden door.
Inside, the café was strangely quiet, with only a few scattered customers in the corners, bathed in dim light and the soft strains of jazz music. The rich aroma of roasted coffee mingled with a subtle scent of incense, creating a tranquil, almost mystical atmosphere. She sat at a secluded table, a cup of steaming tea before her, her sharp eyes sweeping over Duy An as he entered. The woman was in casual clothes, no longer the hospital uniform, making An almost miss her in the shadowy dimness.
"Sit down, Duy An." She spoke, her voice deep yet still holding a certain aloofness. "Do you need anything to drink? Chamomile tea will help you calm down. You don't look well."
An nodded, pulling up a chair opposite her. The tension still clung to him, making his chest pound. "Will you... will you explain everything?"
The woman took a sip of her tea, her movements uncommonly calm. "I'll tell you what I know. But you must promise me one thing." She looked directly into An's eyes, her gaze seeming to bore into his soul. "Once you know, you can't go back to your normal life. You must promise not to do anything foolish, and not to seek further if you feel you can't handle it."
An swallowed hard. Her warning didn't deter him; instead, it fueled the flame of curiosity and the desperate need for understanding within him. He was tired of the illusions, the nameless fears. "I promise."
Thanh Lam let out a quiet sigh of relief, then began her story, her voice steady but laden with countless terrifying truths. "This world isn't as simple as you think, Duy An. There's another world, parallel to ours, that ordinary people cannot see, cannot touch. I call it The Mirror World."
"The Mirror World?" An repeated, feeling as if an invisible curtain had just been drawn back before his eyes.
"That's right. Every reflective surface – mirrors, glass, water, even human eyes – are doorways, points of contact with the Mirror World," she explained. "Everyone, upon death, especially sudden deaths carrying strong emotions, leaves a spiritual trace on the nearest reflective surface – that's what you call 'mirror stains.' They are remnants of memories, emotions, and sometimes, even last words left unsaid, trapped between two worlds."
An recalled the tormented faces on the bus window, the hateful eyes in the dormitory mirror. Each memory returned as vividly as if he were witnessing it firsthand.
"Ordinary people only see their own reflections, of the real world. But people like you, those with The Inverse Eye, can see through that veil, seeing even trapped souls. It's a gift, but also a curse." Her voice deepened, filled with warning. "The Inverse Eye is not just the ability to see. It's a doorway. You can see souls, see their final moments. But the most dangerous thing is what lurks behind them. They are Shadow Demons."
"Shadow Demons?" An swallowed. He had seen them, those black, amorphous shadows, hidden behind the suffering souls. The cold sensation radiating from them still lingered in his mind.
"They are not souls, Duy An. They are entities from the Mirror World, primal predators. They are drawn to strong emotional energy – especially from sudden, painful, or hateful deaths. They use 'mirror stains' as bait, as disguises, to drag the souls of the dead into their world, or even to infiltrate this world by possessing the bodies of the living."
"The mirror game you mentioned, the online disappearances... those are cases where Shadow Demons succeeded. They lure people into looking into mirrors for too long, to imprison their souls, and then take over their bodies. When possessed, these individuals become deranged, losing control, committing the horrific crimes you see in the news, inexplicable acts of violence. That's why the perpetrators often show signs of mental instability."
An shivered, a chill running down his spine, not from fear but from a terrifying realization. Everything clicked into place chillingly, turning daily sensational news into a part of a dark, supernatural reality.
"And the Reflective Layer?" An asked, recalling the rumors among demon hunters and Thanh Lam's words at the hospital.
She gave a slight, bitter smile. "The Reflective Layer... they are an organization that has existed for centuries, Duy An. Their original purpose was to control and conceal the existence of the Mirror World to protect humanity from chaos and invasion. They collect mirror-related artifacts, control information across all media, and try to suppress Shadow Demons when they manifest too clearly."
"Then why did you flee? If they protect the world?" An looked directly into her eyes, awaiting an answer.
Thanh Lam gazed out the window, where the streetlights illuminated streaks of recently stopped rain, forming flickering reflections on the wet road. "Because they don't protect everyone. Because what they hide is more terrifying than what they allow us to know. And because... they don't want people like you to be free. Those with The Inverse Eye. They see people like us as tools, or a threat to be controlled."
A cold dread ran down Duy An's spine. He was no longer an ordinary student. He had become a target, a pawn in a war he barely understood.
"So what do I do?" An asked, his voice a faint tremble, a sense of helplessness washing over him. He had never had to face anything so vast and terrifying before.
Thanh Lam turned back to him, her gaze firm, like a lighthouse in the dark night. "You must learn to control the Inverse Eye. It's not just about seeing. It has far greater potential. You must learn how to open and close your eye, how to distinguish reality from illusion. And you must survive. I will help you. But the road ahead... will be long and dangerous. No one can help you if you don't help yourself first."
"Why are you helping me?" Duy An asked, suspicion still lingering.
She didn't answer immediately. She just looked deeply into Duy An's eyes, as if searching for something. "Because I've seen what you're about to face. And because... there are secrets The Reflective Layer will never want you to know. I have my own reasons to help you. Trust me."
After that, she called for the bill. "Go home tonight, think carefully about everything I've told you. Don't look into any reflective surface for too long. Get some sleep. I'll contact you tomorrow morning."
Thanh Lam stood up, her shadow stretching long across the floor under the yellow light. An still sat there, his heart pounding, watching her silhouette disappear behind the door. His world had completely changed.