The mirrors did not fade.
They pulsed like wounds torn open in the world itself, spilling memory and accusation into the chamber. Blood and fire, betrayal and bargains, each shard reflecting not just the past but the cracks already gnawing at Kai's fragile harem.
Kai's daggers whirled as he deflected a downward strike from the intruder — steel biting sparks from steel. The stranger's mask grinned back at him, fractured now with spiderweb cracks. A single eye glared through, gleaming with venomous delight.
"You see it now, don't you?" the intruder spat, blade twisting dangerously close to Kai's throat. "They'll never look at you the same again. You hide behind charm and promises — but every one of them has seen the leash on your neck."
