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Page 1
Elira followed Kael, brushing glowing leaves out of her way.
She kept looking over her shoulder, half expecting the door to pop back up or something worse.
The air was thick. Not like fog. More like… waiting.
Like the forest was holding its breath.
"Does this place always feel like it's judging me?" she asked.
Kael didn't answer. He just kept walking.
Classic mysterious boy move.
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Page 2
"So," Elira tried again, "you live here in this… In-Between place?"
"No one lives here," Kael said without looking back. "You survive here."
"Cool," she muttered. "Love that for me."
Suddenly, Kael stopped.
Elira nearly ran into him.
"What now?" she asked.
He pointed ahead.
There was a clearing.
And in the middle of it… was a mirror.
Standing by itself.
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Page 3
The mirror was tall, as tall as Elira, with a frame made of twisting metal vines.
The glass shimmered like water, but didn't show their reflection.
Instead, it showed something else.
Elira stepped closer.
In the mirror, she saw herself back home, sitting on her bed.
Writing in her notebook.
"But I'm not there," she whispered.
"Not anymore," Kael said.
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Page 4
"Is this real?" she asked. "Like… is that a window or a memory or "
Kael's voice was flat. "It's bait."
"Excuse me?!"
"These mirrors show what you miss. What you want. They're traps."
Before Elira could say anything, the glass rippled.
Her mom appeared in the mirror, singing softly, folding laundry.
Then Toby, yelling about superheroes.
Her dad, unlocking his study door.
Elira stepped forward without thinking.
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Page 5
Kael grabbed her wrist. "Don't."
"But… what if I can go back?"
"You won't. These mirrors lie."
Elira pulled her hand back, heart pounding.
The image in the mirror changed.
Now it showed her walking into her room…
And then disappearing.
Like she'd never been there.
Elira stared. "They don't even know I'm gone."
Kael looked down. "They will. But it might be too late."
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Page 6
They kept walking. Elira stayed quiet.
She hated this feeling like she was slipping out of her own life.
The trees were taller now. The light dimmer.
Then they came to a wooden bridge stretching over a river of black water.
"Nope," Elira said. "I've seen this movie. The bridge breaks."
Kael stepped on it. "Then don't look down."
"Rude," she muttered—and followed.
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Page 7
Halfway across, the water below bubbled.
Elira looked down anyway (because of course she did).
Eyes.
Dozens of glowing eyes under the surface.
She squeaked. Just a little.
"What are those?" she whispered.
"They're the watchers," Kael said. "They don't like visitors."
"Tell them I don't like being watched!" she hissed.
One of the eyes blinked.
The bridge creaked.
Elira ran.
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Page 8
They reached the other side. Elira gasped for breath.
Kael didn't even look winded.
"Do you ever get scared?" she asked.
"All the time," he said quietly. "I just don't have time to stop."
They were in another part of the forest now.
The trees here were thin, silver, and humming softly.
Elira felt dizzy.
"Why does this place feel like it's singing to my brain?"
Kael didn't answer.
Because something else did.
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Page 9
A whisper floated through the trees.
"Elira…"
She froze. "Did you hear that?"
Kael nodded. "It knows your name."
"Okay, no. I didn't sign up for creepy tree whispers."
She turned in a circle. "Who's there?!"
No answer.
Only a soft laugh, far away.
Kael's voice was tense. "We need to move."
But Elira couldn't stop staring into the trees.
Something was out there.
Something old.
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Page 10
Kael grabbed her hand and pulled her forward.
Elira didn't argue this time.
They ran, deeper into the forest, leaves glowing and fading as they passed.
Behind them, the whispers grew louder.
"Elira… come closer…"
Elira held on to Kael's hand tightly.
Then she said, between breaths, "This In-Between place?"
"Yeah?"
"It sucks."
Kael actually smiled. "Told you."
They didn't stop running.
Because the forest had just woken up.
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