The wasteland was still trembling from what had just happened.
Akihiro leaned against the cracked wall of the ruin, breathing heavily, Cai Lin slumped beside him. Her skin was pale, her body trembling with weakness. She had given too much to seal his unstable core, and though her eyes flickered open now and again, she no longer had the strength to rise.
"I'll protect you," Akihiro whispered, his voice quiet but resolute. He brushed a strand of her silver hair from her face. "I promise."
His mother's voice stirred inside his mind, warm and steady.
"And I will steady you, my son. Do not fear. You are not alone."
Akihiro's eyes closed for a moment. For the first time since entering this broken world, he almost believed those words.
The Search Party Arrives
The calm didn't last.
The sound of boots crunching over shattered glass spread across the wasteland. A faint hum of lightning filled the air. Akihiro snapped his head up just as a squad of armored warriors stepped into view, their weapons etched with Raiden sigils. At their center walked Yueqin, her expression sharp but softened when she saw him. Beside her was Ayame, who gasped and broke into a run. And towering behind them, stern and commanding, was Lei Yan, the Thunder Emperor.
"Brother!" Ayame's voice cracked with relief as she rushed forward.
Akihiro staggered to his feet, instinctively moving in front of Cai Lin. His body trembled, but his eyes were firm.
Yueqin lifted her hand, stopping the warriors. She looked at Akihiro, her lips parting as though to speak, but no words came.
Lei Yan's voice cut through instead, low and cold.
"Step aside, boy. The Mirror Queen comes with us."
The Arrest
Two Raiden warriors moved forward, chains of lightning-threaded glass sparking in their hands. Cai Lin tried to lift her head, but her strength was gone. She did not resist as they clasped her wrists and dragged her forward.
Akihiro's fists clenched. "Wait—"
Yueqin caught his shoulder, holding him back. Her touch was gentle, but her eyes carried warning.
Ayame reached him next, her face flushed with tears. "Please, brother… don't fight. Just come home with us. Don't make this harder."
Akihiro trembled. His heart screamed to resist, but his body was too weak, his core too unstable. He watched helplessly as Cai Lin was pulled away.
She turned her head just enough to meet his eyes, her lips barely parting.
Akihiro's voice cracked, but the words came firm.
"I'll take care of you. I promise."
For the faintest instant, Cai Lin smiled. Then the chains yanked her into silence, and she disappeared into the ranks of warriors.
Return to the Raiden Clan
The journey back was suffocating.
The Raiden clan's stronghold loomed ahead, built of black stone veined with glowing lightning. Cai Lin was thrown into the dungeons beneath, her silver hair dim in the cold glass light.
Akihiro was separated, placed under watch in a chamber near the clan hall. His heart pounded against his ribs, the weight of his promise echoing louder with each passing breath.
Aunt's Revelation
That night, Yueqin entered his chamber alone. She closed the door softly, her eyes tired but sharp.
"Akihiro," she said, her voice steady, "you must understand what has happened. The mirror does not release those who enter it."
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
She sat across from him, her gaze unwavering.
"The Mirror World binds you now. Time here is not like the real world. Once you've crossed, you belong to both realms. Balance is required."
Akihiro's chest tightened. "Balance?"
She nodded. "If you stay only here, the real world will decay within you. If you stay only there, the Mirror World will consume you. You must walk both. That is your curse, and your choice."
Her voice lowered, grave.
"You are seventeen now. Next month, on June fifth—your eighteenth birthday—the choice ends. On that day, the mirror will claim you. Either you stay here forever, or you return to the real world for one final year before being pulled back for good."
The words struck like thunder. Akihiro gripped his chest, hearing his mother's faint whisper inside him:
"Balance, Akihiro… our clan's gift, and our curse."
He stared into the polished wall of his chamber, his reflection rippling faintly, and the question echoed louder than any storm:
Which world would he choose—and which one would he lose?