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Chapter 174: The Mirror of the Eternal Return
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Act I: A Chamber of Spirals
The Gallery opened into a chamber where the walls curved endlessly, spiraling upward and downward, as if time itself folded back upon itself.
Ne Job stepped forward, Twinkle buzzing in a looping rhythm.
Ao Bing muttered, "We've walked this path before."
Taiyi Zhenren scribbled quickly. "No… it is not repetition. It is return."
At the center stood a mirror glowing faintly, its surface rippling like a tide that always comes back.
It spoke in a voice both ancient and new:
> "I am the Mirror of the Eternal Return. I hold what circles, what renews, what endures beyond endings."
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Act II: The Weight of Renewal
The interns gazed into its surface.
Visions unfolded, showing cycles that carried truth forward.
Ao Bing saw battles fought, lost, and fought again, each time with deeper courage.
Taiyi Zhenren saw scrolls rewritten, wisdom refined through endless generations.
Ne Job saw miracles fading, then returning, each one reborn in the Registry.
Twinkle pulsed brightly, resonating with the rhythm.
The mirror whispered:
> "To guard me, you must embrace return without fear."
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Act III: The Mask's Intrusion
From the shadows, the Mask of Misrule hissed.
> "Return is mine to corrupt. I will twist renewal into futility, and cycles into despair."
The Mirror of Endless Deception flickered, shards gathering again.
The Mask reached toward Eternal Return, trying to trap the interns in endless repetition without meaning.
Ao Bing staggered. "We're repeating mistakes!"
Taiyi Zhenren trembled. "My scrolls rewrite themselves endlessly!"
Ne Job steadied them. "Return is not futility. It is renewal."
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Act IV: The Trial of Return
The Mirror of the Eternal Return spoke:
> "Intern, to protect me, you must endure the cycle."
Ne Job gazed into its rippling surface.
He saw himself faltering, afraid of repeating failures.
He whispered:
> "I return. Not to fail, but to grow. Not to despair, but to endure."
The mirror glowed brighter, its spirals steady.
Twinkle pulsed strongly, harmonizing with the rhythm.
Ao Bing's fists steadied.
Taiyi Zhenren's scrolls aligned.
The Mask recoiled, his corruption faltering.
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Act V: The Clash
The Mask screamed, hurling shards of deception.
Illusions tried to twist return into futility, scattering the interns into despair.
Ao Bing staggered. "My strength is wasted!"
Taiyi Zhenren trembled. "My wisdom circles endlessly!"
Ne Job stood firm. "Return is not futility. It is renewal unbroken."
The awakened mirrors — Patience, Friendship, Courage, Sorrow, Endless Paths, Forgotten Names, Silent Echoes, Shattered Promises, Hidden Truths, Eternal Doubt, Living Light, Boundless Hope, Unbroken Unity, Eternal Harmony, Final Resolve, Infinite Resolve, Last Question, First Dawn, Endless Return, Forgotten Future, Silent Dawnfall, Eternal Song, Endless Silence, Forgotten Flame — joined with Eternal Return.
Their glow struck the Mask's illusions.
Cycles became clarity.
Deception dissolved.
Twinkle hummed, resonating with the Miracle Registry.
Ao Bing laughed, fierce and kind.
Taiyi Zhenren footnoted every return restored.
Ne Job stood firm, renewal and truth united.
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Act VI: The Mirror's Gift
The Mirror of the Eternal Return calmed, its surface shimmering with radiant spirals.
It whispered:
> "Intern, return is not chaos. It is renewal eternal. Guard it well."
Ne Job bowed.
Twinkle pulsed softly.
The Gallery shimmered, stable once more.
The Mask of Misrule retreated into the shadows, his voice echoing faintly:
> "You may resist return today. But despair always waits."
The Gallery fell silent.
The mirrors glowed.
And Ne Job walked on, ready for what lay ahead.