The door to Floor 2 opened with a deep mechanical groan. Cold air rushed out.
Inside was a room made of reflective glass—walls, ceiling, even the floor. Every step echoed forever.
Aeris whispered, "I've heard about this floor. It creates illusions based on your fears."
"Wait," Riley said. "Why is this part of the tutorial?"
Kaela shrugged. "Nexus-9 is messed up?"
Lyria held up her staff.
"Well, at least we look fabulous in all these mirrors."
Then the reflections changed.
Riley froze.
Every mirror now showed an alternate version of himself:
• one alone in the dark
• one being deleted
• one standing on ruins
• one surrounded by people he didn't recognize
• one with glowing eyes, face twisted by corruption
Riley approached the last one, heart pounding.
"Is that supposed to be—"
The reflection moved first.
Its mouth twisted into a grin.
"You think you belong here? You're a mistake."
Riley stumbled back. "No—no, that's not real."
But the corrupted reflection stepped out of the mirror.
Its body pulsed with black static.
Its eyes glowed white-hot.
Kaela raised her blade.
"This floor is evil."
The dark Riley lunged at him, claws forming from corrupted data.
Riley dodged—barely—before blasting a wild burst of glitch energy.
The reflection absorbed it.
Aeris paled. "It copies your powers."
Dark Riley grinned wickedly.
"Let's see what you become."
Riley braced himself—
But Kaela slammed into the reflection from behind, slicing across its chest.
Lyria followed with a burst of neon-pink influence magic, temporarily stunning it.
Riley seized the opening.
He reached deep, deep into himself—
into that strange, unstable core—
and pulled.
A blast of static surged from his chest, not his hands.
A shockwave rippled through the mirror room.
The corrupted reflection howled as its body shattered into shards of code.
Silence returned.
FLOOR 2 COMPLETE
AFFINITY GAINED: DARK ENERGY RESISTANCE
Riley collapsed to his knees, gasping.
Aeris knelt beside him, gripping his shoulders.
"Riley… your glitch reacted differently this time."
Lyria swallowed hard.
"Your power is… growing. Fast."
Kaela narrowed her eyes.
"Or losing control."
Riley didn't know which was worse.