The "Elias" that stepped out of the mirror wasn't Elias at all. It was a Shade—a hollow entity that had been trapped behind the glass for decades. While the real Elias was now a prisoner in a cold, colorless world of reflections, the Shade began to live his life.
But there was a problem. The Shade didn't know how to be human.
The First Glitch
At work, Elias's friends noticed something chilling. He didn't blink. Not once. When his manager cracked a joke, Elias laughed, but his mouth moved three seconds after the sound came out.
"You okay, man?" his friend Sarah asked, reaching out to touch his arm.
The Shade flinched. To the Shade, human skin felt like burning fire. "I am... fine," he rasped. His voice sounded like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together.
The Trap in the Glass
Inside the mirror world, the real Elias was screaming, but no sound came out. He was standing in a dark version of his own bedroom. When he looked out through the glass, he could see his apartment, but it looked like a movie screen.
He watched in horror as the Shade picked up a kitchen knife and started scraping the silver backing off the other mirrors in the house. The Shade was sealing the exits. He didn't want anyone else coming through, and he certainly didn't want Elias getting out.
The Crack
One night, Sarah grew suspicious and visited the house. She found "Elias" sitting in total darkness, staring at the large silver mirror.
"Elias, talk to me! You're acting insane!" she shouted.
The Shade turned around, his face twisting into a mask of rage. His skin began to peel, revealing the grey, smoky texture underneath. As he lunged at Sarah, the real Elias, using every ounce of his soul, punched the mirror from the inside.
CRACK.
A tiny fracture appeared on the glass. The Shade screamed in physical pain, clutching his own chest where the mirror had cracked.
Elias realized the truth: The Shade's life was tied to the glass. If the mirror broke completely, the Shade would die—but Elias might be trapped in the darkness forever.
The Cliffhanger
Sarah saw the crack. She saw a bloody handprint appear on the inside of the glass. She looked at the hammer on the tool shelf, then back at the monster wearing her friend's face.