The Mirror's Edge

The soft hum of silence settled around Leegna as he stood once again on the first floor, the Mirrors of Reflection casting his faint image across the room. His heart still raced, his body tense from the battle that had never truly happened. The master's words echoed in his mind, laced with a mocking tone.

"Nice try, human. But you need to learn the difference between a dream and a real scene, past or present, or even the future. You are not the one."

-He stared at his own reflection, the blue hue still fading from his right eye. It was the only reminder that something—anything—had been real about that encounter. His eye, his precognitive power, had been pushed to its limits, draining him once more. The feeling of life slowly slipping away every time he relied on it was becoming harder to ignore.

Leegna's fingers twitched by his side as his thoughts spiraled. The battle had been a façade, a cruel trick orchestrated by the one being that controlled the realms themselves. And now... here he was, back at the beginning, as if none of it had happened.

But it had happened.

-He remembered every blow, every flicker of Yuj's strange weapon, every Guardian poised to strike him down. And, more importantly, he remembered how Yuj and Aternos had played their parts, manipulating him into thinking he could win.

His gaze narrowed as he stared into the mirrors. Aternos had shown no reflection in them. How long had that anomaly been in front of him? Had Yuj known all along? His breath hitched as doubt slithered into his thoughts like a cold, creeping fog.

But there was something else. The master. His mocking tone was more than arrogance—it had a ring of finality, as if he wasn't just toying with Leegna but warning him. And now, Leegna couldn't help but replay that moment when the figure had smiled, speaking of dreams and reality, of past, present, and future blurring together.

"Was it all an illusion, or was I meant to see something?" Leegna wondered, his brow furrowing.

-His thoughts slipped back to the years under Enzok's watchful eye. The old man had always spoken cryptically, preparing him for events like this. Had he foreseen it all? Had Enzok known that Leegna would eventually stand here, questioning everything?

Leegna clenched his fist, his mind racing back to a time when Enzok handed him something—a seemingly insignificant trinket, a talisman. At the time, it had seemed like a sentimental gesture, a relic of the past. But now, standing amidst the mirrors, he felt a weight in his chest, a tugging at the edges of his memory.

There had to be more to it. Something Enzok had known... something he had hidden for this exact moment.

Leegna's hand instinctively went to his side, feeling for the talisman tucked away. His thoughts were interrupted by a low hum behind him. He turned quickly, the reflection of his cloak flickering in the mirror's surface.

Yuj stood there, his face unreadable, seemingly unaffected by the strange events that had unfolded. He approached with that familiar air of confidence, as if nothing had changed.

"That was... unexpected, wasn't it?" Yuj said, his voice smooth and calm, as if the illusion had left no mark on him.

Leegna's jaw tightened. Did Yuj not realize what had happened? Or was he hiding something?

"Unexpected is one word for it," Leegna muttered, his eyes narrowing slightly as he tried to gauge Yuj's reaction. He had to be careful—revealing what he knew too soon could ruin everything. For now, it was better to play along.

Yuj stepped closer, his gaze briefly flickering to the mirrors before focusing on Leegna. "But it only reinforces what I've been telling you," Yuj continued. "You're ready. The Guardians will fall, but we need to move carefully. The master's tricks won't work forever."

Leegna said nothing, only nodding, but inwardly his suspicions grew. Yuj was part of this game, but whether he was the puppet or the puppeteer was yet to be seen.

"Don't worry," Yuj added, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. "The next move is ours."

Leegna's grip tightened around the talisman, his mind already formulating a plan of his own.

-Yuj's presence seemed heavier than before, his words carrying the weight of secrets untold. As the eerie silence of the mirrored hall pressed down on them, Leegna felt a new sensation—an almost electric pulse from the talisman tucked away at his side. It was subtle but growing, as if responding to the very atmosphere of the room.

Leegna nodded slowly, feigning agreement. "The next move is ours," he echoed, his voice measured. His mind, however, was a whirlwind of thoughts, dissecting every word Yuj had just spoken. Yuj was pushing him to act, to make the next strike against the Guardians, but something felt off.

Why had the master allowed him to see through the illusion? And why hadn't Yuj noticed the shift?

"Does Yuj really not know, or is this all part of his plan?" Leegna wondered, his hand brushing lightly against the talisman beneath his cloak. The memory of Enzok's cryptic smile flashed before him, a reminder that his old mentor had always prepared him for moments like this—moments where the truth was buried beneath layers of deception.

-Yuj's eyes flickered to Leegna's hand for a brief moment, but the expression on his face remained calm, unreadable. "We don't have much time. The Guardians will soon be vulnerable, but if we strike together, they'll never know what hit them," Yuj urged, stepping closer. His tone was convincing, but Leegna could sense the urgency was not born from concern for their shared cause.

Leegna took a slow breath, steadying himself. His right eye, still recovering from the strain of the illusion, faintly glowed as he activated his precognitive power once more. He caught fleeting glimpses of Yuj's movements—calculating, precise, but something darker lingered beneath them. "Yuj is hiding something," Leegna thought, the vision confirming his suspicions.

But it wasn't just Yuj's actions that unnerved him—it was the way the talisman seemed to resonate with his thoughts, as though Enzok had imbued it with something more than a mere keepsake. The memory of his mentor's voice echoed in his mind, a faint whisper from the past.

"One day, this will guide you through the darkest of shadows, Leegna. But only when the time is right."

-The talisman pulsed once again, as if in response to the master's illusion—this could be its purpose. A fragment of the truth that could counter Yuj's influence. Leegna's gaze hardened as he realized this wasn't just about defeating the Guardians; it was about surviving the game Yuj had set into motion.

"Leegna?" Yuj's voice cut through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present. "What's wrong? You seem distracted."

Leegna forced a smile, though his instincts were screaming at him to tread carefully. "Just thinking about what happens next," he replied, keeping his tone even. "I'm ready."

Yuj's eyes gleamed, satisfied by the response. "Good. Then we'll move soon," he said, his voice low and conspiratorial. "But before that, there's something else you need to know about the Guardians. Their master..." Yuj trailed off, glancing at the mirrors around them. "He's more dangerous than you can imagine. That illusion you saw—it's just the beginning."

Leegna's pulse quickened at Yuj's words. He hadn't expected Yuj to acknowledge the master's illusion so directly. "You knew?" Leegna asked, his voice tight.

-Yuj nodded, his expression serious. "The master plays tricks on all of us, but that's why we have to act fast. If you hesitate, Leegna, you'll lose your chance. The cloak, the ring, the pact—they'll only get you so far."

Leegna bit back a retort, forcing himself to stay calm. The mention of his powers—especially the cloak—felt deliberate, almost like Yuj was testing him. Did Yuj know more about the third level of the ring's power than he let on?

He couldn't be sure. Not yet.

The talisman pulsed again, as if urging him to trust his instincts. Leegna knew that Enzok had given it to him for moments like this—for when he needed clarity amidst the chaos.

But clarity wasn't enough. He needed answers.

"You talk like you know their master well," Leegna remarked, his tone casual, though his eyes were sharp, watching for any shift in Yuj's demeanor. "What else aren't you telling me, Yuj?"

For a split second, Yuj's calm facade flickered, and Leegna caught the faintest hint of hesitation in his eyes. It was barely noticeable, but it was enough to confirm what he had suspected all along.

-Yuj was hiding more than just the Guardians' secrets.

"There's always more," Yuj said, his smile returning, though it didn't reach his eyes. "But you'll learn in time. For now, focus on what's in front of you."

Leegna's grip on the talisman tightened. "You're right. I will."

But as Yuj turned away, walking deeper into the mirrored hall, Leegna's mind raced with thoughts of betrayal, of manipulation. The time was coming for Leegna to strike—not just at the Guardians, but at Yuj as well.

He would play Yuj's game for now, but when the moment came, he would be ready.