53: The You from Another World

“What are these creepy letters supposed to mean…?
I remember seeing them float through my mind a few times after I entered the picture book world…”

Though Tom usually broke into hives at the sight of English letters, for some reason, the string “NEDD I BROF” didn’t bother him.
What unsettled him far more was the fact that something resembling his own name was eerily scrawled across the surface of the mirror.

“Rena, do you know what this means?
I mean, just look at you… It’s like I’m stuck in another weird dream again.
In that picture book world, you suddenly made me wear those bumpy sandals you created, remember?
That seriously freaked me out.
Yeah… at this point, I don’t think anything could surprise me anymore.”

Despite everything that had happened to him, Tom couldn’t stop thinking about Rena and how she looked now—like something out of a fantasy tale.
Oddly enough, the atmosphere of this mirror room felt strangely familiar to him, as if his mind had already grown used to it.

Clinging to his go-to method of survival—his personal “My Rules”—Tom tried to stay calm.
With so many unanswered questions pressing in on him, the only thing he could do was focus on the moment and wait for Rena’s response.

(Rena… who are you really…?)

The more he looked at the girl in the black hood, the more out of place she felt.
As if in contact with something far away, Rena’s lips moved in faint, cryptic murmurs.
She seemed to be somewhere else entirely.

Tom watched patiently, and finally, she spoke—her voice distant, solemn, and unexpected.

“…I am a resident of the Mirror World.
A guardian in service of the High Priest, Eternal Mirror.”

“Huh? Ete… what now?
Mirror World? Well, yeah, I guess this place is full of mirrors…”

Tom was caught off guard and couldn’t help feeling a little deflated.

As Tom struggled to keep up, the black-robed Rena gently took his hand and began to speak an incantation in a language that sounded nothing like English.

Mirr-12-ΔΣ-or-.

The chant flowed from her like a breeze—artistic, breath-like—and the sound gently washed away the clouded corners of Tom’s mind and body.
A sense of nostalgia welled up inside him, so deeply emotional it brought tears to his eyes.

“This feeling… what is it…?”

As he whispered, Rena looked at him with a softness that felt impossibly warm.
A tender gaze filled with affection.

“Are you really… Rena?
You feel like… like a moon goddess or something.
It’s… strangely peaceful.”

“…The moon,” Rena murmured quietly.

Lost in the euphoria, the traveling novelist closed his eyes and—without meaning to—started humming some nonsense verse.
But before he could fully indulge in the moment, Rena suddenly tugged his hand, pulling him off balance.

“This way… there’s another room deeper in.”

“Wait—hold on! That’s a mirror—!”

Before Tom could finish, Rena’s glowing fingers touched the surface of the mirror.
Her body began to sink into it as if it were liquid, vanishing into the ripple.
Pulled by her hand, Tom followed, slipping into the mirror’s surface.

“There’s no way I’m supposed to stay calm about this, right…?!”

Trying his best to sound casual, Tom couldn’t hold back his shock.
Rena, however, continued her explanation in a completely neutral voice.

“This is the Mirror Archive. A database of all memory.
You can even explore ancient histories here.”

“W-wait a sec! This room—there’s no… ground!?”

Tom’s voice echoed through the strange chamber, causing the air itself to ripple.
Countless old books floated in the air like they were resting on the surface of water.
Surrounded by light and shadow, he looked down at his feet and hesitated, unsure if he could take a step forward.

Watching him, Rena spoke gently, as if guiding him.

“…Your heart chooses the book.
According to your thoughts and doubts, the right book will reveal itself to you.”

Her voice seemed to melt into the air as Tom followed her, drifting quietly among the floating books.
From time to time, certain volumes shimmered—responding to the wavelength shared between the two.

“All books… emerge from the Mirror of Knowledge and Memory that surrounds this space.
This archive is more than just a place—it’s a realm where time and memory intersect.
Tom… can you understand what that means right now?”

As she spoke in her calm, collected tone, something clicked in Tom’s mind.
Her face had changed—so dignified, so composed.
She wasn’t Rena. And yet, she wasn’t a stranger either.
Fragmented images clung to the edges of his memory, trying to take shape.

“Uh, so… what exactly are you saying?” he replied, unable to keep up.

As each page of the floating books turned, flashes of insight sparked, illuminating the air.
With no ground beneath him, Tom floated through the space as if walking underwater—barely managing to stay in control of his body.

He squeezed Rena’s hand tighter, as if to confirm her presence.
He could feel her warmth—the delicate fingers, so slender and fragile.
It was the first time he had ever taken Rena’s hand himself—a gesture so small, yet it left him flustered and quietly shaken inside.