Shards Beneath the Surface

I was so scared my heart must have stopped for as long as the first second in eternity. But fear turned quickly into something else, surprise. I couldn’t even make out how much time was left in the countdown. The numbers blurred, refusing to stay still, as though the veil’s shattering had stolen my ability to read them.

What unfortunate timing.

Still, I figured I’d learn one way or another when the card reached zero. Until then, the best I could do was prepare. I wanted to ask Aeris what she thought, but one look at her face kept me quiet. She was frozen in fear, her lips tight, eyes locked on the shifting symbols.

“Are you okay? You look sort of pale,” I asked, and the fact that I’d spoken at all startled me almost as much as the mirror had.

She flinched as if I’d caught her. “I’ll be okay,” she said, too quickly. Then she forced a half smile. “The dinner bell should ring soon. Want to head there early? Food won’t be out yet, but… it’s the same space, isn’t it?”

“Sure. Let’s go.”

I didn’t want to leave her alone. That mattered more than checking if my game had truly autosaved, more than any distraction. I’d been brought here on false charges. Maybe the countdown would be my chance to prove innocence, or maybe a final trial. Either way, if Aeris was forced to face it too, then I’d make sure we faced it together.

We took our usual seats in the dining hall. The tables were mostly empty this early, just the clatter of reptilian guards patrolling the edges. Food hadn’t arrived yet, but our cups of color changing liquid gleamed under the torchlight, already waiting.

Aeris reached for one, her hand trembling slightly. I hesitated, then spoke before I could stop myself.

“Do the drinks here… ever have anything in them? I mean, magic or something to help. Like to calm nerves?”

She blinked at me, startled. Then she chuckled softly, though it sounded fragile. “You think the prison hands out mood potions with dinner? It's just normal water, does your world not have... water?”

I laughed nervously, "It does, but our water is clear instead of... uncertain of itself." Learning what this is has truly helped me feel more at home here, for better or for worse.

Aeris tilts her head, "Isn't constantly shifting colors the same as clear? Anyways, I'm sure water is always water no matter where or when you are. Why bring it up though?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. “I just thought, maybe it’d help. You look like you could use… something.”

Her eyes softened in a way that made me want to look away. She lifted a glass, and as the water swirled, I swore I saw the faintest shimmer, like starlight caught inside the liquid. When she passed it to me, the shimmer was gone.

“Just water,” she said. But her fingers lingered on the rim of the glass, and I noticed how steady her hand had become.

I take the glass from her, as she grabs a new one. The way she spoke about colors reminded me of a certain quote about snow being white. Maybe, once dinner starts, I’ll put in a request for some pizza rather than… not-quite-so-noodles.

“I was going to ask about whether or not you think this prison will serve foods from my world, but I guess it already did, didn’t it. If it weren’t for us being inmates and tested, I think I would grow to love this place, it’s memory magic or whatever has its perks.” I say wistfully.

“It also has its drawbacks,” finished Aeris, “I would agree with you but it’s probably for the best you don’t get any wrong ideas about the eternal halls, it doesn’t do anything without reason. That includes being kind to its inmates.”

Her words grew cold for a moment until the plates arrived, I guess she noticed that her words were laced with a resentment here because she did I quick and polite apology before digging in.

I stared at the all-mighty loaf of citrus scented bread, “never change holy bread, never change.” I looked at it the same way a proud parent would look at their child.

She started laughing after hearing that, “Oh, about requesting new meals, you only need to ask a guard.” Aeris said without ever looking up from her bowl. It was like a hawk preying on worms. It was nice though, seeing her enjoy something.

I tried placing an order for pizza, but the guards were very confused. Eventually they received a notice about me and with a tap of their spears the bowl transformed, thankfully I kept the bread alongside the pizza. It’s the small victories that matter most.

I made my way back to my seat with a joy I hadn’t felt in ages. Real pizza. The smell alone almost knocked me flat. I held it out toward Aeris, offering her the first bite, but she lifted her hand and gave a small, graceful shake of her head. A soft refusal.

“Your loss,” I muttered gleefully, and sank my teeth into it. The way the cheese stretched nearly brought me to tears. If a certain green-haired girl from my favorite series were here, she and I could have shared this moment like it was sacred. But thinking about what would happen if fictional characters were real probably wasn’t wise, not after what I’d seen cleaning up this place.

Thinking about anything else became impossible as I chewed, If I had to choose a last meal, this would be it. the softness of the top layers mixed with the satisfying crunch of the crust beneath had my whole life flash before my eyes. I could die here and be happy, if I needed to have a last meal, it’d be this.

I glanced back at the slice, the red sauce peeking through thinning cheese. The pattern reminded me of the cracks in the mirror. My brief joy faltered as the sound of shattering glass echoed in my ears. The sight of it began dancing around my head, memories of my first judgement came into view.

“Aeris?” My voice wavered. “When you said nothing here happens without reason…”

She put her food down and looked at me. Calm. Steady. “Don’t worry about the mirror. Everything will be okay.”

Her hand found mine across the table. Normally my muscles would tighten but not this time. The familiar warmth from the wall days ago bloomed through me again, melting the dread that had just taken root. For the first time, I didn’t flinch and try to pull away.

I used to flinch even when my own family reached out. I should have tried harder to meet them halfway, to be worthy of them. I vow that when I make it back, I’ll be better, someone worth being proud of. I can feel my sister’s disappointment. I understand where she’s coming from though. Not even I would like to be related to myself.

She continues bringing back to reality “Personally, I’m more worried about the countdown. We have time though, so… I’m sure it’ll all work out.” When she paused, her other hand twitched, as if reaching for the cloth hidden in her sleeve

Five minutes before the bell signaling the end of dinner, I managed to accomplish a great deal of things I finished the slice and washed it down with the prison’s ever-shifting water.

“Hey… does your world have anything like tea? Or something like flavored water?”

She chuckled as we stood. “What’s with you and water today? Yes, we have tea, but it’s probably nothing like yours. Still…” Her smile softened. “It was fun, talking about something as simple as water, thank you.” We started moving back to our cells, side by side. Right at the entrance, she nudged me with her elbow. “Goodnight, inmate 10458.”

“Goodnight, crazy elf lady.” I threw in last minute, I should think of something more proper for a later time.

“Crazy elf lady? Bold talk from the guy who worships bread” She arched a brow, a teasing smile tugging at her lips

“Hey, it’s the all-mighty loaf, show some respect.”

We smiled at each other before heading off to bed, but we both knew the truth. We’d spend the whole night thinking about the same thing.