The Celestial Tower

A window stood behind the mirrors, providing the single source of light for the floor. I searched the view outside for any clues about where the tower was in relation to the overall world but low-lying clouds had rolled in, blanketing the sky in a light grey.

“More mirrors...?” Marisa said aloud as she reached the second floor.

“Yeah, it’s like some kind of ‘house of mirrors’.”

“Is that an abode from your world?”

“It’s an attraction that amusement parks have. It’s a maze but with lots different mirrors set up to disorient you.”

“Do you deem we are in one at this time?”

“If we are, it’s not a very good one since the way up and down are right there. These mirror are probably related to the trial in some way. Though, I’m not sure how.”

We had already seen the mirrors of the first floor, so we continued to the next floor to see what awaited us.

“Even more mirrors. How eerie,” said Marisa.

“There might be a clue on the mirrors. Let’s have a look around.”

The first mirror’s base and frame were made of wood. I checked over the feet, sides and the rear of the mirror for engravings of any kind but found none. I moved the mirror to the left to separate it from the others.

“Ferdinand, what do you make of this?”

“Looks like a bird to me.”

Marisa was pointing to an engraving of a bird on the back of one of the mirrors. I moved the mirror with the engraving to the right and designated that side of the tower for mirrors with markings.

Marisa walked to the centre of the room and examined her reflection in all the mirrors. The mirror that didn’t have any engravings showed a bitter looking woman. I examined the next mirror but  chanced up catching a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror on the right, the one with the engraving. She was more pleasant looking in this one. I guess she had a good side after all.

“By what name did you call that house mirth? The hall of mirrors?”

“House of mirrors. What about it?”

“I believe I understand the fun that one could have in such a place. It spellbinds me.”

“You’ve never held two mirrors up next to each other?”

“No. It is quite joyful indeed. Come see.”

“I’ve seen it before. Besides, I’m not a child anymore, so let's get back to work and stop playing around.”

“You make light of times on a whim with foolish jokes, but when I reach with a hand of kindness you turn it away. You are far too cruel, Ferdinand.”

She stormed off to the next floor. What was it this time? There’s a difference between a joke to the lighten the mood and wasting time. I dropped my head, dejected. Gathering my wits and resolve, I chased after Marisa up the stairs to the fifth floor. There were at least two dozen mirrors on this floor and the thought of organizing them made my mind groan.

I set about clearing a space in the middle big enough for a troupe to dance. I lined up three mirrors on the left, right, back, and front sides of the floor. Marisa was hiding in the back corner between sets of mirrors. I urged her to come out and join me in the centre, and when she refused I took her hand and yanked her over.

Her eyes were red and puffy. Women have this look when they’re about to slap someone, and right now Marisa wore it all over her face. She took a half-hearted swing at me. It connected with my cheek. It hurt and I don’t know why I let her hit me. Call it a sense of guilt.

“So in a real house of mirrors it would be almost like how this room is.” I made a sweeping motion, pointing at the mirrors. “As you can see, it can get pretty confusing when you have this many mirrors and it’s easy to get lost.”

She sniffed and wiped her eyes. “I see how that may be the truth.”

“I never liked visiting those amusement parks, especially as an adult.”

“Why?”

“As a child they were fun but the novelty wears off. I guess as you get older you continue to visit them in order to relive your childhood but the experience is never the same. You get trapped trying to capture that joy you once felt. To me, you look a someone who never grew up.”

“Such entertainment is not an everyday happening in this world. My childhood, long ago as it is, was full of religious rigour.”

“That doesn’t sound like it could have been fun.”

“Would you believe me if I told you that I had only travelled the land eight times? And of those eight, three were to a neighbouring grotto?”

I didn’t answer her. I looked around the room at the different mirrors and how they were creating that infinite reflection effect. What was it called it again? Somewhere in my mind was a memory of myself reading about this in an encyclopedia entry. Whatever the name was it didn’t matter. It’s not like it would solve the trial for me.

At the right angle, Marisa’s image looked different from how I had seen her before. Her undine aura shined through, giving off that familiar blue glow. I positioned myself in front of the same mirror but my image wasn’t giving off a magical glow.

“What is it that you are doing?”

“I’m looking for a mirror that shows me giving off a glow like you do.”

“You can see the magic that flows out from my person?”

“Sometimes, yeah. This mirror here showed it. I’m not sure why none of the others did.”

“Look at this one, Ferdinand!”

“Huh? What about it?” I looked at the mirror and what I saw reflected back to me was nothing more than the two of us.

“Surely my eyes play tricks on me, but I swear we are both clad in wedding clothes.”

“I don’t see that. All I see is the two of us as we are now.”

“Oh... I see.”

“...The mirror is trying to trick you by playing with the magic in your body, I think. So, don’t put too much weight in what the mirror shows you,” I said as I raised my hand above her shoulder. I stopped and brought my hand back down. To distract myself, I looked around the room some more. “The stairs going up aren’t blocked off. I believe we should continue climbing the tower until we reach the top. Who knows, the trial might be straightforward and the divine object is waiting for us on the roof.”