The flames parted as if afraid.
Ava stood before the mirror—its surface cracked like broken ice, blood-black smoke leaking from the fractures. Every inch of her body trembled, her fire dimmed, her hands scorched. But her eyes—
Her eyes were alive with fury.
Inside the glass, Lily pounded with tiny fists, her mouth open in a silent scream. Fire spiraled behind her, coiling like a living thing. And behind that—
The Ember Witch loomed, shadowy fingers reaching toward the child's heart.
Ava pressed her palms to the mirror.
It burned cold.
The Crossing
"No more tricks," she whispered.
She took a deep breath, stepped back—
Then charged full speed into the glass.
Shards exploded outward. Blood sliced across her cheek. But she didn't stop. Not as her feet left the floor. Not as gravity twisted. Not as the air turned thick like syrup.
She fell through the veil—
Into the Mirror World.
The Reflection That Lied
Everything was backwards.
The sky above was ink, smeared with falling stars that screamed as they crashed. The floor was polished obsidian, showing her face in every direction—tired, bloodied, burning.
The air reeked of singed memories.
She ran.
Footsteps echoing forever. Her body dragged with exhaustion, but her soul surged forward.
"LILY!" she cried out.
Ahead, her daughter's silhouette appeared, glowing like a fragile ember in a world of death.
But as Ava reached out—a hand stopped her.
Her own.
The Second Ava
A copy of herself stood there.
Perfect. Unburned. Smiling sweetly in a gown of white ash.
"I kept her safe," the mirror Ava said gently. "You only ever broke her."
Ava backed away, her mouth dry.
"This isn't real."
Mirror Ava followed her, barefoot on the glass.
"You think choosing Damian saved her? You traded her soul for a lover. You always chose love over blood."
"No," Ava whispered, fire flickering in her palms.
"Oh, but yes," the reflection grinned. "Let me show you what Lily remembers."
She stepped aside—
And Ava saw it.
The Memory That Shouldn't Exist
Lily, curled up in a corner, sobbing.
The Ember Witch standing over her, whispering in her ear.
"She gave me your father's soul like a toy. Soon, she'll give yours too."
Ava choked.
"No... I never—"
"You forgot her," Mirror Ava snapped. "You gave up your memory. You left her alone in the fire."
The Breaking Point
The walls shattered.
Glass rained down like knives.
And there, in the middle of the collapsing mirror dimension—
Lily stood frozen. Her eyes wide as the Ember Witch raised her flaming blade behind her.
Ava screamed and sprinted.
"NO!"
She leapt forward, fire exploding from her hands, lighting the whole world gold—
Cliffhanger Hook
Just as Ava reached her daughter—
Lily turned.
Her eyes burned red.
She wasn't crying.
She was smiling.
"Mommy… why did you come back? I already belong to her now."
Behind her, the Ember Witch placed a crown of fire atop Lily's head.