The Glass Ruins were not made of glass.
They were born of it—molten walls cooled into obsidian during the fall of the First Mage Dynasty, and later hollowed by mad prophets who believed reflections could whisper divine secrets. Now, they stood jagged and maze-like, a place of broken echoes and mirrored lies.
Ashara dismounted at the outer ring, the wind sharp and carrying a faint hum of static. Even Ezekiel, whose nerves were typically hewn from battlefield steel, kept his hand near his blade.
"This place was cursed long before your reign," he muttered.
Ashara brushed her fingers along one cracked mirror embedded in the wall. It shimmered—not with her reflection, but with possibilities. Different versions of her flickered in the glass: one bloodstained, one crowned, one chained.
"They called it a curse," she whispered, "because they feared what it reflected."
System Notice – Zone: The Glass Ruins [UNSTABLE]
➤ Area Threat Level: Medium to High
➤ Fate Fork Zone Detected – Events here may significantly alter character loyalty or world state
➤ Companion Alert: General Ezekiel – Loyalty [Devout 91%]
➤ Sub-Quest Triggered: "Awaken the Mirrorbinder"
🧭 Sub-Objective: Find Lysen
It took hours to weave through the labyrinth. The mirrors twisted orientation, mimicked paths already taken, and whispered familiar names in unfamiliar tones.
By sunset, they reached the inner sanctum—a wide dome of shattered silver and half-melted pillars. And there, floating within a cocoon of fractured glass and suspended light, was a figure.
His eyes were blindfolded, his body thin and sleeved in ceremonial wrappings etched with memory-seals.
"Lysen," Ashara called softly.
The figure twitched. The mirrors around him trembled.
Ezekiel stepped back. "He's been dreaming for too long. This place… it's feeding on him."
Ashara approached anyway.
System Action – Attempting Mind-Wake Protocol…
➤ [Lysen the Mirrorbinder – Initiation Potential: 82%]
➤ Risk of backlash: Moderate. Recommend protective glyph.
She raised the rune disk Thalara had given her and pressed it to the mirror directly in front of her. Runes sparked. The cocoon cracked—and Lysen screamed.
A shockwave burst outward, knocking Ezekiel back and slicing across Ashara's shoulder.
–25 HP | Minor Bleed Effect Applied
But she didn't stop. She remembered him now.
Not as a mage, but as a boy who once stole divine prophecy and brought it to her, kneeling in the snow.
"You said truth must be spoken, even if the world shatters."
She reached into the light and gripped his hand.
System Override – Loyalty Link Formed
➤ Companion Class: Mirrorbinder Lysen – Status: Reawakening
➤ Loyalty Level: Cautious [45%]
➤ Passive Trait Gained: Reflective Insight – Chance to perceive hidden truths or enemy intentions.
Lysen gasped as he fell forward into her arms.
"You're real…" he whispered hoarsely. "You came back."
Before she could answer, the mirrors rippled—then cracked.
From behind shattered walls stepped three cloaked figures.
All bore the symbol of the Divine Tribunal: a silver eye set within a crown of fire.
"In the name of the High Theurge," said the first assassin, "you will die here, false queen."
Ezekiel had his sword out before the last syllable. "Ashara, get behind—"
"No." Her voice was calm.
Ashara stood, pulling Lysen protectively behind her.
"I warned the gods," she said, drawing a throwing dagger from her sash. "I'm done kneeling."
Combat Phase Begins
Enemies: Tribunal Assassins (3) | Elite-Rank
➤ Assassin 1 – Shadow Blade
➤ Assassin 2 – Blood Oath Mage
➤ Assassin 3 – Diviner-Hunter
Allies:
➤ Ashara – HP 87%
➤ Ezekiel – HP 100%, Passive: Vengeful Parry
➤ Lysen (Wounded) – Support Magic: Mirror Pulse [Locked]
Ashara moved first.
She darted forward, blade flashing toward the Diviner-Hunter. Mirrors along the walls amplified her motion—confusing their sight.
Critical Hit! 87 DMG
➤ Mirror Pulse: Confusion effect applied – Diviner-Hunter misses next turn.
Ezekiel met the Shadow Blade in a brutal clash, the ring of steel-on-steel echoing through the chamber. Blood misted the air as his gauntlet slammed against the assassin's temple.
Heavy Strike! –90 HP Enemy | Ezekiel Uninjured
The Blood Oath Mage raised his hands—chanting a curse Ashara recognized too late.
Lysen, still shaky, raised a single finger.
Passive Trigger – Mirrorbinder Instinct
➤ Curse Reflected – Ashara's HP restored +10
➤ Enemy takes psychic damage from backlash
The Blood Oath Mage staggered. "The Mirrorbinder lives?! That's not possible—"
Ashara smiled coldly. "It's all possible now."
In less than five minutes, it was over.
Three bodies bled into the glass-cracked earth.
They stood in the quiet after, surrounded by blood and broken reflections.
Lysen sagged to his knees, but his eyes—once blindfolded—were clear now.
"I saw a thousand deaths in the glass," he whispered. "But I never saw yours among them."
Ashara helped him up. "That's because I refuse to die again."
Across the Realm...
In the temple city of Virensel, Prince Kallad stood before the Divine Tribunal's High Theurge.
"They failed," the Theurge said, grim. "The Mirrorbinder lives. The Empress walks into her own doom, and yet your hand hesitates."
Kallad's voice was steel.
"I warned you. If you move against her again, I won't be the only one you'll have to fight."
The Theurge narrowed his eyes. "Have you fallen again, boy? Even knowing what she becomes?"
"She was made into a monster," Kallad said. "By people like you."
System Notification – Loyalty Shift: Kallad
➤ Betrayal Resistance: 54% → 31%
➤ Romance Potential: Activated
➤ Emotional Affliction: Guilt (High)
➤ Fate Fork Path Divergence: [Support the Empress] now viable.
He turned and walked away, the echo of his steps a declaration.