infinite_reflection

(( OOC: Sorry for being crappy and long - but here it is! Also up to you guys to pick which day to go in o: The dates are so close to give a SHIT'S GETIIN' REAL feeling))

April 30th – Evening

The lights were switched off in Seung Mi's room. Her books were strewn across the floor, and her schoolbag laid open a few feet away. She sat on her bed, still in uniform, with her knees drawn to her chest. In her hand was her cellphone, thumb going back and forth between the few numbers she had saved. The light from its small screen dimly illuminated her face, reflecting in her eyes that stared blankly down at it. She lingered on Miho's name in particular, and for a split second emotion crossed her face; her brows furrowed, and her lips twitched downward into a frown.

With a sigh, Seung Mi closed her phone and placed it on the nightstand. “I'll look again tomorrow,” she muttered to herself, and began to get ready for an early bedtime. Her schoolwork remained forgotten and unfinished.

That night, as she tossed and turned in bed, an image flickered in her mirror.

May 1st – Morning

Seung Mi eyed her alarm clock with disinterest. It chimed away, trying to force the highschooler awake for another day at school. She sat up in bed and threw the covers back, ignoring the rhythmic beep beep beep. She walked over to her closet and pushed her uniform aside. It was time to skip school.

Noon

“Excuse me, have you seen this girl?”

“Please, if you could just give me a moment of your time...”

“I know I should be in school – no, listen...!”

The exchange student stared down at the picture of Miho – fairly recent, one she had borrowed from the girl's mother – and sighed. It was useless. The police were useless. It had been days, and not one person came forward with information of Miho's whereabouts. Seung Mi took it upon herself to ask around, having no faith in this whole justice system business; if the authorities were any good, then why was the crime rate so high?

Whatever. Futile as it was, Seung Mi decided to keep looking until evening, like she'd been doing everyday since the disappearance. She kept walking, but her attention was drawn to a large display window. She could've sworn she saw something in the reflection...

A shiver ran up her spine, and she kept walking. The reflection grinned as she passed.

Afternoon

Today was going to be another dead end. Seung Mi could feel it, but she also felt disoriented. She kept bumping into people, or almost stepping out into traffic. It was odd, very odd, but she had a hard time finding the strength to care. That scared her. Maybe it would be best to go home?

The girl kept walking, making lefts and rights without looking up from her feet. Frustrated drivers beeped at her and shouted names, but all of that was background noise. She walked for what seemed like forever, until suddenly, she stopped.

"What...?" This wasn't home. Somehow, Seung Mi had walked directly into an alley, broken from her trance by the putrid smell of garbage.

"You're so pathetic."

Was that a voice? But... But there was nowhere around. No, no, no -- this was weird. She took a breath to calm herself and turned to leave, when the glint of an object caught her eye.

It was partially covered by old bedsheets, but its shape was undeniable: a mirror. Before the highschooler could stop herself, she was on her knees in front of it. A hand reached to uncover it.

She was greeted by the image of an adolescent with long, messy hair and an unhealthy complexion. A scream caught in Seung Mi's throat and she found herself unable to move. "Are you frightened?" The reflection taunted, "because you should be!!!"

It all happened in an instant: the surface rippled, and the reflection's hand shot out, grabbing Seung Mi by the collar. It had one more thing to say before aggressively pulling her inside; "I'll show you what happens when you deny me what I deserve!"

May 2nd

Nowhere to be found. It was very unlike Seung Mi to run off. Immediately following the day of Miho's rescue, Kota would be able to sense another presence inside the mirror. This time the only hint would be a condemned children's hospital with part of the structure caving in. 'KEEP OUT' repeated over and over on the police tape that kept the gate shut.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The area passed the fog was hardly comforting. The path and its surroundings had taken on an odd reddish hue, and the ice appeared to melt at a faster rate – but it was cold now. Very cold. Up ahead, beyond the now uneven and broken path, were the gates from Kota's vision. A transparent surface rippled behind the structure – perhaps the entrance to the hospital – and the building itself was visible in the distance. The coast seemed to be clear for them to pass... But something still wasn't right.

One hand on her staff (that didn’t make it useless or anything noooo, shush), and the other happily holding Seiya’s hand, Miho trudged along through the misty fog with her friends. Not inhaling was damn near impossible, and even through the bandana on her face she still got a few puffs of the stuff. So when Seiya bumped into Kota, she bumped into Seiya! A giggle ensued, and then she was clearly her throat and looking apologetic.

“Sorry, ehe, sorry, ahh.. I don’t know what was so funny.” The girl gave her head a bit of a shake, and then smiled now that they were out of the fog. The terrain ahead didn’t seem very fun to cross, though… Her breath came out in small puffs of steam. “How’s the ice melting, even though it’s so c-c-cold?” The last word came out in a chatter as she peered at the gates ahead.

Believe it or not, those bumps and his teammates' giggles managed to make Kota smile. It was a a welcome change from Seiya's earlier mood, and their cheerfulness made the place seem slightly less forbidding.

At least until he saw what was waiting for them. "...That's it," he said, gesturing to the gates. He looked around, bouncing slightly on his toes with anxiety as he tried to pinpoint what felt so off about the area. "And I dunno, Miho-san. But I don't think this place has to play by the rules." That fog certainly hadn't. He switched his bow from hand to hand, flexing his fingers in an attempt to keep them from going numb before finally resettling and looking at the girls.

"Be careful. There's something else going on; I just can't tell what yet." Kota sounded a little less frustrated about the vagueness of his warning than he usually did. Maybe he was actually adjusting to Dagr's abilities and limitations.

The weather change between where they'd entered and ended up was a bit shocking. Seiya shivered, her breath coming out in a steamy puff. Her Yamada Mart uniform wasn't exactly something one would wear in the winter, and goosebumps formed on her arms. Was there any way to properly prepare for something in the mirror world? It seemed like they were always one or two steps behind the game. Maybe it would grow easier over time.

Tucking her pipe under her arm, she rubbed her hands together. "I'll go in first." Nodding, Seiya prepared herself in front of her friends, forming some kind of weird triangle. Igor had told her this was her responsibility, and she'd take it more seriously this time. "Tell me if you sense anything stronger once we're closer, okay?" Flashing a reassuring smile at Kota, she then turned to Miho. "Don't go wandering off like that one field trip to Kyoto." Her smile was just as friendly for her other friend. With that, the girl was off!

The Trap

SORRY FOR THE DELAY

I DO NOT FORGIVE YOU!11

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