Chp3

Roshi didn’t move.

She couldn’t.

Her eyes stayed fixed on the words, her breath shallow, uneven—

**“That’s not your name.”**

The letters were faint.

Like they hadn’t been written *on* the glass…

…but *through* it.

---

“…No.”

The word slipped out quietly.

Almost instinctively.

---

She took a step back.

Then another.

Her heart began to pound—slow at first, then faster, louder, filling the silence of the room.

---

“This isn’t real.”

Her voice sounded distant.

Like she was trying to convince herself from far away.

---

Roshi turned sharply toward the door.

He had just been here.

He would know.

He had to know.

---

Without thinking, she moved.

Quick steps across the room.

Her hand reached for the handle—

paused—

then pulled it open.

---

The hallway outside was empty.

---

Too empty.

---

The air felt still.

Heavy.

Like no one had walked through it for a long time.

---

“…Hello?”

Her voice echoed slightly.

Too much for such a small space.

---

No answer.

---

Roshi stepped out slowly, her bare feet silent against the floor.

The hallway stretched in both directions—

longer than it should have been.

Dimmer than it should have been.

---

“…Where did he go?”

---

She turned left.

Then right.

Uncertain.

---

Something about this place didn’t make sense.

---

The walls were plain.

The doors are identical.

No windows.

No sound.

---

Just silence.

---

Roshi’s chest tightened again.

That feeling.

It is stronger now.

---

Like she wasn’t supposed to be here.

---

Or worse—

Like this place wasn’t supposed to exist.

---

She stopped walking.

---

“…Okay.”

She inhaled slowly.

Then exhaled.

Trying to steady herself.

---

“Think.”

---

The room.

The boy.

The name.

---

Her name.

---

“…Roshi.”

---

Her fingers curled slightly.

---

“Then what is it?”

---

The question hung in the air.

---

And for a moment—

just a moment—

---

she thought she heard something.

---

A whisper.

---

Soft.

Close.

---

“...don’t…”

---

Roshi froze.

---

Her head snapped to the side.

“…Hello?”

---

Nothing.

---

Silence again.

---

Too quick.

Too complete.

---

Her heartbeat grew louder.

---

“…I heard that.”

---

Still nothing.

---

Roshi swallowed.

---

“Stop imagining things.”

---

But even as she said it—

she knew—

---

She hadn’t imagined it.

---

---

A door creaked open somewhere down the hall.

---

Roshi flinched.

---

Slowly—

carefully—

she turned toward the sound.

---

One of the doors—farther down—was slightly open.

Just enough to let darkness spill out.

---

“…Was that open before?”

---

She didn’t think so.

---

Her feet moved before she could stop them.

Step by step.

Closer.

Closer.

---

The hallway felt colder the further she went.

---

Her breathing slowed.

Not because she was calm—

But because something in her body was telling her:

---

Be quiet.

---

She reached the door.

---

Paused.

---

Then—

gently—

pushed it open.

---

*Creaaak.*

---

The room inside was darker than the hallway.

But not empty.

---

There was something in the center.

---

A mirror.

---

Tall.

Standing.

Covered slightly with dust—

as if it hadn’t been used in a long time.

---

Roshi hesitated.

---

“…Why is this here?”

---

The question felt small.

Unimportant.

Compared to the feeling rising in her chest.

---

Still—

She stepped inside.

---

The air shifted.

---

Subtle.

But real.

---

Like she had crossed into a different place—

even though she hadn’t.

---

Her eyes lifted slowly—

until they met the mirror.

---

And she froze.

---

It was her.

---

Standing there.

Looking back at her.

---

But—

---

Something was wrong.

---

The reflection didn’t move right away.

---

Roshi blinked.

---

The reflection blinked—

a second too late.

---

Her breath caught.

---

“…No.”

---

She stepped back.

The reflection stayed still—

then slowly—

smiled.

---

Roshi didn’t.

Her heart slammed against her chest.

“…Stop.”

The reflection tilted its head.

---

The same way she had in the window.

---

But this time—

it wasn’t copying her.

---

It was watching her.

---

And then—

softly—

almost gently—

---

It lifted its hand—

and placed it against the glass.

---

Roshi’s body locked in place.

---

“…What are you—”

---

The reflection’s lips moved.

---

No sound came out.

---

But Roshi could read it.

Clear.

Slow.

Deliberate.

**“You’re not her.”**

Her breath shattered.

“No—”

The lights flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Darkness swallowed the room for a split second—

And when the light came back—

The mirror was normal.

Still.

Silent.

Just her reflection.

Perfectly in sync.

Like nothing had happened.

Roshi stumbled back.

Her hands trembled now.

Her breathing is uneven.

“…No.”

---

Her voice broke slightly.

---

“I saw that.”

---

Silence.

---

But deep down—

she already knew—

---

It hadn’t been a mistake.

---

It hadn’t been her imagination.

---

And it definitely—

wasn’t over.

---

---

Behind her—

in the hallway—

---

a quiet voice whispered again.

---

Closer this time.

---

“…Roshi…”

---

Her body went still.

That voice—

It didn’t sound like his.

It sounded like—

*her.*

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***