Aurora groaned, dropping her head onto the table with a loud thud. "I'm tired of studying... my brain is going to explode."
"You always say that," Cassia said without looking up from her notes.
"Because it's always true!" Aurora whined.
Adrian stretched his arms above his head. "Why don't we take a break? My eyes are hurting."
"Yes! Let's order something! I'm starving!" Seraphina agreed immediately.
"I'm full—" Cassia started.
"YES! PIZZA!" Aurora shouted, cutting her off.
"Yes! Treat us!" Adrian added.
"You guys have no shame..." Cassia sighed.
"Is this how you treat your guests?" Aurora demanded, putting her hands on her hips.
"You guys are literally like dogs begging for food," Cassia said flatly.
Seraphina rolled her eyes. "Can you just order already? I'm actually dying here."
Cassia sighed dramatically. "HOLD ON! I DID IT!"
While they waited for the pizza, Adrian threw a paper ball at Aurora. She shrieked and threw one back. Soon, paper balls were flying across the room like a war zone.
Seraphina watched them, a small smile forming on her face. Despite everything — her mother's strange behavior, the creeping feeling that something was wrong — moments like this felt normal. Safe.
"Hey, Seraphina!" Adrian called, throwing a paper ball at her head.
She caught it effortlessly and threw it back, hitting him square in the forehead.
"OW!"
Aurora burst out laughing. "That's what you get!"
Cassia shook her head but smiled. "You guys are impossible."
The pizza arrived, and they ate while laughing and talking about nothing important. For a little while, Seraphina forgot about the mirror, her mother's fear, and the shadow she'd seen.
But then —
Seraphina's eyes drifted to the mirror on the wall.
And she froze.
Her reflection stared back at her — but something was wrong. It wasn't moving with her. It was smiling. A slow, cold smile that didn't reach its eyes.
Seraphina tried to look away, but she couldn't. She was trapped. The world around her blurred. She felt herself being pulled into the glass, like the mirror was swallowing her whole. A voice whispered in her ear — distorted, dark, and chilling:
"Come closer... Seraphina..."
Her hand reached out toward the glass. She couldn't stop it. It was like the curse was controlling her, dragging her deeper into a nightmare she couldn't escape.
Then—
"SERAPHINA!"
A sharp voice cut through the haze.
Cassia shook Seraphina's shoulders roughly. "Where is your attention?! I called you a hundred times! The pizza is getting cold!"
Seraphina blinked, gasping. Her hand was still outstretched toward the mirror. She pulled it back quickly, her heart pounding.
"I... I'm sorry," she stammered. "I was just... spaced out."
Cassia narrowed her eyes. "You okay? You looked like you were about to walk into the mirror."
Seraphina forced a smile. "I'm fine. Just tired. Let's eat."
She grabbed a slice of pizza and took a bite, but she couldn't stop shaking.
What was that? It felt so real. Like the mirror was pulling me in...
She shook her head.
I'm just overthinking. It's nothing.
But deep down, she knew it wasn't nothing.
Later that night, after they had all gone home, Seraphina lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling.
She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
She studied until 1:30 AM, her eyes heavy with exhaustion, before finally falling asleep.
That night, she dreamed.
A girl with white eyes stood before her. Her voice echoed like wind through empty halls.
"You've been here before," the girl said. "You just don't remember yet. But you will. Soon."
Seraphina tried to speak, but no words came.
"When you wake up... look in the mirror. And then... run."
The girl disappeared.
Seraphina woke up gasping.
She was sweating. Her heart was pounding.
"Just a dream," she whispered. "Just a stupid dream..."
But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
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