Chapter 9: The Hall of Mirrors
Rini moved onward to Damious' castle and now felt happier. Helios had come to her, not physically, but in spirit. She could still remember how warm it felt when his presence was there with her. And the sound of his voice... that was the most wonderful part of it all. To hear him once again... it was just wonderful. "Helios, you do still love me," she said with pure joy in her voice, "I should never have doubted you. You said I would always be in your heart and it was true. You never forgot about me." Rini smiled and also felt tears begin to sting her eyes, but she forced them back. This was no time for reminiscing the past. Rini could now see that she was getting closer to the castle. When she had started, the castle had looked so small from far off. Now, Rini could see that the castle was bigger than it seemed.
Suddenly, a door appeared in front of Rini. She stopped and looked at it with surprise. This door was a mirror and the knob was made out of gold. Rini wondered what lay behind this door. She knew she should just head on to the castle, but her curiosity had gotten the best of her. She went up to the door, seeing her reflection. She stared at it for a moment and for a moment, she thought something didn't look quite right with the reflection. But she quickly brushed that thought aside as she placed her hand on the knob and began to turn it. Rini suddenly felt a sense of dread creeping over her as she went in.
When she got inside, Rini gasped in wonder at what she saw. It was a huge room full of mirrors. It was like a room at one of those funhouses. Rini stood there, momentarily shocked at all of the reflections looking back at her. Suddenly, the door behind her disappeared in a flash of light. Rini noticed and now felt very afraid. "I'm trapped in here," she thought, the dread building up in her, "Maybe if I walk around in here, I'll find some other way out." With that, she began to walk down this hall of mirrors, and all the while, her reflections looked on as she proceeded down the hall. As she glanced at her reflections, Rini again thought that something didn't look right with them, but continued on down the hall. When she got to the end of the hall, she didn't find an exit, but an even bigger mirror. Rini walked up to it and touched it thinking it might be another door. To her disappointment though, it was not. Once again, she felt trapped and turned away from the mirror and fell on her knees with frustration. Suddenly, Rini saw that something really was not right with these mirrors. She looked at the other mirrors and noticed that the reflections didn't match what she was doing. She was on her knees, but her reflections were still standing up, staring at her. Rini stood up immediately and leaned back against the gigantic mirror in shock.
"Don't worry Rini, it's just your reflection," said a voice from behind her.
Rini turned around with fright. "Who said that?" she said, looking confused.
"I did," answered her reflection. "But don't be scared, I mean after all, I am just you."
Rini stared at the eyes of her reflection and calmed down. This was her reflection after all. But as she stared at the eyes, Rini's eyes became empty, almost hazy- looking.
"Tell me something Rini," said the reflection, "aren't you afraid?"
"Of what?" she asked unsurely.
"That you won't get Helios back and you will end up having to marry Damious. Didn't you feel like giving up earlier? Remember what happened at the River of Shattered Hopes? You could have died, Rini. Who knows what could happen to you next time."
Rini listened intently, her eyes becoming more vacant and hazy.
"And what about Helios? You love him enough to risk your life and do all this for him, but what if he doesn't love you back? Is that what you want Rini? To have your heart broken?"
"No," she answered, in a monotone voice.
"Then just give up now while you are still alive. Trust me, Rini, it is the right thing," said the reflection, an evil smile spreading on her face.
Poor Rini was now completely under the reflection's sway and now believed everything that was said. "What if Helios doesn't love me," she sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "I want to give up." Then suddenly, Rini remembered something. Helios' voice came back into her recollection.
"I'm here for you."
As she remembered those words, Rini's eyes went back to normal and she faced the reflection. "I will never give up. I love Helios and he loves me. And even if he didn't love me back, I would still give my life to save him. And yes, I did have my doubts before, but not anymore. I will continue to believe in myself!" Rini was now filled with anger and raised her arm towards the mirror, her fist clenched in a threatening way. "And you are not me! And I will certainly not trust you!"
With that, she punched the mirror, shattering it, and hearing her reflection's anguished screams. The other mirrors also began to shatter everywhere and Rini threw herself onto the floor, expecting to be shattered as well by all of the glass flying everywhere. Rini tightly closed her eyes, expecting to feel the glass coming down on her. She stayed that way for several minutes. When she didn't feel anything, she slowly opened her eyes. She was back outside, once again in the forest! She glanced around and even looked at her hand. It was not bleeding, not even a scratch! "It must have all been an illusion," she thought to herself. Without another word, she continued on her way, wondering what other obstacles lay in her path.
AN: Thanks for reading so far. Please Review and let me know what you think.
Dream Sovereign
Rini moved onward to Damious' castle and now felt happier. Helios had come to her, not physically, but in spirit. She could still remember how warm it felt when his presence was there with her. And the sound of his voice... that was the most wonderful part of it all. To hear him once again... it was just wonderful. "Helios, you do still love me," she said with pure joy in her voice, "I should never have doubted you. You said I would always be in your heart and it was true. You never forgot about me." Rini smiled and also felt tears begin to sting her eyes, but she forced them back. This was no time for reminiscing the past. Rini could now see that she was getting closer to the castle. When she had started, the castle had looked so small from far off. Now, Rini could see that the castle was bigger than it seemed.
Suddenly, a door appeared in front of Rini. She stopped and looked at it with surprise. This door was a mirror and the knob was made out of gold. Rini wondered what lay behind this door. She knew she should just head on to the castle, but her curiosity had gotten the best of her. She went up to the door, seeing her reflection. She stared at it for a moment and for a moment, she thought something didn't look quite right with the reflection. But she quickly brushed that thought aside as she placed her hand on the knob and began to turn it. Rini suddenly felt a sense of dread creeping over her as she went in.
When she got inside, Rini gasped in wonder at what she saw. It was a huge room full of mirrors. It was like a room at one of those funhouses. Rini stood there, momentarily shocked at all of the reflections looking back at her. Suddenly, the door behind her disappeared in a flash of light. Rini noticed and now felt very afraid. "I'm trapped in here," she thought, the dread building up in her, "Maybe if I walk around in here, I'll find some other way out." With that, she began to walk down this hall of mirrors, and all the while, her reflections looked on as she proceeded down the hall. As she glanced at her reflections, Rini again thought that something didn't look right with them, but continued on down the hall. When she got to the end of the hall, she didn't find an exit, but an even bigger mirror. Rini walked up to it and touched it thinking it might be another door. To her disappointment though, it was not. Once again, she felt trapped and turned away from the mirror and fell on her knees with frustration. Suddenly, Rini saw that something really was not right with these mirrors. She looked at the other mirrors and noticed that the reflections didn't match what she was doing. She was on her knees, but her reflections were still standing up, staring at her. Rini stood up immediately and leaned back against the gigantic mirror in shock.
"Don't worry Rini, it's just your reflection," said a voice from behind her.
Rini turned around with fright. "Who said that?" she said, looking confused.
"I did," answered her reflection. "But don't be scared, I mean after all, I am just you."
Rini stared at the eyes of her reflection and calmed down. This was her reflection after all. But as she stared at the eyes, Rini's eyes became empty, almost hazy- looking.
"Tell me something Rini," said the reflection, "aren't you afraid?"
"Of what?" she asked unsurely.
"That you won't get Helios back and you will end up having to marry Damious. Didn't you feel like giving up earlier? Remember what happened at the River of Shattered Hopes? You could have died, Rini. Who knows what could happen to you next time."
Rini listened intently, her eyes becoming more vacant and hazy.
"And what about Helios? You love him enough to risk your life and do all this for him, but what if he doesn't love you back? Is that what you want Rini? To have your heart broken?"
"No," she answered, in a monotone voice.
"Then just give up now while you are still alive. Trust me, Rini, it is the right thing," said the reflection, an evil smile spreading on her face.
Poor Rini was now completely under the reflection's sway and now believed everything that was said. "What if Helios doesn't love me," she sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "I want to give up." Then suddenly, Rini remembered something. Helios' voice came back into her recollection.
"I'm here for you."
As she remembered those words, Rini's eyes went back to normal and she faced the reflection. "I will never give up. I love Helios and he loves me. And even if he didn't love me back, I would still give my life to save him. And yes, I did have my doubts before, but not anymore. I will continue to believe in myself!" Rini was now filled with anger and raised her arm towards the mirror, her fist clenched in a threatening way. "And you are not me! And I will certainly not trust you!"
With that, she punched the mirror, shattering it, and hearing her reflection's anguished screams. The other mirrors also began to shatter everywhere and Rini threw herself onto the floor, expecting to be shattered as well by all of the glass flying everywhere. Rini tightly closed her eyes, expecting to feel the glass coming down on her. She stayed that way for several minutes. When she didn't feel anything, she slowly opened her eyes. She was back outside, once again in the forest! She glanced around and even looked at her hand. It was not bleeding, not even a scratch! "It must have all been an illusion," she thought to herself. Without another word, she continued on her way, wondering what other obstacles lay in her path.
AN: Thanks for reading so far. Please Review and let me know what you think.
Dream Sovereign