Thanks so much to Zo One for beta-ing this for me. I really appreciate it!
Summary: Curious to a fault, Axel wandered into the house of the village's scientist, Ansem. Something freaky is going on with that mirror, and Axel swears he's going to find out.
Βoγ in the Mirror | яояяіМ eht ni yoB
The mirror was full length, large enough for a grown adult to step through had the frame been empty. The frame itself was carved from white marble; indentations and chips formed seraphim bearing broadswords, cherubs with bows, and large lions roaring towards the sky. It was the most beautiful and most terrifying mirror Axel had ever seen in his life. The faces of the angels were misshapen: noses were pointed, eyes narrow and pointing upward, mouths in a snarl. It was nothing like what Axel remembered from history books.
But the mirror wasn't anything he'd ever seen before. There was no record of a mirror like this in the history books. He poured over the books for weeks after the first sighting and could find nothing. The teenager could have asked the owner, the village's scientist Ansem, for information, but Axel wasn't supposed to see the mirror in the first place. He wandered inside the secluded cottage one day while Ansem was out gathering ingredients for his numerous potions and balms.
It was a quaint cottage, one story with a large hearth, small kitchen and a cot in the corner. Attached to the main room was a small, narrow hallway that led to a backroom, storage, and laboratory in one. The house's lighting depended on candles and anything Mother Nature could give it; farther into the house, down the hallway and into the back room there were no windows or candles. Since the lighting was poor, Axel tripped over unseen items in his exploration.
It was after he tripped over some kind of box and landed on his knees he saw the mirror. It was propped in the corner; only the faint light coming from behind Axel gave any kind of hint of what it was. In the shadows and facing his direction, Axel felt the hair on his arms stand up and a chill ran through him. He carefully rose to his feet, eyes never leaving those of his reflection. As he changed position, the faces of the angels seemed to shift, turning angrier and vicious.
Axel lost time staring at himself in the shadowed mirror, a fear settling deep in his stomach. He left the storage room walking backwards; he didn't dare to remove his gaze. Instinct had settled in. He knew how silly it would sound when he told his friends about being scared of a mirror, so he didn't mention it to anyone. When he returned home and ate dinner with his parents, his thoughts remained on the mirror. He could swear that as he watched, the weapons got sharper and pointed towards him, but that was stupid right? Marble cannot shift. Marble cannot move.
The next time Axel went into the scientist's house, he brought a candle and some matches to see. His stomach twisted at the thought, part of him felt that the candlelight would make that back room even more mysterious and freaky. The mirror honestly didn't need any help with that; it did fine on its own. This time, Ansem was in the next village over helping the doctor treat some injured farmer, so Axel knew he had some extra time.
Climbing through a window, he lit the candle and watched the glow enter the room. Stepping around random vials and books, Axel walked down the hallway and into the back room. His gut was correct in his assumptions; the candle light hit everything and cast large shadows as he moved closer to the mirror. The movement of shadows mimicked Axel in his walk, pausing when he was about the same distance from the mirror as before.
His reflection was barely there; the faint light from the candle gave him a murky reflection with hollows for eyes and exaggerated body structure. He took a calming breath. All it served to do was increase his heart rate. He tried to ignore the way the marble shifted, the angels growling and pointing their weapons at him. He focused his gaze on his reflection, on his reflection's hollow eyes.
As he watched, the reflection began to fade away, sending him into a panic. The candle wasn't burning out, it had plenty of wax left and its glow remained the same. The reflection disappeared completely and Axel found himself staring into a reflection-less mirror. Axel shook his head, blinking his eyes multiple times in shock. This is a mirror, right? Deciding he's had enough of a freak out, Axel proceeded as before, leaving the room walking backwards to keep his gaze on the glass.
Is anyone there?
Axel felt his heart stop. Oh god, he was hearing voices now.
Please come back. In the mirror, a shape formed. It was a boy about Axel's age, palms pressed flat against the glass surface. The boy was illuminated by the light of Axel's candle. His hair flipped up, the blond coloring turning orange in the candlelight. What he could see of the boy's face begged for acknowledgement of some kind. I don't want to be alone anymore. It was like it was just a pane of glass separating them in a dark room.
The fear remained because the frame was still threatening him with weapons and glares, the shadows flickering around him, and now some kind of ghost boy in a mirror. What the heck is going on? Axel cleared his throat, speaking softly, "I'm not supposed to be here." The boy's face shifted, and the cheekbones seemed higher on his face. Maybe a smile?
Does that mean you're here to rescue me?
"Rescue?" Axel took a step back towards the mirror; the boy's form became a bit more visible. The boy wore clothes that were black and white; parts of his jacket were checkerboard. Even with this knowledge of the boy's appearance, he was completely clueless as to who this boy was.
The boy gave a nod, his hands against the glass curled into fists. Ansem trapped me in here. Axel felt his eyes widen in shock. Ansem the Wise? The scientist was a very nice man and was really good at his job, if not a bit too serious. Before his arrival, people in the village could be sick for months on end, but now barely anyone was sick for any longer than a week. He was a miracle worker. I met Ansem in another town, and he was treating my sister. I didn't agree to what he was doing, so he locked me in here. The boy's voice got softer, sadder; Axel had to lean closer to hear. I did find out she's cured. It's just Ansem won't let me leave. The boy's voice perked up and he pressed himself closer to the mirror, but you'll get me out, won't you?
Axel opened his mouth to speak but words refused to come out. He didn't know any magic, or of any kind of anti-dark magic charms. On his own, Axel wouldn't be able to release him; and even if he did release the boy, Ansem would be bound to notice.
The front door slammed shut. Ansem was home. Axel turned around, watching the hallway. There were no windows to determine how much time had passed, and the hallway was the only way out. He was caught, no doubt about it. "Axel?" Ansem's lightly lilted voice came from the main room. "Are you still in here?" Axel didn't dare speak. "Please, if you are I need to know. I just want to keep you safe."
Don't believe him! The boy hissed. He's lying!
"Are you near the mirror?" Ansem's voice was louder and full of anxiety. If Axel strained his ears he could hear the scientist's footsteps approaching. "Keep away from the mirror Axel. It's dangerous." Ansem sounded truly full of worry. Axel peeked at the mirror over his shoulder, the boy barely visible in the lack of light. Standing in-between the boy and the candle, the mirror loomed ominously five feet away. Angels and lions danced in the shadows, bearing weapons and claws and fangs. He could almost hear their screams…
Don't believe him Axel! The boy banged his fists against the glass. The sound reverberated in the small room. He'll lock you inside here too.
Ansem stood in the doorway, his eyes watching Axel with fear. "Please listen to me," he pleaded, "Stay away from the mirror." He held out a pianist hand for him to take, the fingers curling upward and invitingly. He sounded sincere, Axel wanted to believe him. Axel reached toward the hand, just wanting out get out of the room.
DON'T TOUCH HIM! The boy's shriek startled the scientist and Axel, the candle flying to somewhere behind him as he tumbled backwards. Axel landed on his behind, Ansem watching him wide-eyed, mouth agape, hand still held out. The candle flickered behind Axel. Axel turned, trying to grab the candle.
"NO! Ax –" Axel looked up, the boy's empty eyes staring into his own only a foot away. His face morphed into something sinister and when he smiled his teeth were like a shark's. The boy placed a hand on the mirror's surface before pushing through; a skeletal hand, then arm reached out and grabbed Axel around the neck, dragging him toward the rippling mirror. The frame screeched and faintly Ansem was calling for him. Axel stared into those empty eyes, entering the mirror
And knew no more.