Chapter 10: Reflections
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The night was unusually quiet as Sakura and Tomoyo followed Seiko down the winding streets, away from the Prism Bar. Each step they took was heavy, as though the weight of unspoken truths hung in the air between them. Sakura kept glancing at Seiko, her heart pounding with an unease she couldn't quite explain. Tomoyo stayed close to Sakura's side, her eyes sharp, the tension growing with every passing second.
Seiko led them to an apartment complex—unremarkable in every way. The silence around them was deafening as they followed her inside. The room they stepped into was sparse, with barely any personal touches, but something immediately caught their attention.
The mirror.
It was large, ornate, and far too elaborate for the simple apartment. Its presence dominated the room, and the moment they saw it, both girls felt the suffocating weight of fear settle over them. Sakura's chest tightened, and she glanced at Tomoyo, who was staring at the mirror with wide eyes.
Neither of them spoke, but they didn't need to. The dread in the air was palpable.
Seiko stepped forward, her back to them as she approached the mirror. "There's something I need to show you," she said, her voice quieter than usual.
Tomoyo shot Sakura a glance, her protective instincts kicking in. Something was wrong—deeply, profoundly wrong.
"I haven't been entirely honest with you," Seiko continued, turning slowly to face them. "There's something you need to understand, Sakura."
The moment she said it, her reflection in the mirror wavered. Sakura's eyes widened as the image of Seiko distorted, cracked, and faded. And there, in the mirror, stood Mirror—the card that had always reflected the truest parts of herself.
Sakura gasped, her heart lurching in her chest. "Mirror...?"
Seiko nodded, her face softening as she allowed the façade to fall completely. She still carried remnants of her playful energy, but it was gentler now, softer, as though something deeper had been revealed.
"I've been with you all along," Mirror said softly, her voice almost a whisper. "Watching over you, protecting you. But I can't keep doing that."
--
Tomoyo's breath caught in her throat. The reality of the situation was starting to sink in, and it felt like the floor was collapsing beneath them.
Sakura's voice trembled as she took a step forward. "You've been protecting me?"
Mirror's smile was sad, her eyes reflecting the pain she had been carrying. "I've tried to keep you safe... from the memories, from the truth. But your magic is fading, Sakura. If we don't do something, you'll be lost."
Sakura shook her head, panic starting to rise in her chest. "There has to be another way. You don't have to—"
"There isn't," Mirror interrupted, her voice steady but filled with sorrow. "The only way to restore your magic is for me to give myself up. I have to merge with you, Sakura. It's the only way to make you whole again."
Tomoyo stepped forward, her eyes filled with fear. "And what happens to you?"
Mirror's gaze softened as she looked at Tomoyo. "I'll be part of her. But everything I've experienced, everything I've seen... it will all become hers."
Sakura's eyes darted to Tomoyo, the full weight of what Mirror was saying crashing down on her. "Everything?"
Mirror nodded, glancing between the two girls. "Yes. All of it. Including everything I've shared with Tomoyo."
--
Tomoyo's heart raced. Everything between her and Seiko—now Mirror—would be revealed. Every late-night conversation, every vulnerable moment, every secret she had kept hidden. She wanted to speak, to protest, but the words wouldn't come.
Sakura, too, was struggling to process it all. Her magic, her memories, her connection to the cards... everything was slipping away, and Mirror was the only one who could save her. But the cost was too high.
"I don't want to lose you," Sakura whispered, tears welling in her eyes.
Mirror stepped closer, her voice filled with an almost unbearable tenderness. "You won't. I'll always be with you, Sakura. But you have to be strong. You have to face what's been hidden for so long."
Sakura's breath caught in her throat. She knew what was coming—the memories she had buried, the ones she had refused to acknowledge. The pain she had run from for so long.
Mirror reached out, her hand brushing against Sakura's cheek. "It's time."
--
Suddenly, the room around them dissolved, and Sakura was standing in the bustling streets of Hong Kong. The noise, the lights, the crowds—they all swirled around her in a dizzying haze. But none of it mattered. Her eyes were locked on the figure just ahead of her.
Li*.
He was standing at the edge of the chaos, facing a woman who filled Sakura with an inexplicable dread—his mother. But she wasn't herself. The darkness that clung to her, the malevolent energy radiating from the black book in her hands, told Sakura all she needed to know. She was possessed.
"Li!" Sakura screamed, her voice filled with desperation.
Li turned, his eyes wide with fear. "Stay back, Sakura! It's not safe!"
But she couldn't stay back. Not when she knew what was coming.
Li's mother raised her hand, the dark energy spiraling toward him. Without thinking, Sakura threw out her hand. "Windy!"
The wind spirit appeared, a powerful gust blowing the dark magic away from Li. But it wasn't enough. The power from the dark Clow book was too strong, and Windy's defense began to falter.
Sakura gritted her teeth, her panic rising. "Earthy!" she shouted, and the ground beneath them trembled as Earthy rose, creating a barrier between Li and the darkness. But the dark magic was relentless, twisting and contorting, breaking through even Earthy's defenses.
She was losing control.
"Firey!" Sakura screamed, flames roaring to life around them, clashing violently with the shadows. But the darkness fed off the flames, growing stronger.
Sakura's desperation grew. "Watery!"
The water spirit surged forward, drowning the shadows in a torrent, but it still wasn't enough. The dark magic was overwhelming, crushing them under its weight.
--
Li stumbled, barely able to stay on his feet. "You have to stop her, Sakura!" he yelled, his voice hoarse. "She's not my mother anymore!"
Sakura's heart shattered as she realized the truth. She was out of time. The darkness was too strong, and no matter what she did, it would consume them both.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry."
With one final surge of power, Sakura pushed all of her magic forward. Windy, Earthy, Firey, and Watery combined, their forces colliding with the darkness in one last desperate attempt to save them.
But it was too late.
The magic backfired, the dark Clow magic twisting and consuming her attack, and then... everything shattered.
--
Sakura awoke in the midst of destruction. Hong Kong was in ruins. Smoke rose from the crumbling buildings, and debris littered the streets. Her body felt heavy, broken, and when she turned her head, she saw him.
Li.
He lay motionless beside her, his body still and lifeless. The sight of him tore at her soul. Her heart shattered, her mind finally breaking under the weight of everything. Tears streamed down her face as she crawled toward him, her body trembling uncontrollably.
"No... no, no, no..." she cried, her hands shaking as they clutched at Li's body. "This... this is my fault."
The realization crushed her, her magic—her power—had destroyed everything. The cards, the city, Li's life... all of it gone because she had failed.
Her sobs echoed through the empty, ruined streets as she fell to her knees, overwhelmed by the weight of her grief. Her magic, once a source of strength, now felt like a curse—something that had ruined everything she held dear.
--
The Clow Cards gathered around her, their expressions grim. Windy, Firey, Earthy, Watery, and just a few others had survived the backblast. Their forms flickered, their strength nearly spent.
Light and Dark stepped forward, their opposing forces somehow united in the face of this overwhelming loss.
"We are losing her," Light said quietly, her voice filled with sorrow.
"She's shattered," Dark added, her tone sharp but underlined with concern. "If we don't act now, she will be lost."
--
The cards exchanged glances, each one knowing that this was a crossroads.
Mirror stepped forward, her form flickering with the weight of her own cracks. "We have to protect her... until she is ready to face this. She can't know the truth yet."
Erase and Copy joined them, understanding their role in the plan.
Erase spoke first. "We will take away the most painful memories. She won't remember what happened here."
--
Copy continued, "We will create a reality she can live in... until she's strong enough to handle the truth."
The Clow Cards gathered closer, each of them understanding the sacrifice this would take. Mirror, more than any of them, would bear the weight of this decision. She knelt beside Sakura, her hand hovering over her forehead. "I'll reflect what she can bear to see. I'll hold her mind together... but it will cost me."
Erase spoke first. "We will take away the most painful memories. She won't remember what happened here."
--
Dark stepped forward, her presence commanding as she added, "And when the time comes, she will be ready to face what has been hidden, hope better prepared than today.."
--
The magic of the cards wrapped around Sakura, weaving a protective barrier between her and the truth. Mirror, Erase, and Copy worked together, creating a shield that would hold until the time was right. They would lock away the memories of Hong Kong, Li's death, and her magic's failure, allowing her to heal without the burden of those devastating truths.
The weight of their collective magic settled over the ruins, sealing the shattered fragments of Sakura's mind into a manageable whole.
--
Suddenly, the scene faded to black.
Sakura woke up with a scream, her heart pounding, her body jolting upright in Seiko's apartment. She gasped for breath, her chest heaving as she struggled to process what had just happened. Sweat covered her skin, and her hands trembled as she tried to calm down.
Tomoyo rushed to her side, her eyes wide with concern. "Sakura! It's okay, it's okay! You're safe, you're here!"
But Sakura couldn't shake the lingering feeling of dread. The images of the battle, the destruction, and Li's lifeless body flashed through her mind, leaving her breathless.
"I... I couldn't save him," Sakura whispered, her voice broken.