The basement was too still.
They had waited minutes—long minutes. No flicker, no breath, no movement.
Nothing.
Jamie fidgeted. Ezra adjusted her flashlight. Quinn stayed close to Noah, her fingers trembling against his sleeve.
Silence.
And then—
"God, you people are pathetic," Quinn's brother, Kane, snapped, stepping forward. "All this drama over a stupid mirror?"
"Wait—don't—" Jamie reached out to stop him.
Shove.
Jamie stumbled into an old cabinet.
"Hey!" Paige growled, charging forward.
"Paige, stop—" Ezra tried to grab her arm.
But something was wrong.
Leah—mid-step—froze.
"Leah?" Noah asked, confused.
Kane, with his swagger and disregard, reached the mirror. He gave a final scoff, then turned to the others with mocking eyes.
"You really thought this was haunted?"
Quinn's voice cracked. "Kane, don't—!"
His fingers touched the surface.
Stillness.
No explosion. No scream. Not even a shimmer.
Just silence.
He smirked. "Told yo—"
Ripple.
The mirror's surface trembled—like water breaking into concentric circles.
And then it attacked.
From the shimmering depths, dozens of silver hands lashed out like lightning.
Kane didn't have time to move.
One hand clamped around his neck, another around his wrist. Three more wrapped around his torso.
Paige screamed as another hand snatched her leg. "Let go, you piece of—!"
Leah's gasp was the last thing they heard before she vanished.
Quinn fell to her knees, stunned. "No…"
Noah reached too late. "LEAH!"
Gone.
The hands retreated into the mirror, dragging their victims in one by one.
Then, quiet.
So quiet it hurt.
Jamie surged forward. "We have to get them back!"
Ezra blocked him. "Don't touch it! Jamie—don't!"
"Let me go!"
"They're gone!" Quinn's voice was hoarse and filled with sobs. "It's too late."
Jamie turned, fury and disbelief twisting his face. "You're giving up already?!"
"No," she whispered, "the second phase has started…"
Ezra and Noah froze.
Quinn looked up, terror clinging to her like frost. "It's waking up. It's coming out."
Thwip.
A silver hand shot from the mirror—grasping for air, grasping for them.
Another.
Then another.
Then—
Three heads emerged.
Not bodies.
Heads.
But they were wrong. Deformed. Fused into a single torso with silver skin. Pulsing and twitching. Limbs formed and unformed—multiplying, melting back in.
Kane's jaw jutted out too far. Paige's eyes were wide and bloodshot, her lips forming silent words. Leah's expression was blank, her mouth trembling.
And they spoke.
All at once.
"This is a failure…"
"Where are we...?"
"What have you done...?"
Jamie's instincts kicked in. He turned and yanked Quinn by the arm.
"Run!"
The monster screamed—a hollow, echoed wail.
Ezra was staring at it, her lips parted in awe and horror.
One of the creature's arms lashed forward.
CRACK!
The wall where Ezra stood shattered.
She barely dodged—Noah grabbed her hand and yanked her away.
Their eyes met.
Both were scared.
They ran.
Behind them, the mirror-beast slithered across the junk-strewn floor, tearing through old furniture like paper while shrieking.
"DON'T LEAVE ME…"
"HELP US!"
Each voice belonged to their siblings.
Pleading.
Screaming.
Calling them by name.
Quinn wept, barely able to run straight. Jamie held her hand tight, whispering over and over, "Don't look back."
Noah's breath burned in his throat as he sprinted ahead, with Ezra close beside him, both gazing forward.
Not daring to look back.
Behind them, the beast howled, its cries echoing off every wall.The basement was too still.
They had waited minutes—long minutes. No flicker, no breath, no movement.
Nothing.
Jamie fidgeted. Ezra adjusted her flashlight. Quinn stayed close to Noah, her fingers trembling against his sleeve.
Silence.
And then—
"God, you people are pathetic," Quinn's brother, Kane, snapped, stepping forward. "All this drama over a stupid mirror?"
"Wait—don't—" Jamie reached out to stop him.
Shove.
Jamie stumbled into an old cabinet.
"Hey!" Paige growled, charging forward.
"Paige, stop—" Ezra tried to grab her arm.
But something was wrong.
Leah—mid-step—froze.
"Leah?" Noah asked, confused.
Kane, with his swagger and disregard, reached the mirror. He gave a final scoff, then turned to the others with mocking eyes.
"You really thought this was haunted?"
Quinn's voice cracked. "Kane, don't—!"
His fingers touched the surface.
Stillness.
No explosion. No scream. Not even a shimmer.
Just silence.
He smirked. "Told yo—"
Ripple.
The mirror's surface trembled—like water breaking into concentric circles.
And then it attacked.
From the shimmering depths, dozens of silver hands lashed out like lightning.
Kane didn't have time to move.
One hand clamped around his neck, another around his wrist. Three more wrapped around his torso.
Paige screamed as another hand snatched her leg. "Let go, you piece of—!"
Leah's gasp was the last thing they heard before she vanished.
Quinn fell to her knees, stunned. "No…"
Noah reached too late. "LEAH!"
Gone.
The hands retreated into the mirror, dragging their victims in one by one.
Then, quiet.
So quiet it hurt.
Jamie surged forward. "We have to get them back!"
Ezra blocked him. "Don't touch it! Jamie—don't!"
"Let me go!"
"They're gone!" Quinn's voice was hoarse and filled with sobs. "It's too late."
Jamie turned, fury and disbelief twisting his face. "You're giving up already?!"
"No," she whispered, "the second phase has started…"
Ezra and Noah froze.
Quinn looked up, terror clinging to her like frost. "It's waking up. It's coming out."
Thwip.
A silver hand shot from the mirror—grasping for air, grasping for them.
Another.
Then another.
Then—
Three heads emerged.
Not bodies.
Heads.
But they were wrong. Deformed. Fused into a single torso with silver skin. Pulsing and twitching. Limbs formed and unformed—multiplying, melting back in.
Kane's jaw jutted out too far. Paige's eyes were wide and bloodshot, her lips forming silent words. Leah's expression was blank, her mouth trembling.
And they spoke.
All at once.
"This is a failure…"
"Where are we...?"
"What have you done...?"
Jamie's instincts kicked in. He turned and yanked Quinn by the arm.
"Run!"
The monster screamed—a hollow, echoed wail.
Ezra was staring at it, her lips parted in awe and horror.
One of the creature's arms lashed forward.
CRACK!
The wall where Ezra stood shattered.
She barely dodged—Noah grabbed her hand and yanked her away.
Their eyes met.
Both were scared.
They ran.
Behind them, the mirror-beast slithered across the junk-strewn floor, tearing through old furniture like paper while shrieking.
"DON'T LEAVE ME…"
"HELP US!"
Each voice belonged to their siblings.
Pleading.
Screaming.
Calling them by name.
Quinn wept, barely able to run straight. Jamie held her hand tight, whispering over and over, "Don't look back."
Noah's breath burned in his throat as he sprinted ahead, with Ezra close beside him, both gazing forward.
Not daring to look back.
Behind them, the beast howled, its cries echoing off every wall.