In the real world, mirrors reflect what stands before them—undeniably so.
But in this castle, there were mirrors everywhere that reflected no human figures.
They could reflect the room itself, but not the people in it.
And now, these mirrors couldn't even "sync" with the current state of the room. It was as if they were showing a still image rather than a real-time feed.
They couldn't show people. Sometimes, they couldn't even show the room. And yet, Aeg appeared clearly within them.
Now, there was another theory—that Aeg was only pretending to be supernatural. She wasn't really Bloody Mary at all.
In his mind, Xie Mingchi laid out a mental sketchpad. After mentally running through a few equivalent substitutions, he arrived at a conclusion—these "mirrors" weren't mirrors.
They were fake.
He didn't know what materials Aeg used or what tricks were at play, but he guessed the "mirrors" were only projecting fixed images. When Aeg appeared at night, they likely swapped out one image for another.
Aeg had clearly banked on the fear these strange mirrors would provoke. She knew they'd avoid them instinctively. No one would get close unless they absolutely had to.
And if no one examined them closely, then no one would uncover the truth.
Which explained why these mirrors were placed where they were.
Because of their fear, Aeg assumed they wouldn't linger near the vanity, the mirror behind the door, or the one in the bathroom. As a result, the oddities of the mirrors would go unnoticed.
As for the one at the head of the bed—unless someone stood on the bed to get a proper angle, they wouldn't notice anything strange either.
At night, when lying down, the angle of view wouldn't allow them to see the bed in the vanity mirror, the door mirror, or the headboard mirror. So even if they tossed and turned and wrinkled the bedcovers, the bed reflected in the "mirrors" would remain pristine—undisturbed and untouched.
It was a meticulous setup. Aeg was gambling on their fear.
Gambling that they'd be too scared to check the mirrors at all.
"So at the root of it, Aeg is immersed in her own fantasy," Wan Wuqiu analyzed. "But at the same time, maybe she also knows she's not really Bloody Mary. So she arranged all this just to convince outsiders—or even herself—that Bloody Mary is real?"
Xie Mingchi nodded. "Looks that way."
They fell into a moment of silence. After a bit of internal conflict, Xie Mingchi finally opened his mouth.
"I…"
"You…"
They spoke at the same time, both pausing in surprise. Then Wan Wuqiu laughed and broke the awkwardness. "You first."
Xie Mingchi didn't hesitate. "I don't really want to share all the clues we found today. Shen Feinian and Feng Yu, sure. But not the others."
Wan Wuqiu raised an eyebrow at him. "When did you get so smart? I was thinking the same thing."
Xie Mingchi paused, then cracked a smile.
They had made a pact with the rest of the team to share all clues, but Xie Mingchi didn't believe everything had to be shared. Even among teammates, it was smart to hold a few cards close.
Ideally, he wanted everyone to make it out of this haunted realm alive—but realistically, that wasn't going to happen.
The best he could do was minimize casualties—and that started with keeping himself safe first.
What they found on the eighth and ninth floors was nearly enough to piece together Aeg's backstory, confirming she wasn't truly Bloody Mary. But they were still no closer to finding the soul thread.
The clues from today were important. If shared, others might start losing their fear of Aeg and the mirrors. Xie Mingchi couldn't trust everyone to maintain their performance.
Especially the two girls—Jenna and Zhen Jia. If they learned the truth, they'd definitely react.
And really, staying away from the mirrors and from Aeg wasn't a bad thing. Keeping quiet about the clues might actually be the safer choice.
Once the decision was made, it was close to lunchtime. They headed straight for the dining room.
When they got there, Xiao Xiao and Chu You were already seated. The two groups exchanged nods but said nothing—aware of the ever-present surveillance.
The others arrived one by one. Zhen Jia, who hadn't been taken along that morning, had found her way to Shen Feinian and Feng Yu.
But now her face was pale and sickly.
The moment she saw Xie Mingchi, she visibly relaxed and walked over looking miserable. "Uh… can you guys take me with you this afternoon? I really don't want to go with those two again…"
Xie Mingchi raised an eyebrow and glanced at Shen Feinian and Feng Yu. Aside from Feng Yu's slightly flushed face, nothing seemed off. "Can I ask why?"
Zhen Jia gave Shen Feinian a sideways glance, then shut her eyes in anguish. "Shen San… he, he…"
She fumbled, unable to get the words out.
Wan Wuqiu stared at her, then at Shen Feinian, and after a pause asked, "What did he do to you?"
Xie Mingchi noticed Wan Wuqiu's eyelids had drooped a little—he looked genuinely irritated, something rare.
"N-no! It's not like that!" Zhen Jia panicked, waving her hands. "He didn't do anything to me, but to that younger guy… um…"
Xie Mingchi: "Hm?"
Zhen Jia looked utterly defeated. "Shen San was flirting with that guy! Right in front of me! It's like watching a couple flirt in public!"
Xie Mingchi: "Huh???"
Those two together were like a walking couple, plain as day! Sure, Feng Si was shy and oblivious, but she could see! And that drove her nuts.
Granted, Xie Yi and Wan Er also looked like they had a thing, but at least they kept it low-key!
But Shen San? Look at him! Just—look!
Zhen Jia almost rolled her eyes into the next dimension and begged again, "So can I join you guys this afternoon? Please, I'm begging!"
"Uh…" Xie Mingchi felt a headache coming. "This… that…"
His brain was buffering.
Leaving aside her request for a moment—Shen Feinian flirting with Feng Yu?
Feng Yu seemed like the innocent type. Who knew how long Shen Feinian had been teasing him? The guy's face was still red.
Xie Mingchi had witnessed Shen Feinian's flirting skills firsthand—and he'd gone after Xiao Xiao, who *had a boyfriend*.
Even with both Xiao Xiao and Chu You now trapped in this haunted realm, Shen Feinian acted like that whole affair had never happened.
Clearly, the man was experienced—charming his way through life without leaving a trace.
Xie Mingchi suddenly felt bad for little Feng Yu.
He wasn't sure why Feng Yu called Shen Feinian and Wan Wuqiu "senior," but maybe it was just for convenience… or maybe there was some actual connection there.
But considering how long Shen Feinian and Wan Wuqiu had been dead, if they really were his upperclassmen, then they must've been his classmates in a past life.
That was a little too poetic.
And if Shen Feinian was just fooling around while Feng Yu took it seriously… wouldn't that lead to heartbreak?
Xie Mingchi had no idea what Shen Feinian was really thinking…
"What's your decision? Please?" Zhen Jia's voice snapped him back to the present. She was staring at him, eyes full of hope.
"…Fine," Xie Mingchi relented under the pressure of that gaze. "You can come."
Zhen Jia lit up. "Thank you, thank you, you're a saint—"
Before she could finish, she caught sight of Wan Wuqiu's stony expression behind Xie Mingchi.
Zhen Jia: "…"
Without another word, she slunk back to her seat like a scolded cat.
Xie Mingchi turned around and saw Wan Wuqiu's sulky face. He nudged him. "What's with you?"
Wan Wuqiu looked betrayed. "Why did you say yes?"
Xie Mingchi thought for a moment. "Maybe because… I can't resist when people act cute?"
Wan Wuqiu frowned, turned his head away. "…Fine. That is you."
He himself was the master of acting cute. And now someone else had stolen his thunder.
A word popped into Wan Wuqiu's head: double standards.
"Sigh—" Wan Wuqiu let out a dramatic sigh.
He remembered when Xie Mingchi's family had just moved in next door, how he'd begged each member of Wan Wuqiu's family so he could sneak over at night and sleep in his bed. And he'd gotten what he wanted.
That version of Xie Mingchi had been so lively.
But ever since… something changed. He became numb to everything, like nothing in the world mattered anymore.
Now that he'd lost those memories, he seemed a little better.
But still—not a good enough reason to abandon him for Zhen Jia!
Their alone time was gone.
Wan Wuqiu cast a gloomy look around the table and settled his glare on Shen Feinian.
Fine. This was all his fault.
That damn flamboyant flirt.
Soon, Aeg entered the dining room, and the entire group went silent.
Xie Mingchi scanned the table and frowned.
Two people were missing.
Lu Meng and Xiao He hadn't come.
He didn't know whether something had happened to them, or if they were just too embarrassed from this morning to show up.
The food was the same as always. Aeg, looking unusually cheerful, even seemed younger and more radiant.
Xie Mingchi was reminded of the legend—Bloody Mary bathed in the blood of virgins to stay young.
Even though he was sure Aeg wasn't the real Bloody Mary, this haunted world still operated by that legend's rules.
As usual, Aeg elegantly picked up pieces of broken mirror and candle wax and ate in silence. The others either kept their heads down or quietly watched.
She paid them no mind, enjoying her meal with grace.
Wiping her mouth, she stood up and left.
As soon as she was gone, Xie Mingchi began inspecting the shattered mirrors and wax on the table. Wan Wuqiu, understanding his intent, joined in.
The others stared, confused. Xiao Xiao asked, "Um… what are you two doing?"
She was seriously starting to suspect they'd been brainwashed.
Were they *trying* to eat the broken mirror?
Xie Mingchi used the most basic method—biting a piece of mirror to see if it was real.
His batch was real. Inedible.
Xiao Xiao tugged on Chu You's sleeve, horrified. "Look at them…"
Chu You nodded, his expression equally worried.
Wan Wuqiu's batch was also real.
They moved on to Shen Feinian's, Feng Yu's…
All real.
Then Xie Mingchi went straight to Aeg's seat and picked up one of the broken mirror shards.
Crack—
The piece shattered between his teeth.
He chewed, tasting the texture.
Then he picked up a chunk of wax and bit into it.
Sweet.
Edible.
Xiao Xiao looked horrified, like she'd just seen a ghost in broad daylight.
Jenna and Zhen Jia were practically in tears.
Xie Mingchi got the answer he wanted. Looking up, he saw everyone staring at him and Wan Wuqiu, clearly misunderstanding.
He smiled gently and held out a fake mirror shard.
"Want a taste?"