Frozen Spiral Zone – Mirror Depth
A thick white mist had blanketed everything. It felt as though the world itself had stopped breathing. Aren stood alone — atop the frost, yet the ground beneath him felt weightless, surreal.
Tomo's usual blue blink had dimmed, flickering slowly like a fading signal.
Tomo (faint voice):
"Bro… we've entered an illusion layer. The Spiral Zone's memory gate is fully active."
Aren looked ahead — a towering mirror, entirely forged from ancient frost. But its reflection wasn't stable. It kept shifting… like memories trying to breathe.
Aren (under his breath):
"This… is that my past?"
Inside the mirror appeared a younger Aren — a small boy, curled up in a dark lab corner. Eyes red. Tears fresh.
Young Aren (shivering):
"You came back? You said… you wouldn't leave me."
Aren's heart sank. His breath trembled.
Aren:
"I… I'm sorry. I thought… if I became stronger, I could fix everything."
Young Aren (coldly):
"Stronger? You ran away. When dad left us… you said nothing. You just stood there."
Cracks appeared across the mirror's surface. The vision distorted — replaced by another memory.
A girl — Aika — crying silently in an empty corridor. Her eyes filled with pain… as a haunting voice whispered:
> "You were never meant to be loved, Aika. You're just someone else's broken memory."
Aren's eyes widened.
Tomo (alarmed):
"Bro… the zone isn't just yours anymore. It's pulling in the deepest memories… from everyone tied to your fate."
Aren (clenching his fists):
"So Spiral's plan is to drown us… in our own past?"
Suddenly, a distorted voice echoed — cold and inhuman. Spiral's presence loomed like fog around them.
Spiral (whispering):
"Memories are curses. The more you hold onto them… the more you break."
Aren (shouting back):
"Then I should've broken long ago! But I'm still here — because I stopped running from myself!"
He stepped forward, gripping his rod tightly. With every step, the reflection grew darker, heavier… more painful. But Aren didn't stop.
Young Aren (softly):
"You forgot me…"
Aren (firmly):
"No. I am you. You're my most precious fragment. And I'm taking you back."
With a cry, Aren raised his rod and shattered the mirror. Glass and frost exploded around him, sending shockwaves through the frozen illusion.
---
Zone Collapse – Return to Reality
The illusion shattered. Aren dropped to one knee, gasping. Tomo floated nearby. Aika stood beside him, dazed.
The Spiral seal faded — inactive.
Aika (touching her head):
"I… I saw something. But I don't know if it was mine."
Aren (quietly):
"We all try to forget… but sometimes, the memories we hold onto become the reason we fight."
---
Final Narration:
"To face time… you must first face the version of you that time tried to erase."
> To be continued…