Reincarnated as a Background Character — Boss Fell in Love With Me
Chapter 14: When the Mirror Cracks, the Truth Bleeds Out
The Mirror of Intent awaited them in an eerie stillness, an enigmatic presence that filled the air with an electric tension.
Neither situated in a grand hall nor contained within the confines of an austere chamber, this mystifying portal existed in a realm crafted entirely of glass—a shimmering expanse suspended delicately between the ephemeral essence of time and the rhythmic pattern of breath.
Surrounding them were neither walls that could constrain nor a sky to confine their gaze; instead, they found themselves enveloped in an infinite cascade of reflections, each echoing back the truths they long concealed. It was a wondrous yet disconcerting space, filled with shadows that seemed to watch and wait, as if time itself held its breath in anticipation of the confrontation about to unfold.
Velzeria took the lead, stepping forward with an air of grace and authority. As she moved, her regal cloak melted into fine ash behind her, leaving her figure defined and resolute yet tinged with an unsettling energy that pulsed through the tether binding her to Raze. The atmosphere thickened with her determination, the weight of their bond vibrating with an undercurrent of unease, as if it sensed the trials that were to come.
Raze followed her into the depths of the glass, beckoned by an inner compulsion. The instant his boot made contact with the shimmering surface, the air around them erupted with a sound that shattered the silence—a sharp crack that resonated like a broken code, signaling the beginning of their trial.
[Trial II: Mirror of Intent – Commencing]
Objective: Face your reflection. Survive its judgment.
Pact Integrity will be tested. Emotional Sync Required: 95%+
However, the Mirror was not merely a reflective surface as one might first assume.
It was something far more profound—a visceral version of each of them, an echo that emerged from the glass like a long-lost twin, birthed not from joy but from the heavy weight of guilt and unraveled memories. These reflections were not mere shadows; they were living embodiments of their fears, regrets, and untamed desires.
Velzeria's echo broke the silence first, her voice a silken whisper laced with a toxic edge. Her crown gleamed defiantly upon her head, whole and pristine, but her wings, darker than a stormy sky, loomed behind her like ominous clouds.
"You," the reflection hissed, eyes swirling with knowing malice. "You have forgotten what it means to hold true power. You have forsaken your strength for the chains of vulnerability. Do you even remember who you were before you succumbed to the weakness of love and bound yourself to a mere mortal?"
The glare in Velzeria's eyes tightened, fierce with indignation. "You're not me," she retorted, her voice unwavering.
"I am the aspect of you that recognizes the importance of strength," her doppelgänger replied coldly. "I am the memory that understands love as a double-edged sword. I am the shadow that remembers the cost of compassion."
Turning away from Velzeria's unnerving exchange, Raze was struck by the sight of his own reflection.
But this figure was not truly him.
This version stood taller, exuding an aura of confidence and precision. He bore an unsettling smile that suggested delight in the underestimation of others. His hands were pristine, devoid of the grit and grime that marked Raze's own, with his heads-up display completely empty, as if devoid of any burden.
"You're merely a background character playing the role of a hero," his reflection sneered, words sharp like blades. "Do you really think that by tethering yourself to her, you make yourself important in this narrative?"
Raze's response was taut, almost choked. "No. It makes me responsible for her well-being."
"Responsible? You're nothing but a glitch in the system—an insignificant side note. And mark my words: you will shatter her the moment she matters to you too much," the mirror version taunted, an unsettling glimmer in his eyes.
The trial did not assault them with weapons of steel or fury. Instead, it wielded memories—fragments of their past that cut deep and festered within.
Velzeria was thrust back to the fateful moment she unleashed devastation upon an unsuspecting city, the breath that did so radiating with power—and she felt nothing. An icy void consumed her, a chilling reminder of her own detachment from her actions.
Raze was haunted by the sight of himself cradling her lifeless body, paralyzed by the weight of inaction—his heart ached with the agonizing guilt of having done nothing in that moment of crisis.
Velzeria's reflection leaned closer, whispering maliciously, "You will slay him the instant he becomes too crucial to your existence."
Simultaneously, Raze's own echo murmured, "You will abandon her the moment she no longer requires your presence."
Though their hands never came into contact, the tether connecting their souls burned intensely—a raw sensation that tightened, strained, and threatened to snap under the weight of their unspoken burdens.
In that critical instant of overwhelming pressure, Raze made the only choice left to him.
He stepped boldly through the mirror.
Pain exploded within him, a fierce and unrelenting force.
Yet this agony was not of the body, but of the soul—a fundamental rupture that exposed the very core of his being.
Every unexpressed thought she had concealed, every fear she had swallowed whole, every scream that had been forcibly locked away in the recesses of her mind flooded over him—
"Don't allow yourself to become her."
"I already have," he replied silently, the truth resonating painfully within his heart.
When he finally opened his eyes, Velzeria was before him, kneeling on the ground, her potential self shattered into countless fragments at her feet.
Raze's mirrored twin had vanished, a mere trace of code and self-worth erased into an echo of silence. As their eyes met, an understanding passed between them; they were adrift in a sea of shared experience and emerging truths.
Words were unnecessary. There were no phrases to convey the tumult inside them.
Only breath—deep and slow, steadying.
Only heartbeats—pulsing in a synchronized rhythm, echoing through the silence.
Only the frail and fragile tether stretched between their souls, a connection almost too potent to bear, yet too stubborn to fray.
[Trial Complete.]
Emotional Sync: 98%
Pact Status: Reinforced — Phase III Achieved
New Passive Unlocked: "Shared Echo" — You now have the capacity to hear each other's thoughts during moments of extreme emotional stress.
Hours later, back in the safety of their sanctuary, they sat together enveloped in a profound quiet that spoke with clarity louder than words ever could.
Neither one dared to broach the subject of what had transpired, both knowing the significance of the uncharted boundaries they had navigated.
However, when Raze extended his hand toward her, seeking solace, seeking connection—
She did not pull away.
And when he softly whispered, "I'm still here," the uncertainty, the turmoil, hung heavily in the air.
Velzeria did not respond with words, yet the tether between them pulsed once more—a warm and reassuring sigh in the space that separated them.
Alive.
Unbreakable.
Together.
To be continued...