School of Dark Legacies. English

Chapter 1: Mirror World

The small English provincial town seemed like a sleepy and peaceful place, where time passed slowly and nothing unusual happened. In this corner of the world lived a sixteen-year-old girl named Eliza.

Her life was simple and calm, like that of many teenagers her age. Her parents, trapped in the routine and obligations of their work - her mother as an office employee and her father as a mechanic - were not even aware of the nightmare hidden in the depths of their family history.

The simple ritual of washing her hands before lunch, which Eliza performed upon returning home from school, turned into an eerie moment that would change her life forever. The bathroom, enveloped in soft lamplight, seemed harmless and cozy. But as she looked into the mirror, something strange happened: Her reflection suddenly took on an eerie tone. The smile that curved her lips became devoid of warmth and sincerity, and the gaze of her reflection, filled with an incomprehensible greed, pierced Eliza's soul like a shard of ice, stirring up an inexplicable sense of unease.

She recoiled and tried to turn away from the mirror, but the haunting reflection drew her in more and more. Involuntarily, she turned her head: The smile on the face of her own reflection widened, taking on a relentless and ominous expression, while she had no reason to smile.

Suddenly, she felt invisible shadows glide over her skin, pulling her inexorably toward the smooth glass surface as if being drawn into a bottomless abyss.Unable to resist her own desires, she reached out her hand and touched the mirror's surface. The cold touch of the reflection seeped into her skin, sending shivers of terror coursing through her entire body.

Moments later, she felt the solid reality begin to blur as if an unseen force was pulling her into the mirror world, where shadows danced in silent harmony and distorted figures smiled eerily. Soon, all her senses sank into an abyss of incomprehensible and distorted perceptions, and the mirror became a portal of absolute darkness.

In the room enveloped in darkness, Eliza sensed ghostly presences, but she could barely discern them. Haunting voices entered Eliza's ears, whispering evil premonitions that drove her to madness. Some of the voices, piercing and frightening, the most persistent of them, enticed her and pleaded for her to stay, while others, filled with coldness and disgust, persistently urged her to run away.

The girl's heart raced, the sounds of her own footsteps seemed like a menacing roar reverberating in the infinity of the mirror-clad walls. Eliza tried to keep a clear mind, but the relentless darkness played with her mind, distorting and twisting everything around her.

Suddenly, a figure materialized before her from the darkness - a flickering shadow filled with hatred and torment. The eyes of this being were ablaze with furious flames that glowed like abysses, devouring light and life. Eliza felt a true horror that penetrated the deepest depths of her being. She realized that this figure was the embodiment of evil, fears, and unspeakable torment.

The figure approached closer and closer, emanating an unpleasant smell of decay and decomposition. It extended its mutilated hand with long, sharp claws. Eliza recoiled, but the terrifying voices continued to echo in her ears, persistently luring her to surrender to the mirror and become its slave forever.

"Go away!" other voices simultaneously cried. "Go away!"

"Gladly," Eliza thought, taking a few uncertain steps back. "But how?"

Eliza knew she couldn't hesitate. Her heart pounded in her chest, flooding her body with waves of concern. Slowly yet resolutely, she moved backward, attentively watching the monster.

She continued to move for a while until she noticed with deep relief that the monster had sunk into the darkness, hidden from her gaze. In that moment, Eliza abruptly turned around, feeling a surge of newfound energy and bravery. She had no intention of giving the monster a chance to catch up with her.