Time Looped

The message remained on the mirror, mocking Will with its presence. After everything he'd been through, he was finally provided the means to get to class mirrors before anyone else, and yet remained unable to take advantage of it. Even when it came to rule-breaking skills, eternity had added safeguards.

"Just great." Will sighed.

Around him, sounds and jingles from dozens of arcade machines filled the air. Of all the locations in the city, he never expected to find the fifth "mirror nest" in such a place. From what he knew, all nests were always located in large buildings with access to lots of people. Some were larger than others. The mall and Will's school had hundreds of people passing through and the airport dwarfed that by a lot. The bank—the other spot Will had learned about—was on the smaller side, though when considering the offices on top, one could argue that it made up for it.

The retro-arcade was an obvious exception. When packed, which was virtually impossible in this day and age, it might hold a few hundred people. At eight o'clock in the morning, it had more in common with the bonus challenges than anything else. Only half of the local personnel had arrived, and that included a few cleaners. The few people playing there were high-schoolers skipping lessons.

"One more!" a boy shouted. "Double or nothing!"

Will looked over his shoulder. He should have guessed that there was a practical reason for people to come here to play games that were available online. It was difficult to say whether this was a status thing or they were outright gambling. The thought brought a smile to his face. He remembered going to such places as a child. It was his parents who had brought him there to celebrate one thing or another. Even so, it had been fun. Now, the memory seemed so distant, part of a life he no longer had.

"Come on! Just one more!" the loser insisted.

The way things were going, this had a good chance of turning into a scene. Losing interest, Will was just about to walk into the mirror realm and see what he could buy from the merchant to reach a state at which he could take on Daniel. Then something caught his eye.

"You'll just lose again," a very joyful Luke said with a laugh.

The boy looked identical to the looped Will had known, but also very different. The clothes and appearance were the same, but the aura of anger and hatred was missing. All one could spot was sadness hidden beneath a mask of rebellion.

"Get good first," Luke said as the rest of the group laughed, ridiculing his potential opponent.

You gotta be kidding. Will thought.

Moments ago, Lucia had all but threatened him with death should he get her brother involved with eternity. There was a time when he would have wholeheartedly agreed with her. Despite everything, cursing someone with eternity wasn't something he'd wish even on enemies. Sadly, if it meant he'd get a chance to take down Danny, he was willing to make this Faustian deal.

Was that the reason the archer hated him so much in the future? He couldn't blame her. Right now, he hated himself for just thinking about it. At the same time, he already knew what he was going to do. For the paradox which the guide had told him about to become reality, Luke had to be the enchanter. If so, he didn't have much of a choice.

"Hey," Will called out.

Everyone in the group looked at him. They were roughly the same age, and definitely a lot more than him. If it came to a serious fight, there was no doubt that they would lose. Of course, there was no way that they'd know that.

"Mind if I have a go?" he asked.

"Fuck off," one of the boys said.

Luke raised a finger, giving the other a sign to shut up.

"You got cash?" he asked.

So, it was gambling, Will thought. Reaching into his pocket, he took a single coin from his mirror fragment.

"I've got something better." He held it up.

Brought into the real world, the coin glimmered like a piece of silver. One look up close and anyone would be able to tell that it wasn't actual currency, or metal for that matter. Yet, from a distance, it had an unusual allure, drawing the entire group to get a better look. Within seconds, they surrounded Will. Several of them measured him, aiming to determine whether they couldn't just take the item. One tried doing so, but thanks to his rogue's reflexes, Will quickly moved his hand, effortlessly avoiding the attempt.

"What do you say?" he tossed the coin to Luke.

"Doesn't look like cash," the future enchanter said, although anyone could tell he was mesmerized by the item, even more so than his friends. "Have any more of those?"

"I have enough. Cash, too, if you want."

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"Cool." Luke tossed the coin back. "Let's go then." He turned around.

Before he could take a step, Will placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. The action was so fast and seamless that no one noticed it happen until it was already done. Only then did they react in a slightly dramatic fashion, moving back in preparation for a fight.

"How about we try something else before that?" Will let go of Luke's shoulder. "I'll give you the coin if you can grab it before it slides off the mirror." He glanced at the enchanter's mirror.

The suggestion sounded absurd. Any normal person would have suspected something fishy and walked away. In this case, though, there were other factors at play. For starters, the high-schoolers didn't feel threatened or pressured in accepting. From their point of view, there was no downside to the deal. Even if they were to lose, they'd just go to the arcade machine and win that way. If, by chance, Will tried to pull a fast one, there were enough of them to beat him up and take the item, along with any cash he had on him. That wasn't the only reason. As Will had noticed, eternity had already sunk its claws into Luke. The boy couldn't explain or even see the hold the item had on him, but he felt that he needed to own it.

"And if I lose?" he asked.

"I keep the coin and we play a game of your choice," Will said.

"That's it?"

"That's it."

It sounded too good to be true. That's why everyone felt a subconscious curiosity to see what trick Will had prepared for them.

"Okay." Luke crossed his arms. "Show me how it works."

Luke's classmates moved away, giving Will some space. With a nod, Will then casually went to the mirror and pressed the coin against the reflective surface.

"You know how you've heard that smooth surfaces stick to one another?" he let go of the coin.

The object slid down, as if it were falling through air. What none of them could see was that for all intents and purposes, that was exactly what was happening. The coin didn't consider the mirror material, yet with no additional push from Will, it couldn't just enter the mirror realm. Thus, it went straight down, dropping to the carpeted floor.

"Well, it doesn't always happen." Will bent down and picked up the coin. "As long as you catch it before it hits the floor—" he placed it against the mirror again "—it's yours."

The coin "slid" back down once more.

"Simple, right?" Will turned to Luke.

"What's the trick?" Like everyone, Luke felt there was something fishy in all of that.

"You think I'll say?" Will retained a serious expression for a few seconds, then laughed. "Kidding. It's the mirror. Looking at the mirror makes people slower. Your mind thinks it can catch the coin at any point. That's why it gets distracted by the reflection."

The explanation was complete crap that Will had come up with at the moment. Still, it sounded plausible enough to create an invisible challenge in the mind of everyone. It no longer was a case of them being had, but a test of will: would Luke have the concentration to snatch the coin before it fell, or would he get distracted by the mirror?

"Can I touch the mirror?" he asked, giving Will a suspicious look.

"As long as you don't block the path of the coin," Will added. "Also, you can only touch it with your hand. No using clothes or chewing gum."

"Fine." Luke took a step forward, going in front of the mirror. "Go for it."

In the minds of both boys, the moment of truth had arrived. Luke was concerned what trick would be used to cheat him from the glittering prize. Will, in contrast, was concerned whether eternity would accept the archer's brother. If this was the part of the time loop paradox, it was a given, but was this a real paradox, or had he changed everything just by his presence?

"Ready?" Will stood to the side of the mirror, holding the coin at chest height. The strength he used was measured just to the point that the coin made contact with the surface, but not enough for it to pass through.

Luke nodded.

Holding his breath, Will pulled his finger back. The coin fell down towards the floor. Luke reacted almost instantly. Suspecting some kind of trick, he reached for lower than the coin was supposed to go, then adjusted the direction.

His hand slammed against the mirror, blocking the coin in the middle of his palm. Meanwhile, all five fingers had come into contact with the mirror.

Guilt and relief swept through Will. It had been done. Now, he stood a realistic chance of taking down Danny and, in doing so, had condemned Luke to eternity. The worst part was that he didn't feel nearly as bad as he thought he would. Even as he stood there, his mind was already coming up with excuses. After all, Lucia had said that she had ways of leaving eternity. Jace had been offered the option, so once Danny had been ejected, she could free her brother as well.

"Got it!" Luke's friends cheered. Meanwhile, the expression on the boy's face was anything but pleased. He had seen the message appear. His life had already changed beyond recognition; he just needed a few minutes to catch on.

Sorry. Will thought, taking a step back.

Confused, Luke pulled back his hand, then looked at the coin he was holding. Nothing seemed real anymore. It was as if he had been thrown into a dream and was expecting to wake up.

"Good job," Will said. "You get to keep it."

For a split moment, a terrifying thought passed through his mind. Just now, he had turned into the exact person he was trying to kill. Danny had taken advantage of him early in the tutorial phase, guiding him forward, but only to fulfil his own goals. That was exactly what Will had done. To make things worse, he wasn't done with Luke yet. Reflections couldn't interact with challenges on their own, they had to rely on other participants to do it for them.

"Don't worry," Will said, an understanding smile forming on his face. "It gets better."

"Huh?" Luke stared at him. "What?"

Will checked the time on his phone. Less than a minute remained until the end of the standard loop. If eternity had the same effect on Luke as it did on Will, that meant that soon, he'd be thrown ten minutes back to when he was having a competition with his friend. Or maybe there would be some adjustment? Alex had once said that each joining was different. Soon, Will would find out how exactly.

"See you around," the rogue said.