Tower of cours

Chapter 8: The Test of Reflection

Elyse stood before the Mirror Room, her heart pounding in her chest. The ornate doorway loomed before her, its frame carved with symbols that glowed faintly in the dim light. She had passed countless trials in the library so far—unraveling riddles, evading shadowy guardians, and deciphering ancient texts that seemed to rewrite themselves. But this was different.

"The Test of Reflection," whispered Niv, her spectral guide, hovering at her shoulder. His pale, translucent form flickered with a nervous energy she hadn't seen before. "Few have made it past this point. You may face truths about yourself that you wish had remained hidden."

Elyse gripped the Key tightly in her hand, its cool surface grounding her. "If I'm meant to be the Keeper, I have to see this through," she said, her voice steadier than she felt.

The door creaked open, and Elyse stepped into the room. It was empty—at first glance. No shelves, no books, no walls. Just an infinite expanse of polished obsidian floor that reflected her image perfectly.

She took a cautious step forward, and her reflection moved with her. But something was wrong. The reflection smiled—a sinister, knowing grin that Elyse hadn't mirrored.

"You think you're ready," the reflection said, its voice a twisted echo of her own. "But are you truly?"

Elyse froze. "What are you?" she demanded.

"I am you," the reflection replied, stepping out of the floor as if the surface were water. It now stood before her, identical in every way except for the unsettling malice in its eyes. "The part of you you've buried—the fear, the doubt, the ambition you pretend isn't there."

Elyse's breath caught. She wanted to deny it, but the words struck a chord deep within her.

---

The reflection circled her like a predator. "Why do you really seek the Library, Elyse? Is it to honor your grandfather's wish? Or is it because you crave the power it offers? The Key doesn't lie—it knows your heart better than you do."

"I—I want to protect the stories," Elyse stammered, gripping the Key tighter. "To guard them, to ensure they're safe."

Her double laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "Safe? Or under your control? What happens when you come across a story you don't agree with? Will you leave it be, or will you rewrite it?"

Elyse felt her chest tighten. Was that what the voice in the shadows had meant when it warned her of the cost of knowledge? Would the power of the Key corrupt her?

---

Suddenly, the reflection held out its hand. "Give me the Key, Elyse. Free yourself from the burden. Let me carry it instead. After all, aren't I just another part of you?"

The Key pulsed in her hand, faintly glowing. Elyse hesitated, staring at the outstretched hand of her doppelgänger.

"No," she said finally, her voice firm. "You may be a part of me, but you are not all of me. I choose to face this burden, to carry it—doubt, fear, and all. Because the stories deserve a Keeper who fights for them, not someone who runs from herself."

Her reflection hissed, its form distorting and shattering into shards of light. The room shifted again, and the obsidian floor dissolved into a soft golden glow. In its place, a single pedestal rose from the ground, and on it sat a book.

This one was unlike the others Elyse had seen. Its cover shimmered as if woven from light itself, and its title read: "The Keeper's Truth."

"You have passed," Niv said softly, his voice filled with awe. "You are worthy of the Key."

Elyse approached the book, her heart racing. She reached out and opened it, its pages glowing with golden script. As she read, she realized it wasn't just the truth of the library—it was the truth of herself, her past, and the future she was destined to shape.

And in that moment, Elyse understood: the Test of Reflection hadn't just been about her. It was about the library itself, a reminder that the stories it held were not just words on a page—they were pieces of humanity, flaws and all. And it was her duty to protect them.