They were literally reflections, not existing behind the mirror but in it. To even say they were human was obviously incorrect but their hoods concealed their faces so it was hard to tell what they were. Long robes that were decorated with golden trims around the sleeves and hood covered their thin but awkwardly long bodies. Even though I didn’t see a single speck of skin or any other discernible characteristic, I could tell they were ancient.

My stomach churned with anxiety.

“Adventurer,” the same one repeated, drawing it out in exactly the same way as before. “We come with a message.” The speaking one breathed deeply, as if talking was too laborious to continue but apparently it wasn’t. “A danger approaches and you are unprepared. Seek out the Beast. She will teach you and guide your development. Your companion knows her by her human name, Kelia. You must-”

“Excuse me? You’re not even gonna introduce yourselves? Who even are you people? How can we even trust you,” Hana interrupted, looking as perturbed as she sounded, not at all impressed by the display before her.

“Do not test us, mortal.” The words he spoke carried a deep and bitter venom. “This is no ploy.” He spat the last word.

Well, I’ve seen tricks like this before. I don’t trust you one bit.” The haughtiness that I experienced before had returned to Hana’s voice and she crossed her arms contemptuously. I stared at her arrogance in disbelief. These things were talking inside a window using some kind of magic and she chose to argue with them? It would have been completely surreal had I not just spent the better part of the day in her company.

“I’m not testing you. I’m just not buying whatever you’re selling. You should find some other people to pick on instead.”

“The tides have turned. Moves have been made. Zeckmas was killed and now your lives are at stake.”

Hana went deathly silent at the mention of the Arch-High Mage and I saw the tremble in her hands return. The prior haughtiness. Was it a defense? A protection against the gruesome scene we had witnessed?

The mention of the mage sickened me too. Had I been trying to defend against it? My knees were suddenly weak but the voices in the window continued to speak.

“You are now a player in the Diviner’s Deck. As we said before, seek out the woman named Kelia. She will be your guide.”

I felt Hana twitch beside me. “The Diviner’s Deck,” she breathed.

The surrounding street was utterly still, not a single soul stirring.

“Do not trust those who make promises of great power and a life of comfort. Their aims are for their own well-being and positions.”

I wanted to ask what these people’s aims were but I didn’t have the courage to utter it.

“Why are you delivering this message? Who are you working for?” Hana asked quietly, with much less bite than before. There was a gravity now, in her tone.

“You will meet the One soon enough, adventurer. Acquire power and knowledge. Those will be your greatest weapons.”

They disappeared without any ceremony or pomp. One second we were staring at three hooded figures and the next we were looking at reflections of ourselves in the dim streetlight.

♠

Hana decided it would be best to go immediately, apparently having come to the conclusion that the mirror people were legitimate. It had even started raining but that didn’t deter Hana from driving me onwards. She didn’t come with me, instead providing directions to reach Kelia’s house as there were other things she needed to tend to.

I didn’t have an umbrella for the rain and it was a forty-five minute walk, taking me outside the city proper, meaning that I was essentially entirely soaked before even making it halfway.

Hana had told me just to follow the main river that cut through the city and countryside so that’s exactly what I did. Once I reached the Ashwood tree, her house would come up shortly. I didn’t know what an Ashwood tree was but somehow, as if by divine intervention, I stumbled across her house.

It was cabin-like in its structure but much longer than I had ever seen before. It must have had four or five rooms in it, at least. A wood porch led up to the front door and multiple windows adorned each side of the house, light pouring out in the now-pitch black night. A steady stream of smoke billowed and branches stretched out over the roof like long, thin arms.

The lady that greeted me at the door was tough. You could see it in her face. She must have been around forty and it seemed life had already done a number on her. She limped, one leg not bending properly but if it was causing her pain, her stern face didn’t show it

“What do you want?” The question didn’t hold a hint of friendliness. I could just tell that she had asked this a million times before and chased enough ruffians off her porch with a broom.

“Hi…” I said, as awkwardly as humanly possible. “I’m Griffin. Uh… Hana sent me.” While Hana did, in fact, order me to say that I was indeed sent by her, the fact that I was soaking wet, standing on her porch and looking like a random hooligan was not lost on me.

She nodded slowly, as if deciding what to do.

”Why are you wet?” Her tone was utterly deadpan.

“Um, well, it's been raining and your house is a long walk from where I’m coming from.” My teeth were chattering from the cold. I had honestly been afraid that I was going to freeze to death before I stumbled across her house.

“And why did you do that?” Her eyes were boring holes through me. I was definitely not prepared for this.

“Long s-story.” I paused. “Did I mention Hana s-sent me?” I hoped mentioning it a second time would do the trick.

“Yes, you already did.”

I nodded and, not knowing what else to do, looked down at my shoes.

A moment passed in silence.

“Fine. Come in.”

There was no way she didn’t notice my relieved expression and, judging by the way she wrinkled her nose, she probably wasn’t too happy about letting me in.

I stepped inside.

“Bath down the hallway, first door on the right. Just yell when you want hot water and I’ll pull the lever. Leave your clothes out. I can dry them.”

I nodded, so grateful for her taking me in but also not wanting to annoy her anymore, I gave a quick ‘thank you’ and proceeded down the hall, wet shoes sloshing across her nice wooden floorboards. Mom, back on Earth, would have killed me for that.

I pulled off all my clothes as quickly as I could, stopping for a second to marvel at just how blue my skin was, and then put them outside the door, closing it behind me. Even though I knew that she had told me to ‘just yell’, I had trouble doing so, feeling my normal sense of social awkwardness. But I did, because freezing to death was currently not on my agenda.

Water came out of a wooden pipe, vaguely reminding me of the bathhouse in Spirited Away. Slowly the tub filled up and I slipped in, relief washing over me.

There are no words to describe the feeling. I floated in tranquility, letting the steam work its magic.

I washed myself, surprised that while I was legitimately broke I still had been able to bathe with relative frequency. A surprising world.

Thirty minutes might have passed by the time I left the tub, toweling myself off with the only one in the bathroom.

I peeked into the hallway and found my clothes on the floor, folded and entirely dry. I pulled them into the bathroom and put them on. Stepping back out into the hallway, I glanced around. I heard movement over in one of the rooms and made my way over there, hoping to ask Kelia where I could sleep. I also, belatedly, realized she hadn’t introduced herself to me.

As I was making my way over, I heard Kelia yell, “Room on the right.” I looked and found a room all made up. It was simple enough.

I hopped in the bed and promptly passed out, sleep overtaking me faster than I had expected.