The Mirror of Eternal Night

In a secluded corner of the ancient world, where mountains veiled in mist guarded secrets long forgotten, a sorcerer named Esharin toiled on a peculiar creation. He was a hermit, feared for his arcane skills, rumored to dabble in forbidden arts. Using rare crystals, imbued with dark energy under the eclipse of a blood moon, he forged the Mirror of Eternal Night. According to the legends, Esharin’s intent was to glimpse into realms beyond mortality, dimensions cloaked in shadow and silence, where time stretched infinitely. But the mirror became more than a gateway; it became a prison. Those who peered into it would see, not only their darkest fears but their very essence drawn into the dark abyss within. The mirror’s surface held a darkness that seemed to pulse with life, drawing anyone who looked too closely into a trance-like state, their gaze locked to its depths. The Mirror of Eternal Night was thus feared as an object that could claim souls, each one pulled into a shadowy realm where time, light, and life itself ceased.

The Mirror’s Secret Powers: 

Many scholars and adventurers sought to understand the power of the mirror, only to meet tragic ends. Esharin had created a barrier around the mirror—a spell that made it invisible to the ordinary eye, shielding it from those who would exploit its power. But in secluded circles, whispers about the mirror’s abilities persisted. It was believed that beyond the apparent dark reflections, the mirror possessed the power to ensnare its viewers in a trance. Those who dared to focus long enough on its depths would be transported into a shadowy dimension—a plane of eternal night. There, bound souls would wander endlessly, without knowledge of time or memory, entranced by the darkness until they became a part of it. The mirror could never be touched or broken by mortal hands, as it seemed to exist in both realms at once: one foot in the world of light, and the other firmly planted in shadows.

The Mirror’s First Victim

A Stranger’s Intrigue: 

One rainy night, a young adventurer named Kaelen, known for his curiosity and fearless nature, stumbled upon the secret chamber where the mirror lay hidden. Drawn by the soft whispering echoes that called his name, he found himself standing before it. The mirror’s surface was smooth yet dark, like a slice of midnight frozen in glass. Kaelen’s eyes locked onto it, mesmerized by a vague silhouette within, as if something or someone stared back. Suddenly, his surroundings began to fade, his awareness slipping into a dense, swirling fog. The mirror drew him closer, showing him memories he had forgotten—people he’d loved, choices he regretted—all in vivid detail, like phantoms replaying his life.

Lost to the Shadows: 

Days passed, and Kaelen was never seen again. His belongings were found abandoned, a small journal open to the last page he’d written, recounting a dream he had of a dark place with a looming shadow watching him. Rumors spread quickly among the nearby villages, tales of a mirror that could steal souls, pulling them into a world devoid of light, where they would wander endlessly, lost in a place between dreams and nightmares. Some said Kaelen’s soul now roamed an eternal, misty darkness, trapped within the mirror’s infinite night, doomed to relive his regrets and fears. The villagers forbade their children from venturing too far into the woods where the mirror was said to be hidden, for they believed that Kaelen’s spirit lingered there, calling to others to join him.

The Guardian of the Mirror

The Keeper’s Responsibility

Bound to the Mirror: 

With time, the tale of the Mirror of Eternal Night spread, but as many dismissed it as myth, others held onto the legends. One man, known only as the Guardian, had been chosen to protect it. The Guardian was the last in a line of keepers, bound by a covenant made generations ago to watch over the mirror and protect humanity from its curse. His family had sworn to prevent anyone from looking into it, sacrificing their lives to keep it hidden. As a young boy, the Guardian had been told tales of the mirror’s horrors, the darkness within it that could steal one’s soul. Now in his middle years, he bore the weight of his lineage, isolated and alone. The task consumed him, as he watched over the cursed object with a mixture of dread and fascination.

The Burden of Knowledge: 

The Guardian knew the secrets of the mirror. He had studied ancient texts and spoken with shamans and scholars who had warned him that the mirror’s curse was insatiable, that it drew strength from the fear and despair of those it consumed. Though he wished he could destroy it, he knew that any attempt to do so would bring calamity. He understood that his life was bound to it, that if he attempted to flee, the curse would seek him out, drawing him back. Some nights, as he stood guard, he would hear soft whispers, the voices of those trapped within, begging for release. The knowledge weighed on him, knowing that he alone held the mirror’s dark secret, that countless souls had been lost to its depths because of the darkness it harbored.

A Final Attempt at Destruction

Seeking the Forbidden Knowledge: 

As the years passed, the Guardian felt the weight of his duty more heavily than ever. He was haunted by the faces of those the mirror had claimed and plagued by dreams of darkness. Desperate, he ventured to the edge of a forbidden land, seeking answers. There, he found an ancient tome in a hidden library, a book that spoke of objects like the mirror—artifacts that drew on dark magic. After days of study, he discovered a ritual that could sever the mirror’s bond to the world, but it came at a price. The ritual required a life willingly sacrificed, one that was bound to the mirror’s existence. In this, he saw his path: he would offer his own soul to free those trapped within.

Sacrifice for Salvation: 

The Guardian returned to the mirror, his resolve unshakeable. As he prepared to perform the ritual, he looked into the mirror one last time, catching a glimpse of the souls trapped inside. He saw Kaelen among them, a lost figure in a realm of shadows. Taking a deep breath, the Guardian began the incantation, his voice echoing in the empty chamber as he drew a knife across his palm, marking the final bond. His life essence poured into the mirror, and as his strength waned, he felt his soul begin to merge with the darkness. The mirror’s surface shivered, cracks forming like spider webs. With his final breath, the Guardian whispered a word of release. The mirror shattered in a blinding flash of light, filling the room with a warmth it had never known. The souls trapped within rose from the shards, free at last, their forms dissolving into the light.
In the silence that followed, the mirror was no more, and the Guardian’s soul, too, was at peace, a final act of courage bringing an end to the curse of the Mirror of Eternal Night.