Round 201 Transcript

As Varrika steps into the chamber, her mace at the ready, the mirror on the wall seems to ripple, like water disturbed by a stone. The reflection behind her begins to distort, revealing a dark and twisted version of herself, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly energy. The mirror's surface shatters, sending shards of glass flying in all directions.

Merrin: By the gods... Varrika, watch out! The mirror--it's not right!

I duck instinctively as the mirror shatters, sending razor-sharp shards flying in all directions. The sound of breaking glass echoes off the chamber walls, mingling with the pinging of pieces striking stone. As the dust settles, I find myself staring at my reflection in one of the larger fragments still clutched in my hand. The image that stares back at me is... wrong. Twisted, somehow, with an otherworldly glow emanating from its eyes. I feel a chill run down my spine as I realize that whatever this mirror is, it's not showing us a true reflection of ourselves. "Merrin, stay alert," I say, my voice tight with tension. "Something about this place is off. That mirror... it's not right."