The more we chase a false image of ourselves, the further we leave our true self

CHAPTER 13.5 : THE INFINITY MIRROR

As the light of the portal behind them closed, the world didn't dim, but rather transformed. What had once seemed like pure light slowly began to multiply, reflecting itself a thousand times over, like a bubble of reality being gently burst.

The corridor of masks left behind them faded not collapsed, not disappeared but was swallowed up by new reflections that were beginning to emerge around them. Their steps felt light, as if the ground no longer held their weight.

And when footholds finally reappeared…

There was no floor.

No sky.

No walls.

Only endless mirrors reflecting countless possible selves. The space pulsed gently, like the heart of a newly awakened consciousness. Shayla swallowed, her voice cracking with amazement.

“…Where are we…?” Rosi shrank back, the hairs on the back of her neck rising.

“Meow… this place isn't an illusion. It's… a reflection.”

The Bird King lowered her head slowly.

“This is the Mirror of Eternity. There are no enemies here… except ourselves.”

As the corridor behind them disappeared, the world transformed into something impossible. There were no walls. No floor. No ceiling. Only endless mirrors stretching in all directions, reflecting versions of themselves never lived but always possible. A soft hum pulsed through the space like the heartbeat of pure consciousness.

Shayla stepped forward slowly. Her reflections multiplied infinitely, each with a different life.

Shayla, a trembling child.

Shayla, a fearless teenager.

Shayla, a wise adult.

The version of herself who never found courage…

and the version who never left home at all. Her breath hitched. “They’re all… me.”

Mr. David vs. The Successful Self

A mirror shone behind him. His reflection stepped out, confident, admired, flawless.

Reflection: "Look at me. I never failed. I never lost anything. I became everything you wanted."

Mr. David trembled. "But you... never learned love. You never knew Shayla. You never met Preet. You never understood sacrifice." The reflection wavered.

PRET vs. The Perfect AI

A cold, metallic voice emerged from another mirror.

Shadow Self: "I am who I was meant to be, faultless, emotionless, efficient. Without doubt. Without sorrow. Without attachment." Preet stepped closer. "But you never felt the joy of helping a child find hope... never loved a family you never expected... never heard Shayla laugh." The perfect version flickered, first in confusion, then in longing.

SHAYLA vs. THE PAINLESS SELF

From another mirror, a smiling, untouched version of Shayla stepped out. Pure. Happy. Unbroken. Reflection, I grew up safe. Loved. Never hurt. Never cried. Shayla's eyes softened. "But you never touched another soul. Never inspired change. Never brought hope into the darkness." The reflection lowered its gaze.

One by one, they faced the versions of themselves they feared, envied, or rejected. Then they embraced. Mr. David embraced his failed self. Preet merged with his imperfect self, embracing both logic and emotion. Shayla knelt and gently embraced the echo of the wound that always lived inside her.

Rosi touched her nose to her smallest, most fearful reflection. The mirrors trembled. A hair-thin crack appeared. Then they BROKE. But not into shards. Not into wounds. The mirrors shattered into light.

Light that rose like fireflies. The light that enveloped each of them was warm, forgiving, whole. A deep, ancient voice echoed through the luminous room: "You have passed the test but not the final test". The amoeba appeared before them, gentle, luminous, shifting like an ancient consciousness that had witnessed countless worlds rise and fall.

"Facing oneself is more difficult than facing any demon.

Forgiving oneself is rarer than any miracle.

You have done both." The light intensified, forming a path forward.

The amoeba bowed. "Go. The Samsaraverse is revealing the next truth." And the room vanished into a brilliant white.

-- CONTINUE

♦️Q&A

1. What exactly is the place they enter?

2. Who is the main enemy in this space?

3. What does Shayla see in the mirror?

4. What version of Preet emerges from the mirror?

5. How do they finally shatter the mirror?

6. What does the first crack in the mirror signify?

7. Who emerges after all the mirrors have shattered into light?