Chapter 81: The Price of Reality

As Lu Chen stepped into the mirror, he held his breath, bracing himself for the possibility of being impaled or bisected. Yet, the realm beyond the glass was eerily quiet and dim, offering no hint of peril.

He drew a shallow breath, the scent of decay filling his nostrils as he cautiously surveyed his surroundings.

The distorted reflection of himself that had populated the mirror was gone, replaced by a blood-soaked garment lying on the ground, its fibers seemingly fused together. No other version of him materialized on the opposite side of the mirror; only Lily of the Valley remained, clutching a vine, standing silently in the corridor.

Beside the gruesome blood-garment lay a knife, perfectly sized for shredding fabric.

Lu Chen retreated two steps, re-entering the corridor with seamless ease. The mirror itself was intangible, making destruction impossible. He surmised that the “ugly thing to be shattered” must refer to the blood-garment lying before him.

With a firm resolve, he approached the mirror once more. He flattened the blood-garment, crouched beside it, then took up the rough-textured scissors and plunged them into the fabric.

“Shhhhiiing—”

The blades gnashed, and the fabric ripped apart. Despite being encrusted with rust, the scissors proved as lethally sharp as a guillotine, cleaving through the cloth with minimal effort.

The dull, solitary snip of the blades continued for a prolonged moment, transforming the blood-stained garment into a scattering of neatly cut strips. Fearing insufficient destruction, Lu Chen meticulously reduced these strips into thumb-sized fragments.

With utmost care, he replaced the scissors exactly where he found them, then swiftly moved back to the other side of the mirror. The change was instantaneous.

All the mirrors lining the corridor had transformed into pristine, unblemished flat surfaces, their dust and scratches miraculously vanished. His reflection now appeared robust and normal, entirely free of the grotesque distortions from before.

Yet, unlike the solemn Lu Chen, this reflected version of him wore a subtle, satiated smile, as if having just enjoyed a lavish feast. While Lu Chen was clad in a simple casual shirt and an inexpensive jacket, his mirror counterpart sported a perfectly pressed, impeccably tailored suit, his scuffed sneakers replaced by sleek leather shoes.

Moreover, the mirrored Lily of the Valley also smiled contentedly, adorned in an exquisite gown that surpassed any formal attire. She met the gaze of the real girl outside the mirror in profound silence.

Lily of the Valley gazed at her reflection, a slight furrow in her brow, before addressing Lu Chen.

“The labyrinth seems to have changed.”

Lu Chen nodded.

“Yes. Before we came in, you mentioned a special magic flowing through the labyrinth, didn’t you? This must be the effect of that magic.”

“Effect?”

Lu Chen raised a hand, touching the mirror he had just traversed. This time, his fingers met only cold, unyielding glass. He met his own gaze in the reflection and began to explain.

“Yes. These funhouse mirrors likely symbolize ‘defining reality.’ Before I shredded the blood-garment, the other mirrors within this one were all flat mirrors, inconsistent with our actual reality.

“Conversely, the severed arm you perceived, and the blood-garment I witnessed, were tangible objects present in our reality. Their manifestations served as obstacles within the mirror world.

“After I shredded the blood-garment, these obstacles were destroyed. Consequently, the real world also underwent a transformation.”

“Specifically, it turned the defiled, distorted funhouse mirrors into brand-new flat mirrors… which means, it brought the scenes from the mirrors into reality.”

“Meaning…?”

Lily of the Valley’s tone was laced with confusion; she had clearly not grasped the full explanation. Lu Chen, opting to bypass further intricate details, rephrased.

“What it means is, if that message is true, when we shatter the third item within the mirror, the labyrinth will change once more, causing the Heart of the Moon to appear. For now, let’s continue onward.”

“Understood.”

Lu Chen raised his flashlight, its beam cutting through the gloom. Beside him, Lily of the Valley conjured white flowers, and together they pressed onward through the dim corridor.

With each step, the pervasive musty odor gradually faded, replaced by the delicate, lingering fragrance of Lily of the Valley’s flowers. Lu Chen advanced deliberately, the pale beam of his flashlight tracing a moving circle of light across the darkened floor.

“Shh, shh—”

After several more minutes, a soft, rhythmic rustling suddenly emerged from the corridor, reminiscent of drum brushes gently caressing a drumhead. This was swiftly followed by the languid strains of jazz music, compelling Lu Chen to halt his steps.

Lu Chen turned, his eyes meeting Lily of the Valley’s. With renewed focus, they lightened their steps, slowly proceeding towards the source of the music.

Rounding a corner, their objective immediately came into view.

In the dim light, an exquisitely adorned full-length mirror stood sentinel in the corridor’s center. Its surface was bright and pristine, its wooden frame carved with intricate, elegant patterns that suggested an ancient castle relic. A brand-new gramophone stood silently beside it, serenading the mirror with a cheerful melody.

Lu Chen didn’t spare a glance for the ornate frame or the gramophone. His gaze was fixated, almost glued, to the scene within the mirror, and his fists clenched without conscious thought.

The mirrored corridor appeared bright and expansive, with glass chandeliers dangling from the ceiling, their myriad candles casting a vibrant, dancing glow.

The mirrored Lu Chen still wore a look of contented joy, cradling a photo album in his hands—the very album that held every photograph, every cherished memory of him and Xia Shi.

“No need to say more, this is the second ‘ugly thing’ that needs to be destroyed.”

‘Lu Chen was certain the true album remained safely in his home, impenetrable to theft under the watchful eye of the accursed Arrogance. The album in the mirror was merely a phantom.’

‘—But even the destruction of an illusion caused his expression to falter.’

Lily of the Valley observed Lu Chen’s hesitation. She stared intently into the mirror, her voice dropping to a low tone.

“Let me do it this time.”

“What do you see?”

‘Just a few hours of toys, nothing special.’

Unstable emerald light shimmered in Lily of the Valley’s eyes. ‘Those toys are nothing significant to me,’ she thought. Yet, in Lu Chen’s heart, Xia Shi would always be paramount.

She silently accepted the vine from him, offering no further words.

Lily of the Valley subtly clenched her fists, offering herself a silent encouragement, then stepped directly into the mirror. As if sensing her presence, the photo album vanished. Lu Chen watched Lily of the Valley fixating on a spot just before her toes, but to his perception, the area was empty, revealing only pristine, neatly arranged floor tiles.

Amidst the languid melodies, the girl’s reflection materialized a magical hammer, which she brought down fiercely upon the ground.

“Dong!”

A dull, resounding thud echoed through the air, and the jazz music, already cheerful, softened into an even more tranquil cadence. The vine hammer had left a deep indentation in the floor, and Lily of the Valley slowly ceased her actions.

She stared at the indentation in silence, the hand that held the hammer falling to her side, and remained wordless for an extended moment. Lu Chen gently tugged the vine he held, prompting the girl to finally turn her head.

The moment she stepped out of the mirror, the corridor shimmered and brightened. A line of glass chandeliers abruptly descended from the ceiling, their flickering candlelight bathing the floor tiles and walls in a warm glow.

The previously damaged and uneven floor tiles now fit together perfectly, smooth and flawless as if brand new. Intricate, finely drawn patterns even adorned their surfaces. In a blink, the entire corridor became as breathtakingly beautiful and opulent as its mirrored counterpart, resembling a castle from a fairy tale. Yet, Lily of the Valley remained oblivious to these transformations, her face etched with lines of profound weariness.

She looked at Lu Chen, her tone calm.

“Let’s go. Let’s finish this quickly.”

Lu Chen did not press Lily of the Valley for details about what she had destroyed. The two walked in silence, traversing corridor after corridor, turning corner after corner, until they reached the labyrinth’s exit.

The exit gate stood wide open, offering a clear view of the sunlight and grassy expanse beyond. A few steps, and they would be free. Yet, a final mirror stood sentinel beside the opening.

“This is it.”

Lu Chen hurried to the mirror, and the moment his gaze fell upon its depths, his entire body stiffened.

Within the mirror stood a solitary clothes hanger, draped with a formal gown. Its crimson skirt swayed ever so slightly.

The gown was exquisitely charming, still adorned with the bow Lu Chen had pinned to its waist years ago. Yet, its chest and abdomen were saturated with vast patches of fresh blood, bearing horrifying rips and gashes everywhere, resembling a scarecrow that had endured a thousand cuts.

This was Xia Shi’s formal gown. She had worn this battle-skirt in every single engagement… including her very last.

****

Above the hanger and the battle-skirt, a crescent moon pendant floated suspended in the air.

As per the three cryptic hints, this was the final “ugly thing” that needed to be destroyed, relinquished, the barrier standing between reality and cherished dreams.

Lily of the Valley approached Lu Chen’s side, her gaze fixed, vacant, upon the mirrored clothes hanger.

She saw the identical clothes hanger, the same crescent moon pendant, but instead of the battle-skirt, a tiny child’s outfit hung from it.

Her face gradually paled, and her shoulders began to tremble almost imperceptibly. Yet, she ultimately clenched her fists, then conjured a vine and pressed it into Lu Chen’s hand once more.

“Mr. Lu, I’m counting on you.”

Lily of the Valley secured the vine around her waist and swiftly stepped into the mirror. She carefully unhooked the child’s outfit, gently laying it upon the ground, before raising her vine hammer high above her head.

Her gaze was locked on the blood-soaked garment, her lips pressed into a tight, white line.

“Thud.”

The vine hammer struck the child’s outfit with brutal force, its thorny tendrils almost instantly ripping the garment to shreds. But Lily of the Valley did not falter, swinging the heavy hammer down again with all her might.

Then came the third, the fourth, the fifth strike… The dull thuds continued as she wearily brought the hammer down. The tiny child’s outfit had long since been reduced to fragments, the floor tiles beneath it cracking and shattering in layers, and the girl’s wrists slowly deformed, growing red, swollen, and twisted.

“Bang.”

After what felt like an eternity of relentless blows, the vine hammer finally succumbed, shattering into dark green splinters. Lily of the Valley panted heavily, her chest heaving uncontrollably as she stared at the devastated ground before her.

She cast aside the remains of the hammer, her breathing slowly steadying. Only then did she become aware of the gentle tugging of the vine at her waist. Numbly, she lifted her head and stumbled out of the mirror.

The corridor had reverted to its original state. The glass chandeliers, once adorned with candles, were gone; dust and the scent of decay had returned to the air, and the mirrors on either side were once again marred with scratches.

Lu Chen quickly advanced to Lily of the Valley, extending his open palm towards her. A crescent moon-shaped pendant rested quietly within his hand, emitting a soft, silvery luminescence.

He softly replied:

“…That was arduous.”

“…Mm.”

Lily of the Valley carefully accepted the pendant, a soft murmur escaping her lips. She stared at the pendant for a long moment, her still-childish face suddenly crumpling into a grimace, and tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.

Lu Chen sighed softly, then walked out of the labyrinth with the girl.

Deep within the prison, Envy was curled in a corner of his cell. He suddenly felt a profound shift, and a maniacal grin erupted across his face.

“They got it!”