It was early morning. I had rushed to put on my light, battle attire and boots, rushed to shove down my breakfast and rushed to polish Reflecta. The secret that I had neglected to tell you all a while ago was the whole 'polishing' thing.

Reflecta not only can reflect the light, but it's made up of the element of Iridescent. So, not only I had ice powers, but I also had the powers of other elements contained in Reflecta.

Reflecta was like a magician herself.

For something as powerful as Reflecta, I need to maintain it well, right? Take care of it like a precious baby, which is using the one thing that was banned in the entire world.

Molten iridescent crystal. Reflecta was made with iridescent crystals, and it needs iridescent crystals.

I opened the small vessel I had with me; a clear bottle containing molten crystals of different colours and poured it onto Reflecta.

"Cassie, not too slowly," I said. I had a bad feeling about Tracy and tardiness. I quickly let the liquid slide down the blade, and I used a cloth to smoothen it out. It gleamed like starlight.

"Done!" I kicked a box of clothes to the side and bolted out of the door like a madwoman.



***



"Julian is not here, so I'll be in charge," Tracy took slow, and purposeful steps as she eyed us down. We stood in a line, not daring to move an inch. I avoided eye contact as much as possible.

"Just as ordered," she stopped. There was an unpleasant sickness settling in my stomach.

Was she planning to do something that Julian didn't approve of?

Ted and Will stood beside me, and I equally felt their rigid and unsteady energy. At the corner of my eyes, I saw Tracy stop in front of Will, her eyes sliding off his face as she moved again. She took another step, and two... and there she was, in front of me.

She cleared her throat, but I stared past her shoulder. I resisted her stare like the Medusa.

"Today, we're sending someone to the Mirror Palace."

Will shuddered beside me, and the newbies unwisely began to whisper eagerly about the new term. Mirror Palace.

"Do you know?" A girl next to me asked. I shook my head.

Tracy raised her hand, "silence!"

The crowd quietened instantly. Her booming voice shaking everyone's hearts, for sure.

"There's no need to talk!" She said sternly. "We will send someone with experience and skill."

She turned around, reaching the end of the line before she strut back. The tightness in my throat loosened. She was probably not going to pick-

"Cassandra."

What! Since when did she appear in front of me?

She allowed a grin to bloom on her face, and I could feel my doom. "You can go."

I rounded my eyes while the sophomores sighed in relief.

"I think you've made a mistake," was all I could come up with.

Tracy giggled. "Don't be silly! You were great yesterday, everyone saw," she gestured at the others. "Why are you suddenly not experienced today?"

Gauging from Will's tense posture and the fearful look from the other sophomores, I knew it was bad news. I didn't want to go, and I wasn't going to bend under Tracy's threat.

"I'm new here," I added. This time, I met her eyes, "I'm not going."

"So..." Tracy looked to the girl next to me. "You want her to go?"

"Excuse me?" I exclaimed.

The girl shook her head. "No! Cassandra can go!"

Pfffff... guess I don't blame her.

"Stop threatening everyone," Ted stood out from the line. "What you're doing is madness. You know what it's like there!"

"I do," Tracy replied. "I think she can handle it."

Will spoke out next. "Just because she defeated that neon blob yesterday, doesn't mean she's equipped for this. She already said no."

I rounded my eyes at Will's strong tone. I thought he wouldn't be the type of guy to go against authority, perhaps I was wrong.

Tracy narrowed her eyes, glaring at Will. Will simply avoided eye contact with her. Ted cut in, "only the experienced sophomores or seniors get chosen to go to the Mirror Palace at the end of the year. Why are you choosing now?"

"One basic rule we have at the Phoenix Academy is learning to obey orders. I ask you both to get back into the line," her voice was icy cold but Ted and Will refused to budge.

"Tracy, you can't make me," I added. "This is against everything this school believes in."

To be honest, that was bluff. I don't even know the school values.

Hearing this, Tracy laughed, "the school doesn't care!" She pulled out a piece of paper and waved it around my face. I stilled upon seeing my name written on it. She came prepared, it was going to be me all along.

"See your name?" She grinned dangerously. "It'll know who to expect. You cannot avoid the invitation, as you all know."

Ted and Will were silent, and I had a feeling that she was telling the truth. Curse this woman.

"Are you threatening me?" My voice was barely a whisper.

"No," with a sharp flick of her wrist, the paper disappeared in her hands, "this is training."

I gazed at the empty space between her fingers and my whole body didn't feel right anymore.

She widened her grin, "welcome to the Phoenix Academy."



***



I had to use every muscle in my body to resist the urge to pounce on Tracy and strangle her to death.

My shoulders were tense as I trudged to the location of the Mirror Palace, which were unknown to me at that time. All I saw were woods, shadows that stretched a distance not visible to the eyes. A leaf fell on my head and slipped from my dark hair.

Ted nocited by nervousness and gently tugged on my arm. "There are challenges in the Mirror Palace. You have to face them yourself."

"What is the Mirror Palace?" I whispered back. "Why is everyone so scared of it?"

"They keep our worst fears there. Almost like a reoccurring memory or dream," Ted muttered, his eyes alert as he scanned the surroundings. "You have to retrieve something there, but I can't say more. I might make it worse."

"I don't understand..."

"The Mirror Palace has a way of knowing things," Will commented, managing a smile. "You can do this, Cassie. We've seen your abilities back at camp."

"I'm not so sure, Will." I wanted to say but decided against it.

"We're here," Tracy stopped and turned to walk around me. All I saw were dead leaves.

"There's no... palace here."

She laughed, "have fun."

With a rough shove from behind, I was falling into a never-ending dark hole. I released a short cry of panic before I plummeted into cold water.

I spat bubbles, my eyes trying to adjust but I couldn't see a thing. The iciness of the water stung.

No, no, no, can't...

I swam in a random direction. Find a wall, find a wall and move up. Float! I closed my eyes and told myself to swim, and I was right, my fingers felt the rough walls of the hole. I slowly climbed up.

As I did, my head hit a glass panel.

What! No!

My lungs burned and I was in an immense panic now. I was going to die before I even make it to the Mirror Palace.

I went back down and forced my eyes open. In the blurriness of the water, I saw a silver liquid covering the glass panels. And suddenly, I could see myself, staring back at me. They were my reflections.

I blurted out my last set of bubbles and sank, letting the world shift and turn. Time ticked by, and I wasn't sure what happened, but the dizziness dissipated. With my eyes tightly shut, I dared to take a breath.

I could breathe.

When I felt safe enough, I took the courage to peek. I was looking at the water on the other side of the glass. I became my reflection.

"Is this why it's called the Mirror Palace?" I asked myself, testing my voice. I patted down my body. I was real.

The floor tilted, and I slipped. Gravity sucked me back until I was falling in nothingness. I looked to the side, there was another me. She was falling.

"Who are you!" I shrieked.

She didn't reply, her body shattering like a broken vase. Her tears turned into lines of silver.

Fear... was that my fear?

I changed my weight as I saw the ground near. I landed firmly, my eyes darting from side-to-side. I was in a windowless ballroom. The floor covered in expensive, moon-white marble, an invisible coldness creeping around my arms. An unknown breeze would enter, and it would make the chandelier shake.

The rules of nature do not work here.

The walls were covered in mirrors. I crossed my arms and inched away.

"I need to find something," I reminded myself. In a room as big as the one I was in, I felt tiny. Small and powerless. I could sense curious eyes, but I could not identify them. Where would enemies come from in a world without windows or doors?

Search. Just keep searching.

I walked around the empty ballroom, and it was obvious that it won't take long before I knew there was nothing here for me to find.

"Challenges," I whispered. "What challenges, though?"

I turned around and started to a stop. A girl was staring at me, specifically, me. I was staring at myself. She pulled out her own version of Reflecta and approached me. Her stance, her gait and the habitual turn of the sword in her palm was everything I would do. She was the exact copy of me.

When I noticed the change in her speed, I dodged to the side. Her blue eyes changed and they were in the colour of crimson.

I retreated. "Wait, stop!"

I took another leap back when she smashed the sword to the floor. I didn't see the other me, who waited in the shadows to attack. When I turned, it was too late. Too soon, I was sent flying across the room.

I quickly kneeled up, unsheathing my sword.

"Alright, two and counting," I breathed. I tried to stand but pain held me back. I clutched my side and looked down. Blood.

I cursed, my eyes back on my two reflections. They stared at me like an outcast, an enemy.

They lunged at me with their swords raised high. I shoved the first girl to the side, diverting my sword to the other. Our blades met but her force sent me stumbling back.

They're not reflecting the light as I do!

I turned, my sword twinkled under the chandelier light. It blinded one of the girls and I aimed low and struck her on the leg.

ENERGY 100%

A hissing pain made me kneel.

ENERGY 93%

I'm hurting myself?

They were my reflection. Hurt them, hurt me.

The second girl took a blow at my arm.

ENERGY 89%

Before I knew it, there were four of me standing there.

"Reflecta, lend me your elements," I held the sword, the iridescent blade parallel to my face, "lend me a flame that burns."

A sunset hue pulsed through the carvings of the blade and I struck with the force of a blizzard. The reflections were smart and quick; they dodged with agility. And for those that didn't dodge...

ENERGY 82%

"Me..." I emitted wearily, "I am my worst fear. My worst enemy."

One of them took a blow at my shoulder and as I backed away, another one struck from my blind spot, stabbing me in my lower abdomen. Tears stung my eyes as I released a groan. I felt myself collapsing, and soon, I was on my knees, kneeling on a circular rug made with my blood.

ENERGY 67%

Their energies were dropping significantly too.

ENERGY 48%

ENERGY 34%

ENERGY 67%

ENERGY 54%

My muscles shook. They begged me to let the tension go, but if I did, I know I would never get up again. There were moments where I wanted to die. I felt like it would be easier if I just gave my life to them, but something told me to keep going. The very last fight within me.

If defeat was inevitable, then I will be defeated only on my last breath.

As one swung its sword at my head, I jumped. I watched the blade soar under my feet. The moment I landed, I took another blow at one of my reflections. They shrieked in an inhuman noise and stumbled back.

My breath was harsh, the waves of faintness flooded me every now and then. I was losing too much blood and I was running out of time. The reflections I struck one by one all stood up, and more came out from the mirrors on the walls.

Mirrors... mirrors!

They come out of mirrors!

ENERGY 29%

Tears rolled down my face as I forced my exhaustion to stay put. I inhaled a quick breath. Mustering all the energy I had, I whispered, "Reflecta, destroy."

Reflecta granted me with more strength than I asked. Darkness moved like a stormy night, the blue crystal summoned water and trapped them behind me, while the purple crystals extended it's stars and distorted their vision.

I ran for it.

There were mirrors everywhere, and I only had the energy to break one.

Worth the shot.

Warm blood seeped from my wounds, I had to stop to take a breath before I continued. I staggered to the mirror, my sword dragged against the floor.

Almost... there...

I took a blow at my reflection that blocked my way.

Almost...there!

I stumbled but didn't fall.

Almost there!

"This was it," I put my hand on the cold mirror to support myself. You've made it so far.

I threw up my sword and used all my energy to swing it to the mirror. The mirror cracked, shattering like thin ice under a pressure point. They escalated to the side mirror, top mirror... and soon, the crack extended. It travelled to the ceiling; roots barreling through the soil.

My reflections let out a gasp of horror before they cracked like mirrors themselves.

It was over.

I stumbled to the wall and slid to the ground, unable to feel any pain. Numbness... and an emptiness.

I'm dying.

There was silence and then, the explosion of a chandelier.

That's loud... I thought, and my eyes blinked closed.