The investigation began with Song Yao's room.
The mirror stood quietly beside her bed, its silver frame old and mottled, its edges rusted and chipped, yet its surface inexplicably clean and flawless.
The candlelight danced upon its surface. The reflection shimmered. Not wrong, not broken, and just… slightly off.
"Anyone brave enough to approach it?" Ji Ran asked, his voice hushed.
No one moved. The air was heavy with tension.
Then Xing Wang stepped forward, jaw tight. Without a word, he lifted the candle in his hand and brought it closer to the glass.
For a breathless moment, nothing happened.
Then, his reflection in the mirror blinked half a second late.
"Step back!" Song Yao lunged forward, yanking him away just in time.
The reflection snapped back into sync.
But no one felt safe anymore.
"…Let's just cover it," Lin Qiao said in a near-whisper.
They draped a thick cloth over the mirror, then proceeded to check the other two rooms. Though no similar phenomena occurred, unease lingered like smoke in the air. After that, they also checked the rooms without mirrors for safety purposes.
Eventually, the group disbanded, each person returning to their room in silence.
The castle halls were quiet.
I was heading toward the east wing, which was toward my own room, alone. My footsteps were soft, but in the vast silence, they echoed faintly against the stone floor.
Then a voice stopped me.
"Wait."
I turned. Qin Yan was there, leaning casually against the wall just outside the lantern light. His expression was unreadable, but his gaze didn't leave me.
"Why aren't you resting?" I asked quietly.
Instead of answering, he walked over slowly. He stopped at arm's length, his posture relaxed, but there was nothing casual about his stare.
"What do you think about the mirrors tonight?"
"There's definitely something wrong. But we don't have enough to go on yet."
He was silent for a moment. Then he said something I didn't expect.
"You shouldn't be here."
I raised an eyebrow. "And yet, here I am."
"…That's why I'll protect you."
The words were soft. Steady. Not a question, not a request. A decision.
I blinked. My smile faded slightly. "Why do you think I need protection?"
"Because you're not one of them. You're not a regular player."
His voice was low, but unwavering.
"I don't know what brought you here, or what you're hiding, but you're not honest with the others. Not fully."
I turned slightly, my gaze dropping to the floor. The candle in my hand flickered.
"Thank you," I said. "But you don't have to."
"I'm not asking for permission."
Qin Yan's voice followed me as I began to walk again.
"I'm just letting you know that no matter what you want to do, I won't let anything happen to you. Not in this round."
I stopped at the edge of the corridor. My back was to him.
His sincerity pressed against my back like an invisible weight.
After a long pause, I replied:
"Then… do as you please."
I pushed open the door to my room.
The flame of the candle died out behind me.
And the corridor returned to silence.