Chapter 60: Unlike me, Phoenix immediately turned to Thanatos. "Can we talk to the mirror demons?" she asked him. "You are the servant of Hades now, you can go anywhere you wish with his permission," he responded, his rich voice echoing against the walls. "How do we get to them?" I asked him, not meeting his gaze. He straightened from where he had been leaning against the wall. "Let's go." He didn't wait for an answer as he walked down a long hall and we raced to catch up to him. Phoenix went to his side right away as she followed him, eager to see the mirror demons, but I hung behind, shy. We arrived at a large chamber with a high ceiling. The walls were made of mirrors, and in each mirror, I could see a different version of myself. Some of the versions were happy and smiling, while others were sad and crying. I felt a sense of unease as I looked at the mirrors. Thanatos stopped in front of one of the mirrors and turned to us. "This is where you will meet the mirror demons," he said. I swallowed hard. Thanatos stepped aside, and Phoenix and I stepped forward. I looked into the mirror, and I saw a reflection of myself. But it wasn't just any reflection. It was a reflection of my soul. I saw all of my flaws and imperfections. I saw all of the things that I was ashamed of. I saw all of the things that I wished I could change. I felt a wave of despair wash over me. I knew that I was not worthy to pass through Hell in confidence. But then, I saw something else in the mirror. I saw a spark of hope. I saw a glimpse of the person that I could be. I took a deep breath and stepped through the mirror. I found myself in a dark and gloomy place. The only light came from the flames that flickered in the torches that were set in the walls. I could hear the sound of my own heart beating in my chest. I could feel the sweat dripping down my back. I knew that I was in danger, but I also knew that I had to keep going. I took a step forward, and then another. I walked through the darkness, and I didn't look back. I took a deep breath and stepped into the light. I found myself in a large chamber. The walls were made of mirrors, and, like before, in each mirror, I could see a different version of myself. Each of the versions had a different emotion that I had once felt. But all of the versions were looking at me with hope in their eyes. I walked forward, opened the only door in the room, and stepped through it with a last glance behind me.
Chapter 61: Phoenix emerged next to me, then Thanatos, along with the hellhounds. She was visibly shaken, just as I was. “Hard room,” Thanatos commented. A pink light flashed before we could answer and we ended up in a whole new room, with a crowd of new creatures. Apparently, those were the mirror demons. One girl in particular came forward to us. “Hey,” she greeted us. “What’s up?” Thanatos emerged from the shadows he had just been in. “Hello Thana,” he greeted. “Hi Thanatos! It’s been forever since you’ve been down here,” she said enthusiastically. Thanatos nodded, then retreated into the shadows. I took a look at her. She was dressed completely in pink, with a stripe of black spiky hair against light brown hair. Along with a devil-like pink tail, pink horns, and gray and pink feathery wings, she had fangs and smelled of something familiar that I couldn’t exactly place. But I could definitely tell that she loved pink. “Blackberries,” Darkness told me. “She likes blackberries. She is the daughter of Hades and Amelia Tansy. Thanatos is her namesake.” Another mirror demon came over to us, looking like Thana but in blue. Apparently everyone had a specific color. “What are you here for?” she asked us. “We are wondering if any of your people have disappeared,” I told her. “No. Now please go,” she hissed. “Have you seen a lady in black hair with brilliant green eyes and a mole on her left cheek?” Phoenix insisted. “Agatha you mean?” Thana asked. “No, we have not. You really shouldn’t annoy Hilda, she is in a bad mood today.” “Wait, so if no one is missing,” I began. “And no one has seen Agatha,” Phoenix continued, paling. Both hellhounds suddenly threw back their ears and growled. “Then she must have found a much more powerful weapon of hell!” a voice laughed gleefully in the back. It was Mom. And with her, was Ember. Author's Note: *hides behind the sofa still eating popcorn, more quietly now*
