The reflection

Late one night, Ayaan was studying alone in his room. His old apartment in the city was quiet, save for the ticking of a wall clock. He stood up to fetch a glass of water and walked past the tall mirror in the hallway — a mirror that had always instilled an unsettling feeling in him.

As he strolled by, something unusual caught his attention.

He halted.

His reflection... remained still.

He blinked. His heart raced.

He lifted his hand. The reflection raised the opposite hand — with a delay — as if attempting to mimic him but unable to keep pace.

Ayaan stumbled backward, his eyes wide. Suddenly, his reflection smiled.

But Ayaan did not.

In a state of panic, he turned and dashed to his room, securing the door. He could hear footsteps behind the wall, pacing back and forth… then halting… right outside his door.

Silence.

Then a soft whisper.

> "Let me in… I want to be real."

Ayaan never opened the door that night. However, in the morning, when the landlord arrived to investigate why the lights were still on...

The room was vacant.

Only the mirror remained — and within it, a faint outline of a man… still smiling.

The landlord took the mirror to the basement, believing it to be merely another antique. However, peculiar occurrences began to unfold in the building following Ayaan's disappearance.

Tenants reported experiencing cold drafts and hearing whispers in the hall. Some claimed to have seen shadows within mirrors that did not belong to them.

One night, Sara — a university student who had moved into Ayaan's former room — was brushing her hair. She noticed that the hallway mirror had somehow reappeared on the wall.

Initially, her reflection appeared normal. But as she continued to gaze…

It blinked twice.

She did not.

Taking a step closer, her reflection remained motionless.

Sara retreated.

The reflection gradually smiled, displaying the same twisted grin that Ayaan had once shown.

That night, she experienced a nightmare.

She found herself inside the mirror. Everything around her was reversed, devoid of color, and silent. She perceived shadows — countless — all observing her from the dark recesses. In the center stood Ayaan.

He appeared pale and hollow, yet his eyes implored her.

> "Do not trust the mirror. It allows them to enter."

She awoke, gasping for breath. She rushed to the mirror. Her reflection gazed back — yet her eyes in the mirror remained wide open.

Despite having blinked.

The following morning, the mirror had vanished once more.

But now… every mirror she encountered began to smile.

The landlord took the mirror to the basement, believing it to be merely another antique. However, peculiar occurrences began to unfold in the building following Ayaan's disappearance.

Tenants reported experiencing cold drafts and hearing whispers in the hall. Some claimed to have seen shadows within mirrors that did not belong to them.

One night, Sara — a university student who had moved into Ayaan's former room — was brushing her hair. She noticed that the hallway mirror had somehow reappeared on the wall.

Initially, her reflection appeared normal. But as she continued to gaze…

It blinked twice.

She did not.

Taking a step closer, her reflection remained motionless.

Sara retreated.

The reflection gradually smiled, displaying the same twisted grin that Ayaan had once shown.

That night, she experienced a nightmare.

She found herself inside the mirror. Everything around her was reversed, devoid of color, and silent. She perceived shadows — countless — all observing her from the dark recesses. In the center stood Ayaan.

He appeared pale and hollow, yet his eyes implored her.

> "Do not trust the mirror. It allows them to enter."

She awoke, gasping for breath. She rushed to the mirror. Her reflection gazed back — yet her eyes in the mirror remained wide open.

Despite having blinked.

The following morning, the mirror had vanished once more.

But now… every mirror she encountered began to smile.