Chapter 99 : Hall of Reflections
Field trips weren't supposed to be terrifying.
At least, not to Elias. But as he stood at the gates of the Hall of Reflections—a cathedral-like relic from the pre-Sundering era, all black stone and glimmering mirrored glass—he couldn't help but tug awkwardly at the hem of his overly formal chaperone robes.
"They could've just let us tour a bakery," he muttered, eyeing the looming structure. "Maybe one with those cheese-filled rolls..."
Next to him, Revantra—newly fourteen and still wrestling with her rapidly maturing limbs—stood with arms folded and one eyebrow twitching. Her uniform skirt had been lengthened (under protest), her boots were slightly too tight, and her crimson eyes were narrowed at the building like it had insulted her ancestry.
"It smells like old guilt," she muttered.
"That's the incense," said Theo from behind, nose buried in the trip pamphlet. "They burn basilisk tears and ashroot to thin the veil between soul and shadow. This place is meant to show you... well, you."
Revantra rolled her eyes. "Why does everything in this city reek of melodrama?"
Theo looked like he was about to list several historical reasons but wisely closed his mouth when Revantra's hand began to emit a little warmth.
The head enchantress clapped her hands. "Students will enter one by one. No teachers inside. Your reflections will guide you. Or haunt you. Either way, remember: the hall shows only what lies within."
"Oh joy," Revantra muttered.
The line moved quickly. Theo vanished inside first, with a nervous backward glance. Several students returned pale-faced. One girl was crying. Another was giggling hysterically. No one seemed to be having a good time.