Chapter 157: The Mirror of Shattered Promises
Act I: A Fractured Glow
The Gallery stretched into a chamber where shards of broken glass littered the floor.Ne Job stepped carefully, Twinkle buzzing with unease.Ao Bing frowned. "These mirrors… they're broken."Taiyi Zhenren bent low, examining the fragments. "No, not broken. Shattered deliberately."
At the center stood a jagged mirror, its surface cracked into countless pieces.It whispered faintly, each shard carrying a different voice:
"I am the Mirror of Shattered Promises. I hold what was sworn, then broken."
Act II: The Weight of Betrayal
The interns gazed into its fractured surface.Each shard reflected a different broken vow.
Ao Bing saw comrades who had promised loyalty, then fled.Taiyi Zhenren saw scholars who vowed to preserve scrolls, then burned them.Ne Job saw miracles sworn to endure, but erased from the Registry.
Twinkle pulsed faintly, recording fragments.The mirror whispered:
"To guard me, you must mend what was broken."
Act III: The Mask's Intrusion
From the shadows, the Mask of Misrule hissed.
"Shattered promises are mine. I will twist betrayal into despair, and despair into chaos."
The Mirror of Endless Deception flickered, shards gathering again.The Mask reached toward Shattered Promises, trying to scatter its fragments into dust.
Ao Bing shouted, "He's breaking them further!"Taiyi Zhenren trembled. "Evidence vanishes!"Ne Job steadied them. "Promises may break, but they can be restored."
Act IV: The Trial of Promises
The Mirror of Shattered Promises spoke:
"Intern, to protect me, you must mend what was broken."
Ne Job gazed into its fractured surface.He saw himself failing, faltering, unable to keep his word.He whispered:
"I have broken promises. But I can make amends. I can restore trust."
The shards glowed, pulling together.Cracks sealed.The mirror brightened, whole once more.
The Mask recoiled, his corruption faltering.
Act V: The Clash
The Mask screamed, hurling shards of deception.Illusions tried to scatter the interns' own promises, twisting them into lies.
Ao Bing staggered. "My oath is fading!"Taiyi Zhenren clutched his scroll. "My vow is breaking!"Ne Job stood firm. "We are truth. We are harmony."
The awakened mirrors — Patience, Friendship, Courage, Sorrow, Endless Paths, Forgotten Names, Silent Echoes — joined with Shattered Promises.Their light struck the Mask's illusions.Promises returned, strong and clear.Deception dissolved.
Twinkle hummed, resonating with the Miracle Registry.Ao Bing laughed, fierce and kind.Taiyi Zhenren footnoted every vow restored.Ne Job stood firm, remembrance and truth united.
Act VI: The Mirror's Gift
The Mirror of Shattered Promises calmed, its surface shimmering with renewed light.It whispered:
"Intern, promises may break, but they can be mended. Guard trust well."
Ne Job bowed.Twinkle pulsed softly.The Gallery shimmered, stable once more.
The Mask of Misrule retreated into the shadows, his voice echoing faintly:
"You may resist betrayal today. But broken vows always wait."
The Gallery fell silent.The mirrors glowed.And Ne Job walked on, ready for what lay ahead.