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Chapter 160: The Mirror of Living Light
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Act I: A Radiant Chamber
The Gallery opened into a hall unlike any before.
Its walls shimmered with prisms, scattering beams of color across the floor.
Ne Job shielded his eyes, Twinkle buzzing in awe.
Ao Bing muttered, "It's too bright."
Taiyi Zhenren squinted, scribbling furiously. "This is no ordinary reflection."
At the center stood a mirror glowing with pure light, its surface alive with shifting hues.
It whispered warmly:
> "I am the Mirror of Living Light. I hold what is revealed, what is shared, what is illuminated."
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Act II: The Weight of Illumination
The interns gazed into its radiant surface.
Each saw truths revealed in ways they had never dared to face.
Ao Bing saw his anger softened by kindness.
Taiyi Zhenren saw his endless notes transformed into wisdom shared freely.
Ne Job saw his miracles shining not as records, but as gifts to others.
Twinkle pulsed brightly, resonating with the glow.
The mirror whispered:
> "To guard me, you must embrace illumination without fear."
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Act III: The Mask's Intrusion
From the shadows, the Mask of Misrule hissed.
> "Light is mine to twist. I will blind with brilliance, scorch with truth, and burn harmony into chaos."
The Mirror of Endless Deception flickered, shards gathering again.
The Mask reached toward Living Light, trying to turn its glow into searing fire.
Ao Bing staggered. "It's too bright!"
Taiyi Zhenren shielded his scroll. "The words are burning!"
Ne Job steadied them. "Light is not destruction. It is guidance."
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Act IV: The Trial of Light
The Mirror of Living Light spoke:
> "Intern, to protect me, you must shine without fear."
Ne Job gazed into its radiant surface.
He saw himself hiding miracles, afraid of their power.
He whispered:
> "I will not hide. I will share. I will shine."
The mirror glowed brighter, its light softening into warmth.
Twinkle pulsed strongly, harmonizing with the glow.
Ao Bing's eyes steadied.
Taiyi Zhenren's scrolls gleamed with clarity.
The Mask recoiled, his corruption faltering.
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Act V: The Clash
The Mask screamed, hurling shards of deception.
Illusions tried to twist the light into blinding chaos, scattering the interns into confusion.
Ao Bing staggered. "I can't see!"
Taiyi Zhenren trembled. "My notes vanish in glare!"
Ne Job stood firm. "Light reveals, it does not destroy."
The awakened mirrors — Patience, Friendship, Courage, Sorrow, Endless Paths, Forgotten Names, Silent Echoes, Shattered Promises, Hidden Truths, Eternal Doubt — joined with Living Light.
Their glow struck the Mask's illusions.
Brightness became clarity.
Deception dissolved.
Twinkle hummed, resonating with the Miracle Registry.
Ao Bing laughed, fierce and kind.
Taiyi Zhenren footnoted every truth revealed.
Ne Job stood firm, light and truth united.
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Act VI: The Mirror's Gift
The Mirror of Living Light calmed, its surface shimmering with gentle radiance.
It whispered:
> "Intern, light is not chaos. It is the gift of truth shared. Guard it 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 light today. But shadows always wait."
The Gallery fell silent.
The mirrors glowed.
And Ne Job walked on, ready for what lay ahead.