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Chapter 164: The Mirror of Final Resolve
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Act I: A Chamber of Still Fire
The Gallery opened into a hall where the air shimmered like embers, yet no flame burned.
Ne Job stepped forward, Twinkle buzzing low, its glow steady but tense.
Ao Bing muttered, "This place feels like the end of something."
Taiyi Zhenren scribbled quickly. "The mirror here… it waits."
At the center stood a mirror glowing faintly, its surface pulsing like a heartbeat.
It spoke in a voice deep and unwavering:
> "I am the Mirror of Final Resolve. I hold what is chosen, what is endured, what is completed."
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Act II: The Weight of Decision
The interns gazed into its surface.
Visions unfolded, showing crossroads where hesitation had lingered too long.
Ao Bing saw battles where indecision cost lives.
Taiyi Zhenren saw scrolls left unfinished, truths half-written.
Ne Job saw miracles suspended, never enacted, waiting endlessly.
Twinkle pulsed firmly, resonating with the glow.
The mirror whispered:
> "To guard me, you must decide without retreat."
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Act III: The Mask's Intrusion
From the shadows, the Mask of Misrule hissed.
> "Resolve is mine to break. I will twist decision into regret, and regret into chaos."
The Mirror of Endless Deception flickered, shards gathering again.
The Mask reached toward Final Resolve, trying to fracture its heartbeat into hesitation.
Ao Bing staggered. "I can't choose!"
Taiyi Zhenren trembled. "My scrolls blur!"
Ne Job steadied them. "Resolve is not perfection. It is the courage to act."
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Act IV: The Trial of Resolve
The Mirror of Final Resolve spoke:
> "Intern, to protect me, you must choose."
Ne Job gazed into its pulsing surface.
He saw himself wavering, doubting, delaying.
He whispered:
> "I will act. I will decide. I will endure."
The mirror glowed brighter, its heartbeat steady.
Twinkle pulsed strongly, harmonizing with the glow.
Ao Bing's fists steadied.
Taiyi Zhenren's scrolls cleared.
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 resolve into regret, scattering the interns into paralysis.
Ao Bing staggered. "My choices feel wrong!"
Taiyi Zhenren trembled. "My words collapse!"
Ne Job stood firm. "Resolve is not regret. It is truth carried forward."
The awakened mirrors — Patience, Friendship, Courage, Sorrow, Endless Paths, Forgotten Names, Silent Echoes, Shattered Promises, Hidden Truths, Eternal Doubt, Living Light, Boundless Hope, Unbroken Unity, Eternal Harmony — joined with Final Resolve.
Their glow struck the Mask's illusions.
Hesitation became clarity.
Deception dissolved.
Twinkle hummed, resonating with the Miracle Registry.
Ao Bing laughed, fierce and kind.
Taiyi Zhenren footnoted every choice restored.
Ne Job stood firm, resolve and truth united.
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Act VI: The Mirror's Gift
The Mirror of Final Resolve calmed, its surface shimmering with steady light.
It whispered:
> "Intern, resolve is not chaos. It is the strength to complete. 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 resolve today. But hesitation always waits."
The Gallery fell silent.
The mirrors glowed.
And Ne Job walked on, ready for what lay ahead.