The afternoon was pleasant.
A warm breeze, a faint autumn scent, children's laughter, and the metallic roar of rides painted a nearly perfect scene.
Despite having recently gone through a haunted house, the three of them wandered from stall to stall—throwing darts, sharing cotton candy, trying their luck at duck fishing.
Urano, Evelin, and Mitch were having too good a time.
Especially Urano and Evelin.
For the first time, it felt like they had truly survived the story.
No system messages.No special events.No narrative warnings.
Everything was… normal.
They had spent four days in this world. Only two remained before returning home.
For once, everything seemed headed toward a quiet ending.
A happy ending.
"Brother! Brother! I want to ride that one!" Mitch shouted, pointing at a small roller coaster.
"Sure. Here." Urano handed him three dollars. He glanced at Evelin, still pale from the previous ride, and decided. "You go first. We'll go together next time."
"Aren't you coming?" Mitch asked softly.
"You go," Urano said with a warm smile. "I just ate. Let's go to the mirror maze after."
"YES!" Mitch cheered, running toward the line.
Urano and Evelin sat on a nearby bench.
"You really like Mitch," Evelin said.
"He reminds me of my brother," Urano replied quietly. "I based Mitch on him… or at least on how I remember him as a kid."
Conversation drifted. Confessions followed. Ice cream was shared.
For a moment, everything felt real.
Normal.
Then they entered the mirror maze.
As distorted reflections surrounded them, Urano felt it.
A prickling at the back of his neck.
Like someone was watching him from an impossible angle.
His instincts—sharpened from a previous life—screamed danger.
He stopped.
Faced a tall mirror.
And saw it.
A tiny, perfectly crafted clown standing on the other side of the glass.
CUCU.
Urano's heart dropped.
Impossible. No system message. No penalty.
No time to think.
He tore the red-cross bracelet from his wrist.
It unfolded—shaping itself into a sword far too large for his body.
He lunged forward.
CRASH.
Glass exploded.
When the shards settled, CUCU was gone.
Only broken reflections remained.
Seconds later, Evelin rushed back, holding Mitch's hand.
"What happened?" she demanded, staring at the shattered mirror and the sword in Urano's hands.
Urano tightened his grip on the hilt.
One thing was clear.
The game wasn't over.
A note from Yael Corvus
Follow me on my Facebook account, there you can find the latest changes and other short stories.
https://bit.ly/45aFmECI hope these illustrations enhance your experience.:
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