The First Screening
One day, a movie appeared with posters plastered on every corner of the city. Its title: “The Realm of Broken Mirrors.”
There were no trailers. No online presence. Not even a single leak on the internet. There were only the posters… and a mystery that gnawed at the public’s curiosity like a starving predator. The screening was set for Wednesday at 8:00 PM.Most people, unable to resist the itch of the unknown, decided to go. It was as if an invisible hand was pushing everyone toward the theater, a silent command they couldn't refuse. But there was one thing they didn't know: this movie would change their lives forever. That single step, taken out of curiosity, was actually their final walk toward the end.When Wednesday arrived, the cinema was unnervingly crowded. The lobby buzzed with the same frantic questions:— “What kind of movie is this?”— “There’s literally nothing online, just the poster… What’s the plot?”— “It must be a brilliant marketing strategy.”— “Watch it be a total flop, probably just some cheap indie flick…”The lights in the hall dimmed into a heavy darkness. On the massive screen, the title appeared in cold, sharp letters: “THE REALM OF BROKEN MIRRORS.”Then, a single question followed:“ARE YOU READY TO FACE THE TRUTH?”Suddenly, a flash of light exploded—brilliant enough to blind. Everyone was forced to shut their eyes, shielding themselves from the searing glare.When they opened them again… they were no longer in the cinema.They stood in the heart of a pitch-black forest. Dim moonlight filtered through the canopy, reflecting off countless shards of broken mirrors scattered across the forest floor. As people looked at their own reflections, screams began to tear through the night.Their faces were covered in horrific burns and open wounds. Their hair was falling out in clumps, and their flesh looked as if it were rotting away right on their bones. They looked like monsters—revolting, alien, and terrifying.The movie hadn't just started. It had become their reality.
Panic exploded instantly.
— “Aaaa! Where am I? What are these creatures?!”
— “Look at your own face first!”
— “How did we get here?!”
— “I want to go back!”
— “Is this a nightmare?!”
Screams, sobs, and the heavy silence of shock collided in a storm of chaos. In the middle of the madness, a woman appeared atop a high jagged rock. She held a microphone, her vibrant red curly hair glowing with a haunting, ethereal beauty.
“Welcome to the Realm of Broken Mirrors,” she said, her voice cutting through the noise. “I am Mirelda.”
The crowd turned on her with fury:
— “Tell whoever brought us here to let us out!”
— “What are we doing in this hellhole?!”
— “Look at what happened to our bodies!”
Mirelda’s expression turned ice-cold. “Shut up!” she roared.
The forest went silent. She lowered her voice to a dangerously calm tone. “Furthermore, I didn't drag anyone here by force. You all came of your own free will. You followed your curiosity, didn't you?”
The crowd erupted again:
— “We came for a movie, not this disgusting place!”
— “How were we supposed to know a movie would bring us here?!”
— “Get us out of here now!”
“Silence! Silence!” Mirelda shouted again. “You won't be staying here forever. Well... provided you win.”
— “Win what?!”
— “Stop this nonsense!”
— “Send us back!”
“If you keep talking like this,” Mirelda said, her voice dropping to a whisper that felt like a blade, “you will stay in these monstrous bodies for eternity. We have five games. The first four will be played in teams of six. The final game will be individual. And only one of you… only one will return to the world you know.”
The crowd surged with rage:
— “This is madness!”
— “Only one person?! What happens to the rest of us?!”
“Stop screaming like frightened children, or you will rot here forever,” Mirelda snapped. “You will play these games in your current forms because outward appearance is a lie. Here, you play as your true selves. If you win, you will regain your former beauty. If not...”
She smiled, a sight more terrifying than the forest itself.
“Let the selection begin.”
