The morning air in Lirael was cloaked in thick mist. The distant clinking of metal rang out the Guardians' training camp was coming to life earlier than usual. But inside the old hall of the Ars Vitae library, Kaelen sat motionless among the shadowed shelves, staring at the newly discovered antique mirror.
It didn't reflect his image like a normal mirror. Instead its surface was dark, pulsing gently like black water. Behind him, Elyra clutched an old manuscript, her breath heavy.
"This isn't an ordinary mirror," she whispered."It's... a window to Semivis."
Kaelen turned quickly. "Are you sure? Semivis is just a myth."
Elyra looked at him, her eyes shadowed by old wounds. "Just like we once thought the Veil was only a fairytale."
Dim light from the window illuminated carvings on the mirror's frame they resembled tree branches reaching outward. The symbol of the Veil Tree, but broken, cracked at the center. As if someone or something had tried to sever the connection between two worlds.
Suddenly, the mirror's surface trembled. From within, a flicker appeared then a shadow. A hooded figure, faceless, raised a hand... and pointed directly at Kaelen.
"It knows we're watching," Elyra murmured.
Kaelen stepped forward, heart racing.
"What does it want?" he whispered.
Then a voice whispered not from Elyra, not from outside, but directly into his mind:
"You have awakened the Third Eye. The path to Semivis has been opened. You cannot turn back."
Kaelen staggered backward. But before he could speak, the mirror cracked the sound of shattering echoed loudly. A black mist poured from it, swirling, enveloping them.
And then... everything went dark.