Hope exhaled slowly, reluctantly reaching for the light switch.
A small part of him didn't want to leave the darkness.
It was comforting in a way he couldn't explain.
But he knew better than to stay hidden in the shadows for too long.
The security might be watching.
And more importantly—
Clara.
She struck him as the kind of person who paid attention to details. If she noticed anything strange about him, she might start asking questions.
And questions were dangerous.
With a slight reluctance, he flicked the switch.
The room was immediately bathed in artificial white light.
Hope squinted, momentarily disoriented by the sudden brightness.
The feeling of bliss he'd felt in the darkness faded almost instantly, replaced by the dull sterility of his surroundings.
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, and turned towards his bed.
Then—
Something caught his eye.
A shadow.
It was cast by the metal chair that sat across from the mirror.
At first, it seemed ordinary—just a natural byproduct of the overhead light.
But then—
A thought formed in his mind.
If I can move through darkness… then what about shadows?
They were literally the same thing, weren't they?
Darkness. Shadow. They were both black, both a place where light couldn't reach.
Hope smirked.
If his new ability worked in pure darkness, maybe he could integrate into shadows as well.
Curious, he stepped towards the chair's shadow.
It stretched across the floor, still and silent.
Carefully, he reached out—
And the moment his foot crossed into the shadow's edge—
A force shoved him back.
Hard.
Hope stumbled, his body jerking backward as if something had physically pushed him away.
His heart pounded.
He caught himself before he could fall, staring at the shadow in shock.
That had been real.
A tangible, rough rejection.
His brows furrowed.
"What the hell…?" he muttered.
He had expected to sink into it.
To merge with it like he did with the darkness earlier.
Instead—
The shadow had denied him.
Hope clenched his jaw.
Isn't shadow and darkness the same?
He looked at the chair's shadow again, frustration bubbling in his chest.
They're both black. They're both supposed to be the absence of light.
So why did the darkness welcome him, but shadows reject him?
Tch. Whatever.
That wasn't his concern for now.
Shaking his head, Hope turned away from the chair.
He started towards his bed, his mind already shifting to other things—
Then—
He saw it.
His reflection.
And it was staring at him.
Hope froze.
His heart slowed, an unnatural chill creeping down his spine.
His reflection was supposed to be following his movements.
Mirroring him exactly.
But it wasn't.
It was a step behind.
A fraction too slow.
And then—
It smiled.
A wide, eerie grin.
Not a natural smile.
Not a smirk like the ones Hope made when he was amused.
No—
This was wrong.
His own face, but twisted in a way that didn't feel human.
The curve of the lips—too slow.
The way the head tilted slightly—almost as if it was observing him rather than mimicking him.
Hope felt his throat go dry.
His pulse pounded in his ears.
What… the hell…?
He didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
For a long moment, he simply stared—
And his reflection stared back.
Still smiling.