The next morning, Kairo was summoned to the upper floors of the guild—a place only high-ranking elites and commanders were permitted. He climbed the spiral staircase alone, each step heavier than the last. The air above was thick with Essence—like the walls themselves were alive, listening.
At the top waited Commander Eris, draped in ceremonial silver armor, her eyes sharp as blades. By her side stood Reylin, arms crossed, gaze unreadable.
"You're sending me on a solo mission?" Kairo asked, glancing at the sealed scroll in Eris's hand.
"No," Eris replied coolly. "We're giving you a test. This will determine whether you remain in this guild… or get marked for exile."
Kairo's jaw tensed. "What's the mission?"
Eris held out the scroll. "Assassinate the target. No questions, no hesitation."
Kairo broke the seal.
Inside was a single name.
And a portrait.
He froze.
It was… himself.
Or rather, a mirror version—older, colder, with silver hair and glowing red eyes. The profile read:
> Name: Kael
Codename: Hollow
Threat Level: S++
Classification: Rogue Essence Wielder. Capable of disrupting timelines. Current location: Eastwing Ruins.
"What… is this?" Kairo whispered.
Reylin finally spoke. "We believe he's from an alternate timeline. A version of you… corrupted by power. He's already destroyed three guilds. You're the only one who can match his Essence signature."
---
Hours later, Kairo stood before the ruins of Eastwing.
Once a bustling trade city, now just shattered stone and twisted towers. The air reeked of burnt time—where moments replayed endlessly in fragments.
He stepped into the heart of the ruins.
And there, sitting on a cracked throne of stone and ash, was Kael.
Identical face. Same eyes. But colder. Hungrier.
"So they finally sent me… myself," Kael said, rising to his feet. His voice carried ancient weight. "You're early."
Kairo drew his blade. "You know why I'm here."
Kael smiled. "Of course. But let me ask you something, Kairo… Do you really think you're the original?"
Kairo faltered.
"What?"
Kael chuckled. "We all believe we're the first… the real one. But timelines break, fold, and repeat. I've killed you—hundreds of you—in thousands of broken loops."
He stepped forward, and the world twisted around him. Flames burned in reverse. Lightning sparked but didn't strike.
> [Warning: Temporal Shift Detected. Battle Conditions: Unstable.]
Kael's blade appeared from nothing—an obsidian fang wrapped in Essence.
"You're strong," Kael said. "Stronger than the last. But tell me… when you stare into the mirror, do you really know who you are?"
Their blades clashed.
A storm of power erupted across the ruins, tearing reality open.
---
Back at the guild, Vexa jolted from her meditation.
She felt it.
A tear in the stream.
"Kairo," she whispered. "What have they sent you into?"
---
In the ruins, Kael grinned mid-fight.
"You're hesitating. You don't want to kill me."
Kairo growled. "You're not me."
Kael tilted his head. "Then why do we dream the same dreams? Why do you hear the whispers in the mirror?"
Their blades met one final time—Essence against Essence.
Kairo roared.
And the mirror shattered.
---
Smoke filled the air.
Kael lay on the ground, bleeding. Laughing.
"You win this time," he said. "But there's always… another me."
He vanished—into ash and memory.
---
Kairo stood alone in the ruins, breathing heavily, sword trembling in his hand.
> [Abyssal Echo Absorbed: Hollow's Memory Fragment + Skill: Mirror Rend (Tier 1)]
But a chill ran down his spine.
Because when he looked at the broken reflection in a shard of glass...
…he wasn't sure who was staring back anymore.