Chapter 4: " YourSelf....Your Hell"

"I think you might be misunderstanding somethings !?"

Zain said to his reflection

Zain found nothing to defend himself with, except for the dagger in his hand, while the Reflection grinned looking at the sword in his hand.

"This is truly unfair!" Zain said in statement, then he run escaping from the door and went down the stairs while the reflection slowly followed him enjoying this chase. Zain reached downstairs, when the reflection came out of another mirror was there,

"I always watched you make many mistakes, day after day, you proved that i was right "

said the reflection to Zain in disgust.

Advancing forcefully forward with confident steps filled with anger, while Zain took steps back with fear and cautious with shaken steps.

"proved you what ?" Zain asked him

" that i deserve to be in your place when you were supposed to be down in the burning hell!"

Said his reflection to him enraged, Zain felt his hate and anger from his own eyes, he felt he was really going to kill him, they stayed silent for a second then Zain noticed the reflection raising his sword high in the air to strike again, but Zain pulled his dagger in a blink of an eye toward the reflection's face to create a deep scratch on the face and took the opportunity to run away, the reflection closed his eyes in pain and put his fingers where the scratch was.

It seems that this act only increased his anger, As in seconds this wound evaporated like it didn't happen at all!

Zain stood for a second in shock, he can not hurt him! How is he gonna win!?

Zain though, turned around and ran.

His reflection glanced at his back while he was running away from him.

" i will kill you !" He said fuming!

"I will kill you !! .." The reflection said again, smashing everything on his way with his sword, Zain avoided the sword strikes one by one.

"Why don't we talk about it!"

Zain Said, grinding his teeth when both the sword and his dagger met, trying to protect himself.

"If this was your opinion from the start, why didn't you appear earlier than that! Why didn't you protest then !!" Zain clenching his teeth. trying to push him off.

"Because only here ... I can hurt you Zain ... And who told you that I did not express my objection before ? .... So who do you think makes you face sleep difficulties and nightmares every night since Liz was killed?" he said raging.

"You are a Tusgal! a first-ranked demon!! .... you are typically my shadow ... How can you become so cruel to me ..."

"Yes, Zain, Ask yourself How? How are You This....weak!" The Reflection said. as he got stronger with each word. It's like he draws his strength from the weakness of Zain, who starts to get shaken by the words of this creature, who seems to look identical to him,

Zain managed to avoid the blow of the sword with difficulty, but the sword scratched his shoulder with a deep wound, he shouted form the pain. Put his hand on his shoulder, and saw the blood oozing out of his palm,

Zain said with unbelieve look on his face, looking at the blood in his hand.

"This test ... it's ... real!!!"

Joey, walked as far as he can, away from this beach, trying to find his friends or any other HUMAN! Aside from him he found no one! Until he gets to an area that looks like it's residential, but the houses were empty.

Zian in the other hand, tried to escape in any way from that crazy reflection of his, Who smashed anything on his way until Zain finally reached the mansion's door and opened it and went out quickly to find himself in the garden. and after he got out the gate , He heard the sound of a creaking sound and looked behind him and it was his reflection getting out of the house, just like him. walking slowly, enjoying this hid and seek game. as he grinned, Waving his sword right and left.

" run as you want but you can't hide..." He said in a dusky voice.

"So what now !!" Joey was running out of patience. " Why am I here ? any other surprises ?" he murmured.

At the same time, Zain got out to the street to escape, He looked left and right, and as soon as he looked to the right, a wide smile appeared on his face

As Joey looked across the street, he heard a very familiar voice shouting his name loudly  "Joey!?"  .

Joey turned to the source of the familiar voice  to find Zain waving his hand and running in his direction , Joey did not believe what he was seeing, he was overjoyed. for the first time in a while.

finally he saw someone he knew! even if it wasn't for long, even if he talked to him for only five or six minutes in his entire life, but final he found someone, and someone he knew, As soon as Zain reached him, he put his hands on his knees Catching his breath, raising his head to Joey, smiling:

"This is the first time I've been so happy to see you!"

Joey looked at him and didn't know if he supposed to cry or laugh, He observed Zain to see what happened to him.

" Yeah, wanna say the same about you..."

" where did ....where did he go? " Zain wondered looking around .

"Who's gone?" joey asked Zain. then looked at his scratched shoulder, and continued:

" what happened to you?"

" The only one that could make me in this state, my whole life. never been scared like this...."

Zain said looking to the empty space behind him still searching for him with his eyes, then he recognised that he said something he wasn't supposed to say and to someone he just met. he looked back at Joey.

"Mm ...so are you okay? " Joey asked, Joey was not the type of guy, who would talk about something which the other party doesn't want to talk about. he has never been this kind who would get himself into others businesses Just to satisfy his curiosity , he was this principled young man.

"Yeah Am fine ..." Zain said nodding, he looked around him, they where in the middle of a street. he didn't know what to do next.

"Lest get out of here " Zain said narrowing his eyes. observing the place as they walked.

the last he wanna do now, is to see this shadow or reflection against.

Joey noticed how nervous Zain is, but in his heart he felt calmer. thinking, Let's see the bright side; Joey though, at least he's not alone now, being with someone is better than alone. they both started to walk for a while, Zain was relieved, yet suspicious, this kind of Mirror demon or Tusgal won't go this easily...

"Are you okay there ..?" Joey asked pointing to his wounded shoulder,

" Yes! " Zain said with no care, all he care about at this moment, is to get out of here now. he was sure that this clown of his, will strick again, he had nothing to fight with, not a strong weapon, a protector nor a defensing spell.

" wait a bit..." Joey asked,

-" what? why!?" Zain wondered .

" we need to get this wound of yours cleaned at least, so it won't get infected"

_" fine..but be quick !"

Joey narrowed his eyes, he wanted to take back his words and let him bleed to death.

" Give me your hand Mr. San!"

The words caught Zain's attention, he looked to Joey and smiled, " Here it is Mr Yang!!"

Joey though this is just funny, how they both seems like a wounded soldier who just came form the battel field, but they still laugh at little thing in this kind of situation, maybe they are not this different....right? Joey though in his mind while getting a leaf from a tree nearby, He bent the big foliage to make layers, and put it on.

" this will just stop the bleeding for a while longer, but we must get medical help soon" Joey said looking at the wound carefully.

"The thing that was running after me, it's a Tusgal..." Zain looked up blankly to the sky saying loudly.

"A....A Tusgal? .... What do you mean?"

Joey looked confused, raised his eyebrows in wonder.

Zain exhaled, " it's a word means ( Reflection) , it's a first-ranked demon, a demon which lives in the mirror, these creatures, according to ancient chinese folklore, only mimicked us so that they could learn our character, our past and disadvantages, and eventually, when they become ready, emerge through the mirrors that served as windows into their worlds and take our places. of course this was not very accurate, it's actually mush more complicated, I don't know haw did they also started to develop some kind of feelings twords humans, it can't be!"

Joey looked blankly at Zain, " So You mean that you are fighting your own reflection?" Joey finally said after a while.

Zain looked at the ground, thinking deeply at his own words , then answered briefly: "Yes!"

They said no more, both of them had alot to talk and ask about, especially Joey who seemed to know nothing about the Underworld.

" does this all have anything to do with the test? " Joey knew the answer to his qui, but wanted to make sure.

" I think it does, The test is to be able to deal with the Underworld, in the worst case, you may come to an encounter with" Zain replied.

" let's talk later, we need to get out of here, I don't feel safe. " Zain said, getting up, and they started to walk again.

After they walked a little bit, they reached the last house in the street, then found a main street with a river on the side.

While they were walking towards the river, Zain was hit by an invisible wall, he fell back, while Joey crossed normally as it wasn't there, even though they were walking side by side, Zain couldn't walk anymore, not because he was tired, but its as if there is a wall that prevents him from going any farther. And the wall separated him and joey .

"What the...!!! " Zain said hitting the Invisible wall, hitting it with his fists

Joey looked at Zain from behind this wall. Then tried to walk away from Zain and saw that it was okay if he wanted to go, but Zian was not.

"But why me, exactly? Why does this place want me to stay for exactly!" Zain said angrily.

"There is something you haven't complette… you have to finish it…" Joey said in statement.

"What? What are you saying ... and how did you know?" Zain asked

Because this is written in front of me on the wall,

"You cannot leave before you finish what is left  uncompleted," said Joey, reading the words in front of him.

Zain looked and thought for a while, then stopped hitting the wall, Put his hand on his forehead and sighed, surrendering to his painful fate.

"So how do I find him again?" Zain asked in a surrender and exhausted voice.

" Open the door of any house, you will find him " Joey said while reading what was written in front of him on the wall and then the writings disappeared again.

Joey looked at Zain and saw that his body was trembling slightly, Joey bit his lower  lip due to his inability to do something, he did not know what Zain would face, as far as he knew from his experience a while ago, it seems his test is terrifying and fatal.

"What are you going to experience?" Joey asked behind the wall.

Zain smiled, put his hand in his pocket and took out his dagger,

"Myself. I'll fight myself."

Joey inhaled, closed his eyes as if he is was thinking of anyway that could possibly help Zain in his test.

"This is why you are afraid .... because you have regrets ... Maybe you are angry at yourself ...."

Joey said in a low, calm voice to Zain, giving him some kind of a clue.

Zain looked at him and approached the wall and placed his hand on the wall, and it supporting his body. Now he is standing face to face with Joey smiling,

"How can I beat myself that wants to come in my place and control my life instead, Joey?"

Joey smiled when he caught a glimpse of determination in Zain's eye which were sad and dead a moment ago,

"you Don't have to hurt it physically ... You just have to show it who is in charge ... Who did God has given him the right to be here. Who is stronger .. and that it's okay to make mistakes, we are humans, and that is why God created us imperfect, and for this reason, no other creature can be in our place, "

"I'll be back ... wait for me here and I'll show you who's the winner!" Zain said after gaining some strength from Joey's words.

Joey laughed and nodded and turned back while Zain walked into the house in front of him, opened the door, he looked at Joey and winked at him, got inside, the door was closed the door behind him .

End of Chapter Four