Mirror Dimension

What is your name, boy?" the old man asked as they stepped out of the room.

"Joel Warren," Joel replied.

"Call me Cyrus," the old man said. "What do you know about Corrupted Egos, Joel?" Cyrus continued.

"What everyone knows—they are people who lost control of their egos," Joel answered.

Cyrus nodded his head and stopped as they arrived before a large, imposing metal door. The corridor they stood in was dimly lit, the walls lined with sleek, cold steel that reflected the faint glow of overhead lights. The air was cool and carried a faint hum of electricity, hinting at an abnormal amount of energy being used within the facility.

The door opened as they stepped into a vast chamber, the ceiling high above them supported by metal beams crisscrossing like the skeleton of some great beast. The floor was polished concrete, subtly reflecting the rows of stasis chambers arranged meticulously within it.

"Walk with me," Cyrus said, bringing out a piece of paper that lit up and turned into a holographic arrow, directing them forward. Joel approached one of the chambers and observed a young woman peacefully resting inside, appearing to be in her early twenties. Cyrus glanced at Joel from the corner of his eye and continued speaking.

"Corrupted Ego's are indeed individuals who lost control of their echoes and became assimilated by them, being replaced in essence. However, they aren't as dangerous as society perceives them to be. In fact, they can be considered contributing members of society," Cyrus explained. Joel looked puzzled; in all his twenty years of existence, he had never heard anyone describe Corrupted Egos in such a way. Despite his confusion, he chose to withhold his doubts and continued listening intently.

"When acquiring an Ego, we connect to the Mirror Dimension—a realm closely tied to Earth but existing in parallel. When visualizing an Ego, we draw upon the intelligence and essence of a counterpart from this dimension. The imagined form and abilities of the Ego are what we visualize, and they are combined with the intellect and spirit of this counterpart, creating a new entity that reflects both aspects—a fusion of envisioned traits and mirrored consciousness," Cyrus elaborated. Joel's gaze froze as they stopped before a row of stasis chambers in which lay his family.