Chapter 2

The moment she stepped through the portal, the world around her shifted and she watched as the portal closed behind her. Her surroundings transformed into a new realm surrounded by darkness except for the symbols which she had seemed earlier on, emitting the same blue light that glowed softly, illuminating her path.

"What now?" She asked. Her voice echoing through the realm, her hands were clenched to her sides. But instead of the voice within her head responding, she heard the voice of another. It was different yet robotic, as it resonated through the realm.

<Attention player. You have entered the realm of Illusionaria>

As the voice spoke, mirrors of different sizes and shapes began to appear forming a complex path that lay ahead. Was it the game host? It sure did sound like one.

<This mirror will reveal a fragment of your past, leading you forward.> it continued. The digitalized voice echoed as if coming out from all directions.

<Your objective is to locate the "Mirror of Truth," concealed within this domain.>

Guidelines for Navigation:

1. **Stay on the Path:** Follow the illuminated symbols on the path. Stray, and you'll be trapped in a loop, stuck in the same place.

2. **Avoid Shadows:** Beware of moving silhouettes within mirrors. Avert direct eye contact, or you'll be ensnared in illusions.

3. **Watch for Illusions:** False exits appear real. Touching them restarts your journey. Only the Mirror of Truth progresses you.

4. **Time Limit:** 10 minutes to find the Mirror of Truth. Miss it, and be eliminated.

5. **Memory Fragments:** Optional memories in mirrors offer bonuses. Collect for advantages in future challenges.

Stay alert, stay focused. Uncover the truth, and the path ahead will reveal itself. >

Saying this, a timer appeared, illuminated in blue light suspended in mid air and it began to count down.

"Hey, bot…thingy!" She called out, this time to the voice in her, realisation starting dawn on her.

<You have ten minutes. Move to the other end and touch the Mirror of Truth. Just go straight and follow the rules.>

She took a mental note of what was stated, all she had to do was run to the other side before the timer stopped. That seemed like an easy thing to do. Scrunching her eyes, her lips twitched into a half smile as she caught sight of the mirror not too far ahead. It had a distinct glow which set it apart from the rest.

Taking a deep breath, she lunged forward, each step had an increased paced as she sprinted forward, running as fast as she could. The journey appeared simple; running straightforward towards the awaiting Mirror of Truth. Her focus was steady and her gaze not moving from the target.

But as her paced increased, she came to a sudden realization as mirrors began to move closing the once cleared path. A square mirror suddenly appeared in her front, blocking her path and causing her to come to a sudden halt. But it was too late.

A grin spread across the face of a shadow trapped in the mirror. Just as she had been warned, her eyes met with that of the moving silhouette. it's eyes bore nothing but a dark shallow pit,trapping her consciousness in a state of illusion. Her mind felt dizzy and the world around her began to spin, at least that's what she thought as she stood there frozen. Only the sound of her heartbeat could be heard echoing between the invisible walls being trapped in an eerie of silence.

As time passed, her mind came to order like a completed puzzle causing her to blink repeatedly. A tight frown settled on her face, she realised she was back to where she had started. Her head titled upward, glancing at the floating timer.

Two minutes gone in the count down causing her to realize how much time would be wasted if this kept on happening. She knew she had to get to the other side, she still had less than eight minutes which means she still had enough time.

She started again, her focus on the mirror of truth and her pulse had quicken. Yet she stumbled upon another mirror, below her feet trying to engulf her in it's stare. This time her instinct heightened and she leap over to the side.

She turned her head over her shoulder to get a glance of the mirror that almost had her fooled but as she took a step forward, instead of touching the mirror of truth which had a unique glow, the light around it darkened and as her came in contact with the glass she jolted backward, Pulled by an invisible force.

The world spun, watched with confusion and disoreination, until finally, she landed where she had begun.

Over and over again, she repeated this action but still she ended up at the beginning, landing hard on her butt. What was happening? What was she missing? She thought to herself, her gaze shifted back at the timer. The atmosphere became tensed, she had only two minutes left and she still didn't know why she kept failing.

Her fingers clenched to the side and her jaw tightened, already feeling frustrated. Standing back on her feet, she tried it again. One last time, this time running faster, each second that past was a constant reminder of being eliminated pushing her to move faster and think quicker. Her senses sharpened, her hear beat reverberated in her ears.

The final sprint seemed like a stretch, her vision blurry and her breath grew heavy. But the it happened—a mirror emerged, both in the front and behind her. Panic set in, and as the first, second time, her eyes locked to the symbols on the ground.

She was right back where she started.

<Emotion level rising. Anger detected!> the voice in her head rang in her head, the timer mocking her failure as minutes ticked to seconds. She gritted her teeth, frustration settling in, her gaze staring down at her exposed toes as she was still barefoot.

<Anger detected!>

"Shut up," she mumbled to the voice in her head, already feeling frustrated and this only making the situation more unbearable.

<Emotion level rising. Anger detected!>

<Anger detected!>

<Anger detected!>

"Shut up…shut up!" She lashed out, her hands holding her head as if trying to shake the voice out and for a moment there was a silence, her breathing heavy.

<Emotion:Anger unlocked>