Chapter 3: " Black Sea of guilt"

The reflected light got farther and farther away. Joey looked down. The darkness looks like a hungry beast Waiting for its pray, the darkness kept on dragging him down even more. He struggled to get out of it's grip, losing more air. he could feel his heartbeat beat louder and louder. He kicked, and tried to get to the surface. No use. his chest felt like someone stabbed him. after a couple of kicks, His body surrendered, he was too tired, no more trying that was his decision.

He began to feel suffocated, and his vision began to become blurry, he felt more suffocating and sadness than the feeling of the water entering his lungs.

He didn't hurt anymore, the only thing he could do was keep his eyes open till the last moment, before his eyes close for the last time, he saw something swimming his way, it's a black thing, a monster? a shark? Joey didn't see differences, drowning or to be eaten, Joey didn't know what happened afterwards, he blacked out.

After a period of time, Joey's ears twitched, the air that hit his back, that sandy texture under his face, wet feeling under his body and the strong sound of waves crushing the shore, his nose started to pick up this familiar smell, the smell of the moist air mixed with water salts. The smell that was supposed to make anyone comfortable, made him conclude where he is now. He's on a beach, he opened his bloodshot eyes, he blinked a few times before he finally restored the ability to move his limbs, Moved his elbows up, while he tried to push himself up with his hands, trying to get his face away from the sand, which seemed to be lying on for a while now.

At last, when he was able to rely on his weak , shaky feet, his limbs were at least fine; he thought trying to see the bright side. He looked around, started to flick his clothes from the sand and wiped back on his face, brushing his wet hair to the back with his hand. He didn't find anything. he saw nothing beyond the horizon . It's just the beach and the sea, but once he saw the view of the sea water , he knew, that they were not in their world anymore. The water was black colored that looked like some kind of black monsters, similar to the one he saw on the mountain.

And if someone checks those waves and listen to them for a while, It would look like millions of black little demons trying to eat each other to get to him first, as if he's a food , and he can swear that there's a sound coming from those waves, a sound like a roar of animals fighting over a pray, Fear spread back into Joey's red eyes due to his imminent drowning he had faced hours ago. this sight triggerd a memory in his head, the creature which he saw down in the water, just before he lose consciousness,

" Did ...Did it save me? " he murmured to himself .

He didn't want to look at this view any longer, So he turned around and walked faster, limping away from that beach. preying to get anywhere safe, to find his friends and get back home.

At the same time, in another place, Zain and the others weren't doing much better, as Zain's ears twitched; He heard the sound of shattering glass, shaking his eardrums, forcing him to open his eyes in discomfort. Zain tried to move his hand and stood on his legs while dusting his pants and leather Jacket, then looked around in disgust:

" Damn, Just What kind of a test is this" he said in wonder which actually is mixed with excitement he could not hide!

The shuttering sound became stronger, as if someone was throwing glass on the ground, Zain tracked the sound carefully, as he took out his dagger, which is an important legacy to his family, it even had his family's logo engraved on it,

when he finally got there he knew right away where he was, putting the dagger in it's holder then put it back in his pocket, smirking:

" So playing with the past now aren't we?"

He said while acting more casually, he knew this was their old mansion, the one his grandparents lived in, he went up the stairs, the sound became stronger and got higher, till he reached the second floor where the sound came from.

There was only one room on this floor, a room with many spells printed on it for protection, and its door was gigantic, made of pure gold and on it many Roman writings.

" This door...the one Mother talked about...the forbidden Door of Gelvia!..."he said as he put his hand on the door touching it slightly.

"its all because of you! .... its all because of you ...!"

he heard someone shouting loudly without hearing a response from another party.

"it's a forbidden room, Why is there someone inside now?" he wondered, looking amazed by the giant door, observing it, then tried to hear what was going on inside, As soon as he put his hand on the door handle, the giant golden door was opened by itself creaking loudly.

And as soon as Zain entered he found that the whole place was surrounded by mirrors with golden frames, up to the ceiling, mirrors every where, Zain found his reflection on the mirrors:

"I am still handsome in any reflection...so what! Did my grandfather close this room to prevent anyone from vanity?...and where is the man who was here a moment ago?"

While he was touching the mirrors that come on his way until he reached a vertical mirror, human sized one, you can see yourself from your hair to your toes in this mirror's reflection, he looked at himself a little and then looked at the other side to check if there was anything hidden other than the mirrors,

" where did the shuttering sound came from?" he murmured to himself.

"You killed her ... why did you kill her?"

Once Zain turned his back to the mirror, a voice behind him said with a low. contemptuous, unpleasant voice.

Zain froze for a while in his place, the only thing that is behind him now is the mirror , Zain turned again slowly, trying to see if what he's thinking is right, to see his reflection, Angry one; hostile glare, with a face contorted with rage, a curled lip And eyebrows scrunched together,

Zain's lips were slightly open, he didn't know how to express his shock right know, looking at his talking reflection with no blinking.

" My ...My reflection? " was the only thing he murmured.

"I have never been a reflection, I am You..we are one"

The reflection in the mirror said with an evil grin.

Zain blinked as the sound of a cracking glass could be heard, Zain looked at the cracks which began to form on the mirror on its own as it was about to break, and in the meantime, the reflection continued with his words:

" You remember her right? .... Liz? Do you not remember her .. you killed her in a cold blood .."

"You killed her, don't you even remember her!? "

"Wait ... wait a minute ... Who are you...A demon? mirror spirit? How do you know about Liz !" Zain was appalled.

"I told you that I am you! or with another meaning; The You who lives in the underworld ... I know that you also believe in my existence, and you know a lot of things about the underworld don't fool me, I have lived with you since you were born ... This is our work anyway."

"I won't deny!! ... but since you were with me, you already knew the reason for it!" Zain replied, defending himself.

"Because she was half human! And half form the Underworld!! And for that you killed her! because she was stronger and better so they ordered you to kill her ... You didn't even listen to her! She was your finance and friend from childhood for god's sake! ... But all of you are only mindless soldiers to The San family ... all of you deserve to die!! ...all humans deserves to die!"

The veins on his forehead popped out as his jaw tensed, And in a glimpse, a sword appeared from nowhere in his right hand, The reflection put a foot outside the mirror, and at this moment Zain did not believe what he saw with his eyes and took a few steps back put his hand in his pocket and took out a his dagger again, and by surprise, The reflection grabbed the sword high in the air, jumping like a tiger pouncing on its prey! he wanted to kill Zain at any cost, the heat of anger could be felt in his burning eyes.

Zain avoided the sword strike with his speed, in the end he practiced under the hands of the best trainers when he was young so that he could survive the murderers who tried to kill the only heir of the San family repeatedly before.

he jumped on the ground avoiding the sword strike that hit the ground instead.

"I am better than you in everything ... I loved her more than you ... I would have done anything to save her ... anything!" Said the reflection, then began to advance forward with wide and heavy steps on the ground stepping over the mirror's broken glass.

"Liz was not normal, even if she was human or from the underworld. She tried to kill my grandfather and my mother more than once...she lost control we tried many times to save her but it was too late already she was going to be a killer. we had to stop her by.....you were there why don't you understand!!?"

Zain said as he was stepping back avoiding every sword strick.

The reflection did not listen to him

" I am going to prove to you that you are wrong...that I am stronger. ...and deserve to live more then you ... you selfish , useless basterd... .lets see who will win over this body"

said the reflection to Zain as he walks forward in determined, challenging voice.

End of Chapter Three.